Alienation Unit 2

  After I finished reading Bartleby the Scrivener by Herman Melville I thought about Bartleby's past job.  He burned letters that cannot be received because those people are dead.  What a hopeless job.  I feel like since Bartleby was working at this place with no promises and no hope, he became hopeless himself.  When he started his new job, I believe that he wanted to do well and work hard.  However, that despairing part of him came back because it is he who he is now. Slowly, I saw Bartleby in a sense give up and not do anything anymore. It got to a point where "at all events, he would do no copying" (661).  Bartleby gave up hope.  He would forever be that person that his old job of burning letters made him.