If You Don’t Know Me by Now: The Failure of Care in “Bartleby, The Scrivener”
"Bartleby, the Scrivener" is one of the most haunting tales of the nineteenth century. Criticism has centered on analysis of both the narrator and Bartleby himself, taking up the question of whether or not the narrator ultimately fulfills his moral obligations to Bartleby. I believe an app...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Ohio State University Libraries
2014-12-01
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| Series: | Disability Studies Quarterly |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dsq-sds.org/article/view/3631 |
| _version_ | 1811313882395836416 |
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| author | Kari Nixon |
| author_facet | Kari Nixon |
| author_sort | Kari Nixon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | "Bartleby, the Scrivener" is one of the most haunting tales of the nineteenth century. Criticism has centered on analysis of both the narrator and Bartleby himself, taking up the question of whether or not the narrator ultimately fulfills his moral obligations to Bartleby. I believe an approach to the story, however, which takes as its starting point a critique of the medical model of disability helps elucidate this issue. This approach makes it clear that given his situation in a world which values a medically inspired model of understanding difference, the narrator, benevolent as he may be, can never do enough for Bartleby, because, given this situation, he can never ask the right questions of Bartleby or posit appropriate solutions for him. I conclude my argument with a consideration of critical complicity in this issue as critics attempt to classify Bartleby, thereby following in the narrator's misguided footsteps. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T11:02:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ad3172753513470bb48da63a6741f9aa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1041-5718 2159-8371 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T11:02:27Z |
| publishDate | 2014-12-01 |
| publisher | The Ohio State University Libraries |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Disability Studies Quarterly |
| spelling | doaj.art-ad3172753513470bb48da63a6741f9aa2022-12-22T02:49:22ZengThe Ohio State University LibrariesDisability Studies Quarterly1041-57182159-83712014-12-0134410.18061/dsq.v34i4.36313224If You Don’t Know Me by Now: The Failure of Care in “Bartleby, The Scrivener”Kari Nixon0Southern Methodist University"Bartleby, the Scrivener" is one of the most haunting tales of the nineteenth century. Criticism has centered on analysis of both the narrator and Bartleby himself, taking up the question of whether or not the narrator ultimately fulfills his moral obligations to Bartleby. I believe an approach to the story, however, which takes as its starting point a critique of the medical model of disability helps elucidate this issue. This approach makes it clear that given his situation in a world which values a medically inspired model of understanding difference, the narrator, benevolent as he may be, can never do enough for Bartleby, because, given this situation, he can never ask the right questions of Bartleby or posit appropriate solutions for him. I conclude my argument with a consideration of critical complicity in this issue as critics attempt to classify Bartleby, thereby following in the narrator's misguided footsteps.http://dsq-sds.org/article/view/363119th-century literaturemedical modelsBartlebyMelvillediagnosis |
| spellingShingle | Kari Nixon If You Don’t Know Me by Now: The Failure of Care in “Bartleby, The Scrivener” Disability Studies Quarterly 19th-century literature medical models Bartleby Melville diagnosis |
| title | If You Don’t Know Me by Now: The Failure of Care in “Bartleby, The Scrivener” |
| title_full | If You Don’t Know Me by Now: The Failure of Care in “Bartleby, The Scrivener” |
| title_fullStr | If You Don’t Know Me by Now: The Failure of Care in “Bartleby, The Scrivener” |
| title_full_unstemmed | If You Don’t Know Me by Now: The Failure of Care in “Bartleby, The Scrivener” |
| title_short | If You Don’t Know Me by Now: The Failure of Care in “Bartleby, The Scrivener” |
| title_sort | if you don t know me by now the failure of care in bartleby the scrivener |
| topic | 19th-century literature medical models Bartleby Melville diagnosis |
| url | http://dsq-sds.org/article/view/3631 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT karinixon ifyoudontknowmebynowthefailureofcareinbartlebythescrivener |