In his work Bartleby, the Scrivener, Herman Melville employs several themes. The most apparent are the themes of alienation, man’s desire to avoid conflict, man’s desire to resist change, and of the narrator’s response to Bartleby’s actions and reactions. The theme of alienation begins to show itself when the narrator describes the office arrangement that he made for Bartleby. Bartleby is placed in the corner of the office, his only view …showed first 75 words of 730 total…

…showed last 75 words of 730 total…that people have a life outside of work, except Bartleby. The narrator then changes into a caring person, and tries to know Bartleby, and his odd ways, even going the extra yard to help him. In the end, the narrator tries to save Bartleby from himself. In the end, the reader is left with the impression that all people, including lawyers, have compassion for other humans, and at some point, that compassion will show through.