Bartleby: Walls that Act as Barriers.

Everywhere we go, we are surrounded by walls. The walls act as barriers that alienate us from the outside world. These barriers increase our inability too see the nature of one another, and act as detachments of our own humanity. In the short story of “Bartleby, the Scrivener” by Herman Melville, the main character, Bartleby, is placed in a working environment where he is enclosed by walls. These walls put restraints on Bartleby and ultimately make him the person who he really is; a character who is reserved that does not have much of a personality. Not only do the walls withdraw Bartleby from himself and from the society but also they act as a type of shelter, where Bartleby and the narrator can hide and escape exposure, of both themselves and problems that they have to deal with.
Recurring themes in Bartleby is walls and seclusion. In the beginning of the story Herman Melville describes the office setting that Bartleby has to work in. Bartleby’s office is surrounded by w...