Going against selfishness

 

In Herman Melville's "Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street," the lawyer, who serves as the narrator, is a dynamic character. At the beginning of the story, he is depicted as a pragmatic, arrogant, and selfish person due to how he deals with his employees. In the play the lawyer considers his workers to be tools to make his life easy as his goal is to make money the easiest way possible. This can be shown in the play where the lawyer describes the nicknames in which he used to belittle his workers, “First, Turkey; second, Nippers; third, Ginger Nut,” (Melville 159).  Belittling his workers perhaps serves to inflate his ego and power. As the narrative unfolds and he encounters Bartleby, his views begin to change. Bartleby's passive resistance challenges the lawyer's understanding of authority leading him to reflect on his own humanity and the nature of charity. This is because despite the Lawyer being the boss he has no power over Bartleby as Bartleby persistently and politely refuses to do what the Lawyer asks of him. The shift is very noticeable after he acknowledges Bartleby’s situation. The lawyer states “I was touched, I said something in condolence to him,” (Melville 175).  This goes against the selfish nature of the Lawyer that was displayed at the beginning of the play. To further prove this he also would later say “ ‘I am sorry for you; here is money; but you must go,’ “ (Melville 175). This showcases the compassion of the Lawyer. It shows that he does have a sense of humanity in him that was not shown beforehand. This dialogue helps provide depth to the Lawyer as it shows his humility that was hidden through his ego and power over his other employees. By the end of the story, the lawyer undergoes a transformation suggesting that the lawyer is a dynamic character.