When asked to proofread a copy, Bartleby's outrageous answer is, "I prefer not to". ... At that point, Melville introduces his first bit of comic relief, enlisting the audience's empathy in stating, "To befriend Bartleby; to humour him in his strange wilfulness will cost me little or nothing, while I lay up in my soul what will eventually prove a sweet morsel for my conscience". ... I never use it myself". ... His though process begins with the suggestion that, allowing Bartleby's occupation of his offices would result in him having to "mason up his remains in the wall", when...

• Word Count: 925
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

As the clouds lay on the pavement, and the sun sets on the horizon while the birds start opening their wings to embrace the new day, it is easy to picture Washington Irving sitting at the side of the road with his pen on hand ready to write down what is happening around him. ... In "Traits of Indian Character," Irving writes a defense in the name of Native Americans; he says that "the whites have too frequently set them an example of violence by burning their villages and laying waste their slender means of subsistence; and yet they wonder that savages do not show moderation and magnanimity to...

• Word Count: 2209
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: Undergraduate