Bartleby, the Failure It is not rare, sometimes it is even common, that an author speaks about his or her self in their works. Herman Melville's 'Bartleby, the Scrivener' is often considered such a story. Many of the characters in the story and images created allude to Melville's writing career, which was generally deemed a failure. The main character in the story can either be Bartleby or the narrator, but Melville partially embodies both of …showed first 75 words of 457 total…

…showed last 75 words of 457 total…'accomplishing a great deal'(1133). However, this inspiration from other authors could have depressed Melville, who was not nearly as successful. In 'Bartleby, the Scrivener', Melville tries to relate to the reader and explain his declining situation. This story, on an allegorical level represents Melville, his life, and what he wished his reading audience would understand about him. This is probably what he wanted, but readers, initially, see a melancholy story about the condition of humanity.