Unveiling the Static Nature of the Lawyer in "Bartleby, the Scrivener" by Herman Melville

In "Bartleby, the Scrivener," It can be seen that the character of the lawyer can be most argued as a static character given that he remains largely unchanged throughout the story. Let's dive into the evidence of this claim. As we know static characters are characters that basically stay the same, having no real growth, while a dynamic character is a character who has evidence of changes or some type of development in the story. As we analyze the lawyer's character in the story we see clear evidence from the beginning and the end. In the beginning parage of the story, the lawyer describes himself basically as a man of "safe, moral flexibility," which gives off the impression that he is strictly comfortable with his own ideals and principles. This sets the tone throughout the story that he's mostly unaffected and adheres to his own principles as events unfold. She describes himself as "a rather elderly man. The nature of my avocations for the last thirty years has brought me into more than ordinary contact with what would seem an interesting and somewhat singular set of men, of whom as yet nothing that I know of has ever been written:—I mean the law-copyists or scriveners" (158).  The lawyer saying this shows his self-assuredness, which brings out the thought that he is unlikely to undergo any significant change as the story progresses. Evidence from the end of the story reflects on the life of Bartleby and his overall fate as his return to the normal unchanged routine approach to life and work. Even though he had to deal with what would he see to be as strange as Bartleby's refusal to work and subsequent demise, the lawyers's view remained mostly unaffected. The lawyer's last remark was "Ah, Bartleby...Ah, humanity" which seems to show a lack of emotion and just acceptance, and that indicates there wasn't really any growth on the lawyer's part (187). He just seems to remain his same old analytical and detached self as he was at the beginning of the story. With this evidence we can see the lawyer in "Bartleby, the Scrivener" to be interpreted as a static character with is maintained consistantant demenor and worldview while experiencing little to no change or growth.