Analysis Of Herman Melville s Short Stories - 1812 Words

Delving into the depths of the convoluted ideas of interpretation of human perception and knowledge, we must consider a few things: perception is influenced by subconsciousness, it is relative as well as fictional, and sometimes the full reality is not always perceived accurately – everything is taken into account by one’s specific viewpoint or approach. What we interpret to be true and what is reality are two different things. Modern life has provocations that surround us as we rely heavily on them to inform us how to place and categorize individuals in the world. The characters in Herman Melville’s short stories, through their dialogue, direct characterization, and physical appearances, forces us to use human perception to understand†¦show more content†¦His mantra â€Å"I would prefer not to† is his quick and only answer to everything when asked. He looks incredibly unhealthy and weak and somehow manages to have enough mental strength in contin uing to hold passive resistance to anything demanded of him. Melville describes him as â€Å"pallidly neat, pitiably respectable, and incurably forlorn† (46). Bartleby appears to lack personality and any distinctive characteristics that Melville’s other copyists blatantly have. Turkey, an older employee, would become absolutely mad and reckless after twelve o’clock; Nippers was ambitious but easily stressed before twelve. â€Å"Their fits relieved each other, like guards. When Nippers’s was on, Turkey’s was off; and vice versa† (45). Melville assigns Bartleby a corner of the room with a grim view and a high green folding screen, separating the two. To any and all questions brought to him, he either remains silent or says those five words with an absence of tone, in a somewhat inhumane way with no emotion and a straight face almost â€Å"cadaverous.† The narrator attempts to know the origins of this interesting creature and even finds him living in the office still possessing such a â€Å"cadaverously gentlemanly nonchalance† (54). The narrator gives an eerie vision of Bartleby as a corpse, which brings about not only sympathy but also fear. Although Bartleby is alive, he has certain undead qualities about him.Show MoreRelatedEssay about Herman Melville: A Biography And Analysis2570 Words   |  11 Pages Herman Melville: A Biography And Analysis nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Throughout American history, very few authors have earned the right to be called â€Å"great.† Herman Melville is one of these few. 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