These various approaches to "Bartleby " have deepened our understanding of the issues in the story, even if they have not solved the riddle of Bartleby's behavior. ... Melville refused to change his message despite the consequences, as he complained to author Nathaniel Hawthorne: "Dollars damn me...what I feel most moved to write, that is banned "it will not pay. ... Like many who have interpreted "Bartleby,"" Marx sheds some important light on the story, but he does not explain enough. ... Bartleby functions in the story not as a character but as a symbol. ... Ahab desires to know t...

• Word Count: 2093
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate