Name______________________________________________________________________________
Heman Melville’s, Bartleby, the Scrivener
Character
Narrator
Turkey
Nippers
Ginger
Nut
Bartleby
Actions
Words
Description
Great Quote
Summary
Name______________________________________________________________________________
Jonathan Parker’s film adaptation, Bartleby
Character
Narrator
Rocky
Ernie
Vivian
Bartleby
Actions
Words
Description
Great Quote
Summary (Comparison)
Responding to Bartleby – witnessing catharsis
Option 1: Ah, Humanity!
As we have seen through Melville’s story and Parker’s movie, the characters represented are timeless: change
the setting, the technology, and the jobs, and people will still tend to act and interact the same way. Ernie and
Rocky were just as hot-headed as Nippers and Turkey, Vivian as bent on pleasing everybody as Ginger-nut,
whilst the narrator and Bartleby court each other in a dance locked in time with the narrator’s waning
passiveness, and Bartleby’s waxing decisiveness.
It may be hard to feel anything for these characters with their exaggerated flaws. However, the relationship
between Bartleby and the narrator is key: the narrator suffers the catharsis in this story. He is the one who
suddenly feels compelled to help Bartleby; who feels empathy for the suffering of this tragic character who
becomes ill and dies arguably because of his work, or his decisiveness not to. My question then is this: Why
does Melville (and Parker) want the audience to witness this catharsis?
In a two or more page hand-written response, answer this question. Use examples from the text and film to
support your response. Consider how the characters represent different people in society, how each of the
different characters feel differently about humanity, and what Melville was ultimately trying to say about
humanity and how people treat each other. Due by the end of class today.
Option 2: Which Character Would You Be?
Between Melville’s short story and Parker’s film, we are presented with ten different characters. Certainly there
exist pairs of characters between the film and the story that share certain characteristics, but Parker took
definitive license when constructing his vision of “Bartleby.” This being said, I want you to consider your own
beliefs about society, charity, capitalism, industrialism, etc., and determine which character you would be, were
you to be cast in this story. Think about the motivation for each of the characters doing his or her job, and ask
yourself, “would I be motivated by the same thing?” Your response should answer the following questions:
1. What role does my job play in my life? Is it my purpose, or a means to do something else?
2. Do I care about other people, or do I care more about what I do, and how it affects me?
3. Do I adapt to my environment, or do I manipulate my environment to fit me?
4. What am I willing (or not willing) to do to climb the social ladder in a) my professional life and b) my
personal life?
5. At what point would I help a person in need? Or would I?
In a two or more page hand-written response, answer this question. Use examples from the text and film to
support your response. Consider how the characters represent different people in society, how each of the
different characters feel differently about humanity, and what Melville was ultimately trying to say about
humanity and how people treat each other. Due by the end of class today.