Summary

"Bartleby the Scrivener" is the short story of an odd character involved in the singularly dull occupation of copying legal documents in a Wall Street law office during the 1800s. The lawyer who hires Bartleby narrates the story. The story was originally published in Putnam's magazine in December 1953, two years after author Herman Melville wrote "Moby Dick." The magazine paid Melville $85 for the manuscript.

Most of the action takes place within the lawyer's office, or rooms, as Melville calls them. These rooms are located on the second floor of a building trapped between tall buildings on either side. Little if any light is able to reach the two small windows in the rooms. These windows look out at two walls—one black, one white. These dreary offices set the scene for an equally dreary tale about the condition of humanity.

The...