Passive Resistance

                            

         While reading Herman Melville “Bartleby”, a story told from a lawyer first person point of view towards Bartleby, a disconnected scrivener. In the beginning when Bartleby first apply for the job, he acted all proper and hardworking, but soon after his true nature appears. He then prefers to not do any examining of his writing, something every scrivener has to do. Then, he stops copying all at once. Nada, zip, zero! I can’t stop myself but feels frustrated and irritated towards Bartleby, for the lawyer. Yes, you read it right, I say for the lawyer. The lawyer had to put up with all of Bartleby crap, and he risk the risk of losing the control of his business and workers.

        The lawyer state that the worst resistant is passive resistant, and that is what Bartleby did. He did not use force or strong language towards the lawyer; instead he smoothly denied or rejects the offer of working. If a person were to use force or “bad” language against you, if you fight back, in society it’s would be consider acceptable. But here, Bartleby elegantly and genteelly oppose. If the lawyer were to fire or punish him, society would deem that “unacceptable”.

        After reading the short story, I can’t help myself but think that, was it possible that Bartleby was just putting up a front from the beginning? Was his mannerism and behavior a fake from the beginning? Recall that I said, I have these thoughts after finishing reading the story. While reading the story everything Bartleby does seem so legit, but after, that’s another case.

So, what’s your thought on this?