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Bartleby: "I prefer not to,"
"I prefer not to," also tells the reader about Bartleby isolating himself.
The phrase shows his lack of involvement, another form of isolation. The
narrator tells the reader exactly what he did to Bartleby, very vividly, as
shown below. In the novella, the author tells the reader, down to the
smallest detail, what he did to Bartleby to isolate him from the world. He
tells us in this passage, "I placed his desk close up to a small side
window in that part of the room, a window which originally had afforded a
lateral view of certain grimy backyards, and bricks, but which, owning to
insubsequent erections, commanded at present, no view at all, though it
gave some light. Within three feet of the panes was a wall, and the light
came down from far above between two lofty buildings, as from a very small
opening in a dome. Still further to satisfactory arrangement, I procured a
green folding screen, which might entirely isolate Bartleby from my sight,
though, not remove him from my voice." The quotation describes how the
narrator secludes Bartleby from society. Even his window, usually a form
of escape, results in Bartleby being trapped behind another wall, thus
reinforcing his total isolation. The irony lies in the fact that the
narrator, while trying to isolate Bartleby, becomes affected by it, so much
so that he appears almost human. Instead of dismissing him on the spot for
refusing to copy, proofread or leave the premises, he tries to find other
employment for him, and even considers inviting him to live in his
residence as his guest. The narrator develops before our eyes into a caring
person, very different from the cold, unsympathetic person at the beginning
of the story. "To befriend Bartleby, to humor him in his strange
willfulness, will cost me little or nothing, while I lay up in my soul what
will eventually prove a sweet morsel for my conscience." The narrator would
normally befriend Bartleby or any other "sucker," but Bartleby has given
him a conscience. The narrator has realized that a common blemish in a
person does not determine the person. In the beginning of the novella, the
narrator only cared about his work, but now he realizes that people have a
life outside of work, except Bartleby. The narrator then changes into a
caring person, and tries to know Bartleby, and his odd ways, even going the
extra yard to help him. In the end, the narrator tries to save Bartleby
from his doing, Bartleby's undoing, Bartleby's isolation. In conclusion, in
real life, the strange are always isolated from the normal. During the
1950's and 1960's, blacks were isolated, or segregated, from society. Now,
many people are isolated: retarded, ugly, "uncool," the deformed, and
people with contagious, deadly diseases. In Bartleby's time, the strange
were looked down upon or ridiculed at (as in Freak Shows), so Bartleby
isolated himself and permitted others to isolate him from society.
Eventhough the narrator isolated Bartleby, Bartleby brought the isolation
upon himself by living an abnormal life. By not fitting into mainstream
society, Bartleby left himself open to isolation. The three literary
elements, symbolism, descriptive passages, and irony, described how
Bartleby's isolation from society fit in the novella. Jawahrlal Nehru said
that isolation is dangerous, as in Bartleby's case. Isolation can drive a
person insane, make him mute, or even kill him. The theme is not to let
yourself succumb to the prejudice of others, and let yourself be isolated.
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