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Isolation: Herman v. Melville
The
following example of literary criticism discusses the theme of
isolation in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and in
"Bartleby, the Scrivener" by Herman Melville.
by Michele R. Acosta
Isolation is one of the central themes of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel
Hawthorne and of "Bartleby, the Scrivener" by Herman Melville. The
manner in which each of the central characters respond to their
isolation ultimately reveals their fates. Hester, the central character
in The Scarlet Letter, is
symbolic of the flaws and graces which make humans human and which have
the power to alienate individuals from the rest of society. Bartleby,
the central character in "Bartleby, the Scrivener," is symbolic of a
dehumanizing and hopeless world which is equally isolating. The
psychological affects of isolation take on a powerful meaning for
Hester and Bartleby. Whether the final outcome is positive or negative
depends greatly on the character's personality.
Hester has a "natural dignity and force of character" (1334) which
helps to sustain her. Although she conforms outwardly to Puritan ideals
by wearing drab, unbecoming clothing and covering her beauty, inwardly
"the human world's law was no law for her mind" (1394). Despite the
outward appearance of withdrawal, Hester's private thoughts are
anything but passive. In the seven years before Dimmesdale publicly
confesses and shares in the sin that they both committed, Hester does
not succumb to her isolation. The passion and vivacity which had
previously been an outward expression of her humanity becomes an inward
struggle to maintain her humanity. Her "sad transformation" (1394)
actually helps her remain human because it represents the toll taken
when mankind is at odds with the world. Her flaws as well as her graces
make her human.
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Bartleby, on the other hand, never
seems to have had an outward expression of life and is consumed by his
thoughts which are described as "dead-wall reveries" (2348), implying
that his thoughts are as passive as his outward appearance. He is
described as "cadaverous" (2340) and as "the pallid copyist" (2341).
Bartleby denies life. The narrator fears and avoids dealing with
Bartleby as most humans fear and avoid dealing with death. He soon
gives up on Bartleby, just as Bartleby has given up on himself, finally
coming to the conclusion that "it was his soul that suffered" (2342).
Bartleby eventually lies down and dies in the fetal position, leaving
the reader feeling the unending hopelessness of life. The narrator
discovers him "strangely huddled, his knees drawn up, and lying on his
side" (2354).
Hawthorne offers a glimmer of hope for the human condition. Hester's
vivid passion and beauty, her humanity, is at once her downfall and her
saving grace. The ability to stand firm in the face of adversity takes
a great toll, but emerging from the darkness and actively living can
lead to endless possibilities. Melville's isolation represents the
never-ending string of events life presents. He points to the frailty
of the human condition and the ease with which an individual can become
lost in his own problems. Bartleby's passivity was his ultimate
downfall, leading to a hopeless death, following a worthless life.
Source: Hawthorne, N. (1998). The
Scarlet Letter. In N. Baym (ed.), The Norton Anthology of American
Literature (5th edition), 1306-1446. New York: W.W. Norton &
Company.
The author is a
writer, a former English teacher, and the mother of three boys. She
spends her time writing and teaching others to write. Visit articles.TheWritingTutor.biz
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