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.
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
IV. Summary
Objectives and Research Themes
This paper aims to perform a psychoanalytic investigation of Herman Melville's short story "Bartleby, The Scrivener," exploring whether the protagonist’s behavior can be clinically classified as a mental disorder. By analyzing the text through the lens of modern psychiatric concepts and historical psychological contexts, the study examines the interaction between the narrator and Bartleby to determine if the protagonist suffers from schizophrenia, autism, or if his actions represent a non-pathological form of existential resistance.
- Psychoanalytic literary criticism of "Bartleby, The Scrivener"
- Historical transition from moral philosophy to modern psychology in 19th-century literature
- Clinical symptom analysis of schizophrenia vs. autistic disorder
- The role of wall imagery as an externalization of inner psychology
- The interpersonal dynamic and "interindebtedness" between narrator and subject
Excerpt from the Book
Bartleby’s Mental Disorder
Many critics diagnose Bartleby’s mental disorder as schizophrenia, catatonic type (McCall, Silence Of Bartleby, p. 47). But it is mostly a superficial diagnosis because they do not make a thoough analysis based on evidence which is derived from the story text. Therefore I will now analyze more closely whether there is any concrete evidence given that Bartleby’s illness can definitely be labelled as schizophrenia, catatonic type or not.
One of the most striking peculiarities of Bartleby is his refusal or unability to communicate in a normal way. The narrator thinks that Bartleby may be physically ill because his eyes looked „dull and glazed“ (Herman Melville, Bartleby The Scrivener – A Story Of Wall Street, first published 1851, in: The Norton Anthology Of American Literature, ed. Nina Baym et. al., 3rd edition, Volume I, New York/London: Norton&Company, p. 2178), but that is a typical symptom of schizophrenia along with a vacant stare and avoidance of eye-contact when communicating with other persons: „He did not look at me while I spoke, but kept his glance fixed upon my bust of Cicero, which as I then sat, was directly behind me, some six inches above my head.“ (Melville, Bartleby, p. 2178) The attorney often needs to address Bartleby several times before the latter is finally moved to make a response: „Like a very ghost, agreeably to the laws of magical invocation, at the third summons, he appeared at the entrance of his hermitage.“ (2173). And often enough Bartleby does not respond at all: „But he answered not a word; like the last column of some ruined temple, he remained standing mute and solitary in the middle of the otherwise deserted room.“ (2180), „But he vouchsafed no reply.“ (2171)
Summary of Chapters
I. Introduction: This chapter provides context regarding Melville’s state of mind when writing the story and outlines the psychoanalytic approach of the paper.
II. Historical Roots of Modern Psychology and Melville’s Fictional Constructs: This section situates Melville within the intellectual history of his time, discussing how Enlightenment ideas and early psychological notions influenced his narrative style.
III. Bartleby’s Pathology: This core chapter defines schizophrenia and autism, then applies these clinical profiles to Bartleby’s behavior, analyzing his communication failures and wall imagery.
IV. Summary: The concluding chapter reflects on the limits of applying modern clinical psychology to fictional figures and highlights Melville’s emphasis on the inadequacy of rational explanations for human existence.
Keywords
Bartleby the Scrivener, Herman Melville, Schizophrenia, Autistic Disorder, Psychoanalytic Criticism, Psychology, Literature, Wall Street, Narrative Analysis, Mental Illness, Existentialism, Symbolism, Alienation, Autistic Aloneness, Interindebtedness.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this paper?
The paper examines whether the character Bartleby in Herman Melville's short story suffers from a recognized psychological disorder, specifically schizophrenia or autism.
What are the primary themes addressed?
The themes include the application of clinical psychiatry to fictional literature, the influence of historical psychological ideas on Melville's work, and the interplay between the narrator's perceptions and the protagonist's silent resistance.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to determine the extent of Bartleby's mental illness and how Melville uses language and imagery to reflect his psychological state.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The author uses a psychoanalytic literary approach, drawing on academic definitions of abnormal psychology from the mid-1990s to evaluate the fictional character's behaviors.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body provides clinical definitions of schizophrenia and autism and contrasts these with a detailed textual analysis of Bartleby's social withdrawal, communication refusal, and rigid adherence to routines.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Key terms include Bartleby the Scrivener, Schizophrenia, Autistic Disorder, Psychoanalytic Criticism, and Alienation.
How does the author interpret the "wall" imagery in the story?
The author argues that the wall imagery reflects the cold, rational sanity of the business world (the narrator) and serves as an emotional barrier for Bartleby to preserve his inner self.
Why does the author ultimately favor an autism diagnosis over schizophrenia?
The author suggests that the absence of positive schizophrenic symptoms like delusions and hallucinations, combined with Bartleby's extreme social isolation and obsession with sameness, makes autism a more plausible fit.
Does the author believe the narrator is truly empathic toward Bartleby?
The author argues that while the narrator tries to empathize, his efforts are ultimately motivated by guilt and self-preservation rather than a deep, sustained commitment to charity.
- Arbeit zitieren
- M. A. Oliver Steinert-Lieschied (Autor:in), 2006, The Pathology of Bartleby, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/145305
