Reading Notes W7: Melville, Part B

• Bartleby is the strangest scrivener - 296
• Before Bartleby joined, the narrator had two copyists and an office-boy: Turkey, Nippers, and Ginger Nut - 298
• Turkey got his nickname because of his inflamed manner and the redness of his face after 12pm that made the narrator uncomfortable - 298
• Nippers got his nickname by always being displeased with the height of his table and his constant fidgeting around trying to adjust it - 299
• Ginger Nut got his nickname because he always ate ginger nuts. Tons of effort went into that nickname. - 304
• "I can see that figure now--pallidly neat, pitiably respectable, uncurably forlorn! It was Bartleby." - 301
• Bartleby was an extraordinary employee at first - 301
• The narrator asked him to look over some papers, as is normally done in their copyist business, but Bartleby said he "would prefer not to" - 302
• The narrator was shocked and in disbelief. He asked again. Bartleby responds the same way. He would prefer not to. - 302
• He somewhat lost his temper when asking again and told Bartleby to take the paper. Bartleby still preferred not to - 302
• He called Bartleby over a few days later and Bartleby simply "appeared" standing at the entrance to ask what is wanted of him - 303
• He preferred not to again - 303
• The narrator speaks to Turkey. Turkey agrees with the narrator that he's right. Nippers says they should kick Bartleby out of the office - 304
• Ginger Nut's opinion was that Bartleby was luny - 304
• After Bartleby prefers not to again, the narrator exits furiously and Turkey says he should black his eyes - 305
• "You will not?" "I prefer not" - 305
• The narrator calls Bartleby twice. He doesn't appear. After the third calling of his name, Bartleby appears "like a very ghost, agreeably to the laws of magical invocation, at the third summons, he appeared at the entrance of his hermitage." This is my second time reading this story. The first time I read this I immediately compared this to calling out Bloody Mary 3 times in a bathroom in the dark towards the mirror. I still make this comparison as of this second reading. - 306
• He told Bartleby to tell Nippers to come see him, Bartleby said he prefers not to and "mildly disappeared" - 306
• Described Bartleby as "pale" again - 306
• The narrator got used to Bartleby's nonsense and eventually began to expect it - 306
• Bartleby seems to have been staying at the office overnight. - 307
• The narrator felt sympathetic for Bartleby because he feels he's just lonely - 308
• The narrator tries to get to know Bartleby but he prefers not to share anything about himself - 309
• "At present I prefer to give no answer" - 309
• "mortified" - 310
• "Somehow, of late I had got into the way of involuntarily using this word "prefer" says the narrator -310
• They seem to be mocking Bartleby by using the word "prefer" - 310
• "The next day I noticed that Bartleby did nothing but stand at his window in his dead-wall revery" - 311
• Bartleby said he won't do any more writing and when asked why he said "Do you not see the reason for yourself?" copying in his dim window might have impaired his vision - 311
• Even if his eyes were to get better, "I've given up copying" - 311
• Bartleby prefers not to quit but is told he must - 312
• He tries to give him some money before sending him off. Bartleby doesn't move. He leaves the money on the table for Bartleby - 312
• Bartleby was still in the office the next day even though he was supposed to be gone. Narrator is "disappointed"  - 313
• Bartleby would prefer not to quit - 314
• Narrator doesn't want to "thrust such a helpless creature out your door" - 316
• He plans to move offices that way Bartleby has to leave - 316
• The narrator was contacted by someone and told he's responsible for the fact that Bartleby is still at the old office - 317
• "He persists in haunting the building" - 317
• "Going upstairs to my old haunt, there was Bartleby silently sitting" - 317
• The narrator tries to suggest other jobs for Bartleby. "I like to be stationary. But I am not particular" - 318
• "The poor scrivener, when told that he must be conducted to the Tombs, offered not the slightest obstacle, but in his pale unmoving way, silently acquiesced" - 319
• The narrator goes to the tombs and sees Bartleby. He calls out his name but Bartleby says "I know you... and I want nothing to say to you." - 319
• He speaks with the cook of the prison and slides him some silver, asking that he take care of Bartleby and feed him the best dinner he can get. - 320
• He went to find Bartleby so that he could introduce him to the cook as the cook requested. Bartleby was dead, however. - 321
• "Ah Bartleby! Ah humanity!" - 321

Melville, Herman. "Bartleby, the Scrivener." The Norton Anthology World Literature, edited by Martin Puchner, Third Edition, vol. E, W. W. Norton 2012, pp. 293-325