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September 27, 2005
Bartleby the Scrivener vs. The Customs House
Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter (Ch 22-24, Introductory) -- American Literature, 1800-1915 (EL 266)
The Customs House and Bartleby the Scrivener seem to have many similiar characteristics, especially in relation to the narrators. The narrators of both stories hold high positions in their workplace: a lawyer and a chief executive officer. I think both narrators recognize the feeling of having the same employees for years. Both workplaces experience the same routine day-in and day-out without much interest in bringing new workers into the job.
However, Bartleby is an exception. The narrator in his story chooses to bring in a new worker, which causes him a lot of thought and uneasiness to the "new" work atmosphere.
I think its important to also note that both narrators have an uneasiness. The narrator of The Customs House expresses his uneasiness of making a living out of writing, and the narrator of Bartleby seems to be uneasy about Bartleby "preference" to not complete his tasks.
I found the coolest website called "Hawthorne in Salem". This website tells all about the Custom House in Salem and there is even a short video clip. Check out all of the topics you can choose. The pictures are great!
http://pearl.nscc.mass.edu/Architecture/CustomHouse/Introduction.html
Posted by AshleyHoltzer at September 27, 2005 04:05 PM