Critical Literary Analysis of Bartleby, the Scrivener Herman Melville

Herman Melville's story "Bartleby, the Scrivener" was first published in 1853. It is a story that has been analyzed often and opinions vary on what Meville was trying to convey to his readers. However, there is much agreement that his use of symbolism is frequently used in "Bartleby" to give the story a deeper meaning. The central character of the story is Bartleby, and Melville uses him as an outlet for symbolic imagery to show Bartleby as a figure of entrapment and death.
The images of entrapment are evident throughout the story. From the brick wall that Bartleby stares at from his d…