Who is the protagonist? Whose story is it?
This story can be interpreted two ways in regards to this question. The protagonist may be Bartleby, and the story may focus upon the way he affects the world around him. On the other hand, the protagonist could be the unnamed lawyer and how he chooses to respond to Bartleby's ways.
The main support of the lawyer being the protagonist is the fact that he is the narrator. He is able to offer more insight than any other person on Bartleby. Additionally, he is able to expand on the background and environment of the story as a whole. He presents the contrasts to Bartleby: Turkey and Nippers. Both of whom at times are either sharp-tongued or completely calm. The speaker also symbolizes kindness in his own way. Even though he constantly considers Bartleby's eccentricities, the lawyer is relatively kind to Bartleby and shows concern for him on various occasions. For example, when the lawyer conjures up the idea that Bartleby lives on ginger nuts, he expresses this sentiment: My mind then ran on in reveries concerning the probable effect upon the human constitution of living entirely on ginger nuts" (Melville, 653).
However, it is obvious that the entire story revolves around the character of Bartleby and how his odd qualities govern the world around him. His speech begins to take hold as various members of the office start repeating this manner of speech. The lawyer remarks, "I thought to myself, surely I must get rid of a demented man who already has in some degree turned the tongues if not the head of myself and clerks" (Melville, 661). This makes it apparent that Bartleby has the largest impact on Melville's short story.
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