Bartleby, the Scrivener

Use this activity to engage all types of learners while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Support Your Claim”

In this activity, students will use details from the story to identify ways in which Bartleby’s character challenges societal norms and power structures and will present their findings in either a written response, a visual representation, or a dramatic interpretation.

Use specific details and quotes from the story to do the following.

• Identify various ways (at least 3) in which Bartleby’s character challenges societal norms and power structures. Consider his refusal to work, his passive resistance, and his interactions with other characters.
• Reflect on the possible message that Melville intended to convey through Bartleby’s actions. What insights or critiques about American society might he be offering?

Share your responses with a partner, small group, or the whole class. Compare and discuss different interpretations and perspectives on Bartleby’s character and the message of the story. Then choose one of the following options to express the ideas you discussed.

Option A: Written Response

Write an essay or a reflective journal entry discussing the ways Bartleby challenges societal norms and power structures. Support your points with specific examples and quotes from the story. Reflect on the possible message that Melville intended to convey through Bartleby’s actions.

Option B: Visual Representation

Create a visual representation, such as a poster, comic strip, or graphic organizer, that illustrates the ways Bartleby challenges societal norms and power structures. Use images, symbols, and captions to convey your ideas. Include specific details and quotes from the story to support your visual representation.

Option C: Dramatic Interpretation

Create a short scene or monologue in which you embody the character of Bartleby. Portray his challenges to societal norms and power structures through your performance. Consider his refusal to work and his interactions with other characters. Express the message you think Melville intended to convey through Bartleby’s actions.

Share, present, or display your chosen mode of expression with a partner, small group, or the whole class.

Teaching Suggestion: You might actively encourage students to support their ideas with evidence from the text and engage in respectful and thoughtful discussions. It would be helpful to emphasize the importance of considering different perspectives and interpretations, fostering an environment of open-mindedness and intellectual curiosity.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Bartleby lives in poverty in more ways than one.

• What are some ways in which Bartleby embodies the idea of poverty? (topic sentence)
• Provide examples from the text that illustrate Bartleby’s poverty and that show how other characters react to it. Discuss how Bartleby’s characterization develops the theme of Poverty and Pity.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain whether other characters’ pity ultimately helps or hurts Bartleby.

2. Melville chose Wall Street in New York City as the setting for his story.

• What does the Wall Street setting of “Bartleby, the Scrivener” symbolize? (topic sentence)
• Analyze the significance of this setting in relation to the story’s theme of The Function of Charity. Identify several acts of charity in the text and discuss why each action does or does not succeed in helping someone. Can charity make up for the inequalities of a capitalist economy?
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, describe the narrator’s view of his charitable acts and how this view relates to the symbolism of Wall Street.

3. “Bartleby, the Scrivener” contains many examples of Literary Absurdity.

• What is the central absurdity in this story of an employer and his eccentric employee? (topic sentence)
• Identify several examples of literary absurdity in the story. Why would each example not happen in real life? What is the effect of each absurdity?
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain how Melville uses absurd events and situations to make a serious comment about human nature and society.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Discuss the theme of isolation in “Bartleby, the Scrivener.” How does the character of Bartleby embody this theme, and what broader societal implications does it convey?

2. Analyze the narrative voice in “Bartleby, the Scrivener” and its significance in shaping readers’ understanding of the story. How does the narrative perspective contribute to one or more of the story’s major themes, such as The Function of Charity and Poverty and Pity?

3. “Bartleby, the Scrivener” has been interpreted as a critique of capitalist society. Explore this interpretation and provide evidence from the story to support your analysis.

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1.   What is the narrator’s profession?

A) Lawyer

B) Doctor

C) Writer

D) Banker

2. How does Bartleby respond to work requests?

A) “Certainly!”

B) “I would love to.”

C) “I would prefer not to.”

D) “Maybe later.”

3. Who is the first character to notice Bartleby’s peculiar behavior?

A) Turkey

B) Nippers

C) The narrator

D) Ginger Nut

4. How does the narrator initially try to help Bartleby?

A) By offering him more money

B) By threatening to fire him

C) By providing him with food and shelter

D) By overlooking his odd behavior

5. Where does Bartleby spend most of his time during his work hours?

A) In the bathroom

B) At his desk

C) In the kitchen

D) Outside the office building

6. How do Turkey and Nippers react to Bartleby’s refusal to work?

A) They ignore him.

B) They become angry and frustrated.

C) They offer him encouragement.

D) They join him in refusing to work.

7. What is the significance of the office’s location on Wall Street?

A) It represents American capitalism.

B) It symbolizes poverty and struggle.

C) It is a place of social gathering and events.

D) It has no particular significance.

8. What happens to Bartleby in the end?

A) He disappears without a trace.

B) He leaves the office and starts a new job.

C) He is arrested and dies in prison.

D) He receives a promotion.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. Analyze the reactions of the other characters, such as Turkey and Nippers, to Bartleby’s unconventional behavior. How do these interactions highlight the tensions and power dynamics within the workplace?

2. Reflect on the overall message conveyed by the story “Bartleby, the Scrivener” regarding the human condition and societal expectations. How do Bartleby’s fate and the ending of the story contribute to this message?