... there is no single meaning to the character of Bartleby. This essay will consider Bartleby's actions in light of the possibility that his ultimate meaning is not meant to be understood by the reader. Let us briefly examine one of the most influential interpretations of "Bartleby the Scrivener."" In a 1953 essay Leo Marx argued that the character of Bartleby symbolically represented Melville himself, who resisted the pressure to write the kind of unoriginal, formulaic fiction ... proofread documents, and he attempts to make him aware of the traditional practices and "common usages " of t...

• Word Count: 2093
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate