Discussion on Melville’s “Bartleby the Scrivener”

Instructions: Our discussion of “Bartleby the Scrivener.”  Be sure to answer the question in a well-developed paragraph of 175 words and include at least two supporting quotations from the story that support your analysis.  Use MLA format for citing the quote:  The narrator explains, “Blah, blah, blah” (Melville 1479). Question: How is the story an attack by Melville on American society?  In other words, what criticism is Melville making about the developing American society?  In your analysis, consider the story’s setting, the work the characters do, the lawyer-narrator’s treatment of Bartleby, and Bartleby’s transformation.