Alienation in the Short Fiction of Heman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne

In society there are people who do things that are not considered to be the norm. Why these people do the things they do is a constant topic of debate and discussion In Herman Melville's "Bartleby the Scrivener" and Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Minister's Black Veil" the main characters make decisions that the rest of society do not agree with. Their decisions are controversial and problematic to the people around them. Although both short stories focus on men who have are alienated from society, Hawthorne's The Minister's Black Veil and Melville's Bartleby the Scrivener differ in theme and character motivation.

"Bartleby the Scrivener" is the story of an unusual relationship between a man and his employer. Bartleby is the man who for reasons unknown to the reader and the Lawyer, his employer, has chosen to alienate himself from society around him. This desire is manifested in his refusal to complete and task posed to him by the Lawyer. When asked to perform these various tasks, Bartleby simply responds by saying that he prefers not to. This is first exhibited when the Lawyer asks him to examine a particular document. Previously, Bartleby has copied documents with no hesitation. But on this particular day, he chooses not to. Bartleby is very polite in his rejection to authority. He refuses with such calmness and tranquility that the Lawyer is unsure how to react to the situation:

...Imagine my surprise, nay, my consternation, when without moving from his privacy, Bartleby in a singularly mild, firm voice, replied, "I would prefer not to."

I sat awhile in perfect silence, rallying my stunned faculties. Immediately it occurred to me that my ears had deceived me, or Bartleby has had entirely misunderstood my meaning. I repeated my request in the clearest tone I could assume. But in quite as clear a one came the previous replay, "I would prefer not to." (Melville 10-11)

By refusing to participate in the daily activities of the other scriveners in the office, Bartleby ultimately alienate himself from his coworkers and the Lawyer. The other workers become resentful and annoyed at his actions or lack thereof.