Critical Literary Analysis of Bartleby, the Scrivener Herman Melville

Herman Melville's story "Bartleby, the Scrivener" was first published in 1853. It is a story that has been analyzed often and opinions vary on what Meville was trying to convey to his readers. However, there is much agreement that his use of symbolism is frequently used in "Bartleby" to give the story a deeper meaning. The central character of the story is Bartleby, and Melville uses him as an outlet for symbolic imagery to show Bartleby …

…is the central character of the story and Melville uses him to communicate symbolic messages to his readers. Since its publication in 1853, critics and casual readers alike have debated the true connotations of "Bartleby, the Scrivener". Works Cited Melville, Herman. "Bartleby, the Scrivener" The Norton Anthology of America Literature. New York: Norton & Company, 2003. Marx, Leo. "Melville's Parable of the Walls." Sewanee Review 61 1953 Runden, John P. "Imagery in Herman Melvilles Shorter Fiction."Dissertation Abstracts 12.1952