Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” and Herman Melville’s “Bartleby, The Scrivener” are two of the most interesting short stories written during their time. Both narrate not only the characters but also reflect the situation happening during that period. They are considered as expressions of the authors’ perceptions of their surroundings and show us that the narrators’ feelings, emotions, and personalities play a significant role in each story. Therefore, it is essential to understand each story’s background before delving deeply into its reliability or lack thereof. This knowledge will better equip us to appreciate the essence of these stories.
The Tell-Tale Heart is a story about a man who confesses to committing murder over several days. Although it is unclear who he is talking to, it can be inferred that he is admitting his guilt. He claims to suffer from a disease that has sharpened his senses, particularly his acute hearing. He lives with an old man whose pale blue eye with a film over it resembles that of a vulture, which bothers him so much that he plots to kill him. After several days of planning, the narrator finally succeeds in killing the old man on the eighth night but is interrupted by neighbors who hear the old man’s screams. The narrator conceals all evidence of the crime and allows police into his home when they arrive due to reports from neighbors. Despite their search for evidence, they do not find anything incriminating as the narrator has hidden everything well. During their conversation with police officers, strange sounds begin emanating from seemingly nowhere and grow louder until they become unbearable for everyone present in the room including authorities themselves. Eventually unable to bear it any longer, he confesses everything and shows them where he hid the body.
Meanwhile, Melville’s “Bartleby, The Scrivener” is another interesting story. The narrator is a lawyer who talks about his employees. He hires a young man named Bartleby to join Nippers and Turkey as the new scrivener. Nippers experiences indigestion in the morning while Turkey is always drunk. The lawyer hired Bartleby due to his calm demeanor which could equalize the working environment in the office.
One day, Bartleby was asked by the lawyer to proofread a document that he made, however, Bartleby simply answered “I would prefer not to”. This answer amazed the lawyer and the other scriveners. The lawyer tried to inquire about Bartleby’s answer but he would only say “I would prefer not to”. The other scriveners got furious at Bartleby because they always proofread documents without any additional compensation.
The lawyer got interested in Bartleby’s life and began watching his every move. He found out that Bartleby never leaves the office, even on weekends when Wall Street is practically deserted. After some time, Bartleby had almost nothing to do in the office because he always responded with I would prefer not to.” However, something in the lawyer’s heart prompted him not to dismiss Bartleby even though other scriveners objected.
The lawyer attempted for one last time to ask Bartley do his tasks but there was no change in response from him. Due to this situation and number of people who were upset with him over it, he stayed away from work for a few days only returning later on realizing that Barltey was imprisoned.
The lawyer asked jail guard’s assistance for feeding Barltey and providing necessities but after some time passed by it became known that Barltey died as he “preferred not” be fed. The lawyer then heard rumors that Bartleby once worked in a Dead Letter Office.
Both stories involve a conflict between the goodness and badness of the narrators. They are confronted with problems that should be addressed with caution because whatever choice they make may be considered right or wrong by others. It is up to their ethical and moral perspective to answer the problem, creating a dilemma in their minds.
If we take a deeper understanding of their characters, both narrators have personal relationships with other characters in the story. In The Tell-Tale Heart,” the narrator lives with an old man whom he has ascendancy over. This is exemplified in the phrase “one of his eyes resembled that of a vulture,” which symbolizes parental surveillance or someone with authority over the narrator.
Despite this personal relationship, the narrator proceeds to kill the man, raising questions about his sanity and motives. It is unclear whether anything prompted him to kill the old man or if it was purely personal. The intention of the narrator seems to be for personal reasons rather than for value.
The issue of proving his sanity also arises as he confesses to committing murder while trying to convince someone that he is sane. This irony raises further questions about his mental state and guilt towards committing such an act.
Poe’s narrator plays an important role in this story as events revolve around him, making it difficult to comprehend without him present.
In contrast, “Bartleby, The Scrivener” focuses on Bartleby rather than on its lawyer-narrator who merely narrates what happens to Bartleby. The story revolves around Bartleby’s personality, antics, attitude and background which makes it interesting but raises questions about why he always answers “I prefer not to.”
The presence of Melville’s lawyer-narrator acts as an instrument further illustrating Bartleby’s life but can be dispensed with since the story’s essence still remains intact with Bartleby as the focus.
Given the points mentioned above, it is important to note that the narrator in Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart” constitutes an essential character in the story. His reliability helps significantly in the flow of events. On the other hand, Melville’s “Bartleby, The Scrivener” has a narrator lawyer who only plays a minor role in the story. Bartleby is the central persona of this story. Lastly, it is emphasized that although characters involve personal relations with others, it’s crucial to determine their true and sincere intentions towards them.
Works Cited:
Melville, Herman. Bartleby the Scrivener. Kessinger Publishing Co., 2004.
Poe, Edgar Allan’s The Tell-Tale Heart” is available for reading on ReadBookOnline.Net. The article was published on April 10, 2008, and can be accessed at http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/803/.
