QUESTIONS FOR CLASS DISCUSSIONS

Point of view
: Who tells the story? - the first person narrator, who is flawed but human…He's reliable, we trust him. His actions
definitely support what he tells us about himself; especially the part about being a man who likes to take the "easy" way. What else is
gained by telling this story from the Boss's perspective? Why not Bartleby's perspective? Why not one of the other clerks?

This story is written in first person point of view by the boss. As stated in the question above, his actions do support everything he tells us. For example, in the story the boss says that he did not want any other boss or office to take in Bartleby and in a way, abuse him. Proving his sensitivity and how sympathetic he is. He kept to his word when he allowed Bartleby to live in his office and do absolutely no work. The benefit of having the story told in first person point of view, especially when that person is a major character, the boss, is that it allows us to understand his thoughts, feelings, and actions while his very own employee makes his office his home and ignores every request that is asked of him. It would make it a bit more interesting to have it written in Bartleby's point of view because then we would know why he does not want to anything others ask him to do. But I guess it is better in someway because it leaves us to ponder questions as to why he acts the way that he acts. I think that by the story being told in a major characters point of view rather than the other clerks, who are the minor characters, it makes us understand the story better and understand why they do what they do. Also, the other clerks seem immature and to leave the story in their hands would be kind of foolish.