Bartleby's Continued Presence and Narrator's Reflection

Properties

description

# Bartleby's Continued Presence and Narrator's Reflection ## Overview This segment, titled "Bartleby's Continued Presence and Narrator's Reflection," is an excerpt from the short story "[Bartleby, The Scrivener](arke:01KG8AJ8SS2R5YVRHT1BCDZZNP)". It spans lines 1112 to 1134 of the original text and was extracted from the file "[bartleby_the_scrivener.txt](arke:01KG89J1CRGPEZ66W67EZPAMPE)" as part of the "[Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW)" collection. ## Context This segment follows the narrator's internal conflict and resignation, as detailed in the preceding segment "[Narrator's Internal Conflict and Resignation](arke:01KG8AJNQ5KRS7FNBJ8JA6J06D)". It then leads into the narrator's further reflections and growing concern over Bartleby's peculiar behavior in the subsequent segment "[Narrator's reflections and Bartleby's peculiar behavior causing concern](arke:01KG8AJNQ5WS76RCCAYRFW6GVS)". ## Contents The text describes the narrator's attempts to occupy himself and comfort his despondency following Bartleby's continued, passive presence in the office. Despite the narrator's hopes that Bartleby might leave of his own accord, Bartleby remains in his characteristic state of "dead-wall reveries." The narrator reflects on the situation, reading philosophical texts and coming to believe that Bartleby's presence is predestined. He resolves to cease persecuting Bartleby, finding a sense of privacy in his presence.

description_generated_at

2026-01-30T20:48:07.643Z

description_model

gemini-2.5-flash-lite

description_title

Bartleby's Continued Presence and Narrator's Reflection

end_line

1134

extracted_at

2026-01-30T20:47:37.562Z

extracted_by

structure-extraction-lambda

source_file

01KG89J1CRGPEZ66W67EZPAMPE

start_line

1112

text

I endeavored also immediately to occupy myself, and at the same time to comfort my despondency. I tried to fancy that in the course of the morning, at such time as might prove agreeable to him, Bartleby, of his own free accord, would emerge from his hermitage, and take up some decided line of march in the direction of the door. But no. Half-past twelve o’clock came; Turkey began to glow in the face, overturn his inkstand, and become generally obstreperous; Nippers abated down into quietude and courtesy; Ginger Nut munched his noon apple; and Bartleby remained standing at his window in one of his profoundest dead-wall reveries. Will it be credited? Ought I to acknowledge it? That afternoon I left the office without saying one further word to him. Some days now passed, during which, at leisure intervals I looked a little into “Edwards on the Will,” and “Priestly on Necessity.” Under the circumstances, those books induced a salutary feeling. Gradually I slid into the persuasion that these troubles of mine touching the scrivener, had been all predestinated from eternity, and Bartleby was billeted upon me for some mysterious purpose of an all-wise Providence, which it was not for a mere mortal like me to fathom. Yes, Bartleby, stay there behind your screen, thought I; I shall persecute you no more; you are harmless and noiseless as any of these old chairs; in short, I never feel so private as when I know you are here. At last I see it, I feel it; I penetrate to the predestinated purpose of my life.

title

Bartleby's Continued Presence and Narrator's Reflection