Bartleby The Scrivener Rhetorical Analysis Essay

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The topic of charity and philanthropy come under close analysis in “Bartleby the Scrivener”. The narrator finds himself torn between the desire to abandon Bartleby, especially once his presence begins to affect his business; and wishing to help him, in exchange for an honorable conscience. In Passage 2, the narrator pays recognition to the fact that man has gone to war and even killed for selfish reasons but never in the name of “sweet charity”. He strives to push his feelings of frustration towards Bartleby aside, and instead pity him. In the beginning of “Bartleby”, the young scrivener started out as the most productive employee at the firm. Over time he became lazier until one day he finally tells the narrator, whom is his boss, that he would “prefer not to” perform anymore of his tasks. Initially the lawyer…show more content…
We have to really ponder whether the actions of the lawyer were philanthropic or done in the name of selfishness. The reader soon realized that the lawyer uses Bartleby as a charity case for his own personal benefit. From an outside perspective, one would think the young scrivener lived such a miserable, lonely, life. However we come to learn that Bartleby’s unfortunate circumstances are chosen by him, he wanted to live in the office of the lawyer, and adamantly refused to not eat the food offered to him once he was jailed. Therefore, the lawyer realistically wasn’t helping anyone in the situation because his attempts at aiding Bartleby were all turned down. I don’t believe the lawyer made these offerings out of pure good-heart. He used the scrivener as a way to make himself look better, so that for once he can say he did something good for another
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