Bartleby Vs. A Sorrowful Woman
A STORY OF Once upon a time
Mary Trumble Although both the woman in “A Sorrowful Woman,” by Gail Godwin, and Bartleby in “Bartleby, the Scrivener,” by Herman Melville, are different characters with different lives, they both are almost the same in the way they are passive resistive, have mental illnesses, and nonconformists. Each story is set in a different time period, different surroundings and situations, yet they both have the same themes. The woman in “A Sorrowful Woman,” is a mother and a wife. She lives in a normal household, she cooks and cleans, and cares for her family. Despite this normal life she is living, she is sad and depressed. Her family does nothing but makes it worse. “The sight of them made her so sad and sick she did not want to see them ever again.” (Godwin 33) The woman eventually backs away from her life, turning on her family, slapping her child, and making her husband do all the house work. The husband does all he can, he tries to help by giving his wife a draught every night to put the woman to sleep. But nothing can repair the woman’s problem, and she eventually kills herself with the draught. “A Sorrowful Woman,” is told from a third person point of view so the reader views the story play out from the outside. The reader knows no feelings or thoughts of any of the characters. Bartleby is a quiet reserved guy who lives during the industrial revolution. He is a scrivener or law-copier, he works for a lawyer and is a very hard worker. He doesn’t take breaks or even seem to eat or sleep. He has no home or family, he is quiet and the reader knows nothing of his background. “I believe that no materials exist for a full and satisfactory biography of this man.” (Melville 91) “Bartleby, the Scrivener,” is told in first person point of view. The reader views the story through the lawyer/narrators eyes and thoughts. “The reader is restricted to the perceptions, thoughts, and feelings of that single character.” (“Point” 151) Bartleby
Mary Trumble Although both the woman in “A Sorrowful Woman,” by Gail Godwin, and Bartleby in “Bartleby, the Scrivener,” by Herman Melville, are different characters with different lives, they both are almost the same in the way they are passive resistive, have mental illnesses, and nonconformists. Each story is set in a different time period, different surroundings and situations, yet they both have the same themes. The woman in “A Sorrowful Woman,” is a mother and a wife. She lives in a normal household, she cooks and cleans, and cares for her family. Despite this normal life she is living, she is sad and depressed. Her family does nothing but makes it worse. “The sight of them made her so sad and sick she did not want to see them ever again.” (Godwin 33) The woman eventually backs away from her life, turning on her family, slapping her child, and making her husband do all the house work. The husband does all he can, he tries to help by giving his wife a draught every night to put the woman to sleep. But nothing can repair the woman’s problem, and she eventually kills herself with the draught. “A Sorrowful Woman,” is told from a third person point of view so the reader views the story play out from the outside. The reader knows no feelings or thoughts of any of the characters. Bartleby is a quiet reserved guy who lives during the industrial revolution. He is a scrivener or law-copier, he works for a lawyer and is a very hard worker. He doesn’t take breaks or even seem to eat or sleep. He has no home or family, he is quiet and the reader knows nothing of his background. “I believe that no materials exist for a full and satisfactory biography of this man.” (Melville 91) “Bartleby, the Scrivener,” is told in first person point of view. The reader views the story through the lawyer/narrators eyes and thoughts. “The reader is restricted to the perceptions, thoughts, and feelings of that single character.” (“Point” 151) Bartleby
Cited: Godwin, Gail. "A Sorrowful Woman." The Bedford Introduction to Literature . Fourth Edition ed. Boston, MA: BEDFORD BOOKS of St. Martin 's Press, 1996. 33-37. Melville, Herman. "Bartleby, the Scrivener." Bedford Introduction to Literature. Fourth Edition ed. Boston, MA: BEDFORD BOOKS of St. Martin 's Press, 1996. 91-114. "Irony." Bedford Introduction to Literature. Fourth Edition ed. Meyer, Michael. Boston, MA: BEDFORD BOOKS of St. Martins Press, 1996. 232. "Point of View." Bedford Introduction to Literature . Fourth Edition ed. Meyer, Michael. Boston, MA: BEDFORD BOOKS of St. Martin 's Press, 1996. 151. "Symbolism." Bedford Introduction to Literature. Fourth Edition ed. Meyer, Michael. Boston, MA: BEDFORD BOOKS of St. Martin 's Press, 1996. 188.