When Melville wrote "Bartleby, The Scrivener", he was in a state of intense despair and a feeling of rejection had come over him because his former works such as "Moby Dick" and "Pierre" had not received the attention and appreciation he had expected. Many critics consider Melville‘s failure to reach the contemporary readership to have influenced his later works such as the "Piazza Tales" (Dan McCall, The Silence Of Bartleby., p. 38). Some even regard the figure of Bartleby as a personification of the author (Robert Rogers, A Psychoanalytic Reading Of The Double In Literature. Detroit/Michigan: Wayne State Univ. Press, 1970, p. 67-68). Most critics agree that Bartleby is one of the most interesting characters of nineteenth century literature, also from a psychological point of view. In contrast to religious, philological or other approaches, psychoanalytic criticism is an especially anachronistic approach: Melville did not have the means of modern psychology to describe and explain such illnesses as schizophrenia, autism and similar personality disorders. "Bartleby, The Scrivener" is a fictional work of art while a psychological explanation of Bartleby’s illness is scientific.
In psychoanalytic criticism there are three possible objects of analysis: The author (a so-called psycho-biographical approach), the fictional characters and the readership (Oxford Encycl 823). My main focus will be on the figure of Bartleby along with the narrator who is considered by some critics to be a „psychological double“ of Bartleby and vice-versa (Rogers, Psychological Double, p. 67). Firstly, I will draw a rough summary of the transition from moral philosophy to psychology and situate Melville in that historical context and show how this influenced his worldview and accordingly, his works. Then I will make brief definitions of the mental illnesses schizophrenia and autistic disorder which are relevant for my textual analysis. The main body of this work will be the textual (psycho-)analysis of "Bartleby, The Scrivener", where I will try to determine in how far Bartleby is mentally ill, how Melville reflects this fact in his language and imagery and which role the narrator plays in this context.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- I. Introduction
- II. Historical Roots of Modern Psychology and Melville's Fictional Constructs
- III. Bartleby's Pathology
- 1) Definition Of Psychological Terms
- a) Schizophrenia
- b) AUTISTIC DISORDER
- 2) Bartleby's Mental Disorder
- a) Schizophrenia
- b) Autism
- 1) Definition Of Psychological Terms
- IV. Summary
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper aims to analyze the character of Bartleby in Herman Melville's Bartleby, The Scrivener through a psychoanalytic lens, exploring the potential for him to be diagnosed with schizophrenia or autistic disorder. The paper will examine how Melville's historical context influenced his portrayal of mental illness in the work, drawing connections between his fictional constructs and contemporary moral philosophies. By examining the narrator’s perspective and the language used to describe Bartleby, the paper will analyze the implications of his behavior and its potential psychological underpinnings.
- The relationship between historical context and literary portrayals of mental illness
- The application of psychoanalytic theory to fictional characters
- The role of language and symbolism in representing mental illness
- The dynamics of the narrator-character relationship
- Melville's exploration of the unconscious mind and its impact on human behavior
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- I. Introduction: This chapter sets the scene for the paper by introducing the context of Melville's writing of Bartleby, The Scrivener, highlighting the author's personal state of mind and the critical reception of his work. The chapter also introduces the concept of psychoanalytic criticism as a framework for analyzing the text and outlines the key elements of the analysis, including the focus on Bartleby and the narrator as potentially “psychological doubles.”
- II. Historical Roots of Modern Psychology and Melville's Fictional Constructs: This chapter traces the evolution of modern psychology and situates Melville's work within that historical context. It explores the influences of contemporary moral philosophers, such as Emerson, Hawthorne, and Schopenhauer, on Melville's writing and the way in which they contributed to his understanding of the unconscious mind. The chapter also examines Melville's use of language and imagery to convey psychological insights.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The paper focuses on the psychological analysis of Bartleby, exploring potential diagnoses of schizophrenia and autistic disorder within the context of 19th century literary and psychological understanding. Key themes include psychoanalytic criticism, historical influences on literature, the role of language and symbolism in representing mental illness, and the dynamics of the narrator-character relationship.
- Quote paper
- M. A. Oliver Steinert-Lieschied (Author), 2006, The Pathology of Bartleby, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/145305
