FAMILIAR W I G U I T Y : A STUDY OF HERMAN MELVILLE'S

BARTLEBY THE SCRIVENER, COCK-A-DOODLE-Dm!, AND

BENITO CERENO.

T h o m a s Ramon Kubicek

B.A., S i r G e o r g e W i l l i a m s U n i v e r s i t y , 1 9 7 0 .

A THESIS SUBMITTED I N PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF

THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF

MASTER OF AFtTS

i n t h e D e p a r t m e n t

of

E n g l i s h

@ T h o m a s Ramon K u b i c e k 1 9 7 9

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

A u g u s t 1 9 7 9

A 1 1 r i g h t s reserved. T h i s t h e s i s m a y no t be reproduced i n w h o l e or i n par t , by photocopy

or other m e a n s , w i t h o u t permission of t h e author

APPROVAL

Name : Thomas Ramon Kubicek

Degree: Master of Arts

Title of Thesis: Familiar Ambiguity: A Study of Herman ~elville's Bartleby The Scrivener, cock-A-~oodle-DOO!, And Benito Cereno. -- -

Examing Committee:

Chairperson: Jerald Zaslove

Robin Blaser Senior Supervisor

Evan Alderson

Roy Miki

Warren Tallman External Examiner

Associate Professor Department of English

University of British Columbia

PARTIAL COPYRIGHT LICENSE

I hereby g r a n t t o Simon Fraser U n i v e r s i t y t h e r i g h t t o lend

my t h e s i s , p r o j e c t o r extended essay ( t h e t i t l e o f which i s shown below)

t o users o f t h e Simon Fraser U n i v e r s i t y L i b r a r y , and t o make p a r t i a l o r

s i n g l e cop ies o n l y f o r such users o r i n response t o a reques t f rom t h e

l i b r a r y o f any o t h e r u n i v e r s i t y , o r o t h e r educa t iona l i n s t i t u t i o n , on

i t s own beha l f o r f o r one o f i t s users. I f u r t h e r agree t h a t permiss ion

f o r m u l t i p l e copy ing o f t h i s work f o r s c h o l a r l y purposes may be granted

by me o r t h e Dean o f Graduate Stud ies. I t i s understood t h a t copy ing

o r p u b l i c a t i o n o f t h i s work f o r f i n a n c i a l g a i n s h a l l n o t be a l lowed

w i t h o u t my w r i t t e n permiss ion.

T i t l e o f Thes is /Pro ject /Extended Essay

Author :

( name

UJ. 10 /979

( d a t e

I n e x p l o r i n g t h e n a t u r e of ambigui ty i n 1 i le lv i l l e1s

B a r t l e b y The S c r i v e n e r , Cock-A-Doodle-Dool, and B e n i t o Cereno, - -- - t h i s t h e s i s p roceeds on t h e a s s e r t i o n t h a t t h e r e i s a develop-

ment of i n t e r r o g a t i v e imag ina t ion a f t e r Floby Dick. By t h e use

o f t h e word " i n t e r r o g a t i v e " I mean t o emphasize n o t on ly t h e

c o n s i s t e n t metaphys ica l i n q u i r y i n M e l v i l l e ' s works b u t a l s o - - - - - " -

i n q u i r y a s compos i t i ona l method. Thus, t h e i n t e r r o g a t i o n of

ambiguity t h a t i s subsumed i n t h e symbolic complex i t i e s o f t h e

voyage and t h e Whale i n Moby Dick becomes a d i r e c t n a r r a t i v e -- t o p i c i n P i e r r e . With B a r t l e b y The S c r i v e n e r , t h e c r u c i a l - q u e s t i o n o b s e s s i n g M e l v i l l e -- what i s t h e meaning of t h e world

and i t s c e n t r a l mystery man -- i s formula ted , s imply and

b r i e f l y , a s t h e ambiguous encoun te r of two men i n an urban set-

t i n g , n a r r a t e d i n r e c o l l e c t i o n . The r e c o l l e c t e d encoun te r ,

w i t h some q u a l i f i c a t i o n s , i s t h e form of most of t h e t a l e s of

t h e 18501s , b u t t h e s e t h r e e t a l e s have been chosen f o r s tudy

because each o f f e r s a s i n g u l a r p e r s p e c t i v e on t h e encounte r

w i t h mystery.

Although t h e i n t e r r o g a t i o n of appearances was a

ca ree r - long i n t e r e s t o f M e l v i l l e , of s p e c i a l i n t e r e s t i n t h e s e

t a l e s i s - t h e concern f o r t h e f a m i l i a r s u f f a c e s of everyday

l i f e : f a c e s , o b j e c t s , common r i t u a l s , t h e p roces ses of reason ,

o r d i n a r y s e t t i n g s . What I have termed f a m i l i a r ambiguity i s

m e a n t . t o d e s i g n a t e t h e enigmq of t h e f a m i l i a r , . a s r e p o r t e d by

a c h a r a c t e r who has expe r i enced t h e enigma b u t f a i l e d t o under-

s t a n d it. Th i s ambigui ty i s ana lyzed w i t h s p e c i a l a t t e n t i o n

iii

t o t h r e e s t a g e s of apprehens ion :*event , point-of-view, and per-

formance. On t h e l e v e l of even t , w e f i n d t h a t through t h e sud-

den c o l l a p s e o f o r d e r i n f a m i l i a r appearances an u n f a m i l i a r

r e g i o n of moral darkness i s d i s c l o s e d . With point-of-view, w e

f i n d t h a t t h e n a r r a t o r / o b s e r v e r i s i m p l i c a t e d through an i r o n i c

t o n e i n t h e c o l l a p s e of conf idence , i n t h e s e n s e t h a t t h e obser-

v e r ' s ignorance and o r d i n a r i n e s s p r e v e n t s u s from f u l l y under-

s t a n d i n g what has happened. On t h e leve l o f performance, w e

d i s c o v e r t h a t because of a r i c h l y a l l u s i v e s t y l e and symbolic

complexi ty w e are f aced w i t h a t e x t u a l problem i n each o f t h e

ta les t h a t corresponds t o t h e n a r r a t i v e d i f f i c u l t y o f t h e char-

acters i n t r y i n g t o unders tand what i s happening t o them. Th i s

t e x t u a l problem i s analagous t o t h e a c t i v i t y of mind i n t h e

s t r u g g l e f o r r e s o l u t i o n of meaning -- an a c t i v i t y t h a t remains

u n s e t t l e d and incomplete i n t h e t e x t as it does i n t h e na r r a - /

t i v e . Accordingly, a s such f i n d i n g s demons t ra te , I a m a rgu ing

a g a i n s t t h e c r i t i ca l t r a d i t i o n t h a t sees M e l v i l l e ' s s h o r t f i c -

t i o n as p a r a b l e s o f d e s p a i r .

TABLE OF CONTENTS

~ p p r o v a l Page

Abs t r ac t

Table of Con ten t s

I n t r o d u c t i o n

Ba r t l eby The - S c r i v e n e r

The Problem o f t h e N a r r a t o r

The Comedy of I r r e s o l u t i o n

The Mystery of Appearances

The N a r r a t o r : Folk-Poet and Ambivalent Witness

The C e l e b r a t i o n of Performance

Ben i to Cereno

The Nature o f D i f f i c u l t y i n Ben i to Cereno

Amasa Delano as I r o n i c Hero

The Anarchy of Appearances

Enchantment and Death

Epi logue

L i s t of References

ii

iii

v

1

8

1 4

36

5 2

77

Bib l iography

XNTRODUCTION

. Thi s t h e s i s i s a s t u d y of ambigui ty i n

t e n by Herman M e l v i l l e i n t h e 1850 ' s . There h a s

of c r i t i c i s m on t h e p robab le l i t e r a r y i n f l u e n c e s

t h r e e tales

been a good

i n • ’ orming

M e l v i l l e ' s t a l e s and on h i s u s e of symbol, b u t compara t ive ly

2

w r i t -

d e a l

lit-

t l e has been p u b l i s h e d on h i s n a r r a t i v e performance i n t h e s h o r t

prose works. The a i m o f t h i s s tudy i s n o t merely t o i s o l a t e t h e

e v i d e n t a m b i g u i t i e s i n M e l v i l l e ' s f i c t i o n b u t t o demons t ra te t h a t

ambiguity i s a f e a t u r e o f t h e n a r r a t i v e method i t s e l f .

I n g e n e r a l , t h e a t t i t u d e of c r i t i c s h a s been t h a t a f t e r .

~ o b y Dick (1851) , M e l v i l l e ' s performance d i m i n i s h e s and h i s -- v i s i o n e v i n c e s a growing d i s i l l u s i o n m e n t w i t h l i f e . H i s start-

l i n g a u t o b i o g r a p h i c a l comment t o Hawthorne, d u r i n g t h e w r i t i n g

of Moby Dick, t h a t he had come " t o t h e inmost l e a d o f t h e b u l b , -- and t h a t s h o r t l y t h e f l ower must f a l l t o t h e mould, I' would s e e m

t o suppor t a d e n i g r a t i n g a t t i t u d e . However, a t least i n t e r m s

of ou tpu t , h i s work a f t e r t h e p u b l i c a t i o n o f Moby Dick matched -- what had gone b e f o r e i n b o t h q u a n t i t y and v a r i e t y . P i e r r e w a s

publ i shed i n 1852; i n f o u r y e a r s (1853-1857), M e l v i l l e wro te

over a dozen t a l e s beg inn ing w i t h B a r t l e b y The S c r i v e n e r (1853) - and f i n i s h i n g w i t h The P i a z z a (1856) , and t h e l o n g e r n a r r a t i v e s

I s r a e l P o t t e r (1855) and The Confidence-Man (1857) . A f t e r 1857, - and u n t i l B i l l y Budd i n 1891, M e l v i l l e devoted h imse l f t o p o e t r y ,

pub l i sh ing such works as B a t t l e - P i e c e s and Aspec ts o f t h e War --- (1866), t h e immense r e l i g i o u s e p i c C l a r e 1 (18761, --- John Marr and

Other S a i l o r s (1888) , and Timoleon (1891) . The body o f t h i s

work demons t ra tes s u b s t a n t i a l imag ina t ive v i t a l i t y , p a r t i c u l a r l y

i n t h a t condensed p e r i o d o f work from 1852 t o 1857. I t i s un-

doubtedly t r u e t h a t M e l v i l l e never r e p e a t e d . t h e performance o f

~ s b y Dick , a l though such a s ta tement r a i s e s t h e ques t ion of whe-

t h e r o r not r e p e t i t i o n i s necessary o r va luab le i n c r e a t i v e work,

What has never been g e n e r a l l y acknowledged about M e l v i l l e ' s work

a f t e r 1851, i s t h a t it does r e v e a l a cons tan t i n t e r e s t i n t h e

world and a cons tan t exper imenta t ion wi th form, s t y l e , and sub-

ject-matter. Thus, t h e c r i t i c a l t a s k i s t o s e e what Melv i l l e i s

doing i n h i s l a t e r work, and then t o a s s e s s whether o r n o t t h a t

work shows a p rogress ive r e t r e a t of imagination.

I n P i e r r e , M e l v i l l e dropped t h e ' h e r o i c mode and moved .

t o a much wider employment of i rony and s a t i r e . More impor-

t a n t l y , from t h e point-of-view of t h i s d i scuss ion , h e dropped

t h e voyage t o an e x t e r n a l encounter with ex t raord ina ry f o r c e s

and adopted i n l a n d s e t t i n g s and a microcosmic v i s i o n of man.

H i s v i s i o n embraced t h e o rd ina ry man i fes ta t ions of l i f e , b u t a s 2

P i e r r e d i scovers , i t i s " t h e common world of everydays" t h a t i s

wholly myster ious, and t h a t Melv i l l e chose t o i n t e r r o g a t e . How

Melvi l le wrote h i s work shows t h a t he was grappl ing wi th t h e

problems of a r t i c u l a t i n g "The Ambiguities" of l i v i n g and of t r y -

i n g t o perce ive t h e meaning of l i v i n g i n a complex world, I n

reading t h e novel , o u r p rocess of discovery becomes, through t h e

mediation of t h e n a r r a t o r , a p a r t of t h e c h a r a c t e r ' s s t r u g g l e f o r

i l lumina t ion . I t i s a movement i n t o and no t ou t of ambiguity,

"Let the- ambiguous p rocess ion of even t s r e v e a l t h e i r own ambigu-

3 ousness," Pierre's n a r r a t o r t e l l s u s , i n t h a t phrase cap tu r ing t h e

i n d i v i d u a l and combined complexi t ies of event , apprehension, nar-

r a t i v e d i s c l o s u r e , and s i g n i f y i n g t h e preoccupation with t h e d i f -

f i c u l t i e s of t r y i n g t o impar t t h e f u l l n e s s of even t h e most common

experiences.

When w e a r r i v e a t t h e ' t a l e s w r i t t e n a f t e r P ie rke , t h e

ques t ion becomes whether o r n o t diminished form s i g n i f i e s dimi-

nished v i s ion . T h i s q u e s t i o n can be answered, i n p a r t , by see-

i n g t h a t t h e t a l e s o f f e r a v a r i e t y of t r ea tmen t of ambiguity.

I n essence, when we are read ing Bar t l eby The Scr ivener o r Beni to - Cereno, we a r e looking a t metaphysical i n t e r r o g a t i o n s of exper i -

ence i n n a r r a t i v e form -- and n o t a t p a r a b l e s -- t h a t develop a

mystery r a t h e r than f i n a l l y d i s p e l it.

To comprehend M e l v i l l e ' s n o t i o n . o f ambiguity i s n o t an . ,

easy mat ter s i n c e it e ludes d i s c u r s i v e e x e r c i s e . However, we

can c h a r a c t e r i z e it a s a cond i t ion of c o n t r a r i e t y t h a t r e s i s t s re -

s o l u t i o n . A s F.O. ~ a t t h i e s s e n has shown, M e l v i l l e was very i m -

pressed by what he perce ived as " c o n t r a r i e s " i n t h e v i s i o n s of

4 Shakespeare 's t r a g e d i e s . I n M e l v i l l e ' s hands, t h e c o n t r a r i e s of

experience became a cond i t ion t h a t app l i ed t o everyth ing: t o Man,

t o Nature, t o God. Such a v i s i o n of c o n t r a r i e t y i s , even on t h e

f ace of t h e ma t t e r , n o t t h e same a s a d u a l i s t i c concept ion of

r e a l i t y , where c l e a r d i s t i n c t i o n s can be made between oppos i tes

such a s "good" and " e v i l " . An example of t h e d i f f e r e n c e between

c o n t r a r i e t y and dualism can b e found i n The Encantadas, where - - - -

Melvi l le uses t h e t o r t o i s e t o show t h a t l i f e i s both "black and

b r i g h t " :

everyone knows t h a t t o r t o i s e s ...' a r e of such a make, t h a t i f you b u t p u t them on t h e i r backs you thereby expose t h e i r b r i g h t s i d e s wi thout t h e p o s s i b i l i t y of t h e i r recover ing themselves, and t u r n i n g i n t o view t h e o t h e r . But a f t e r you have done t h i s , and because you have done t h i s , you should n o t swear t h a t t h e t o r t o i s e has no dark s i d e . Enjoy t h e b r i g h t , keep it

5

t u r n e d up p e r p e t u a l l y i f you can , b u t b e h o n e s t , and d o n ' t deny t h e b l ack .

The t o r t o i s e i s a l i v i n g s y n t h e s i s of "b l ack" and " b r i g h t " , b u t

one i n which t h e two s i d e s r e t a i n t h e i r appearance. A s a sym-

b o l , t h e t o r t o i s e cannot be r e s o l v e d i n t o a v i s i o n o f darkness

o r t ranscendence . I n Melville's work, w e f i n d t h a t wherever com-

p l e x expe r i ence i s be ing r ende red t h e r e i s a p t t o b e u n s e t t l e d

meaning. Thus t e r m s l i k e "pessimism" o r "optimism" become s i n -

g u l a r l y i n a p p r o p r i a t e when used t o d e s c r i b e M e l v i l l e ' s v i s i o n i n ,

t h e t a l e s . T h i s unde r s t and ing i s p a r t i c u l a r l y impor t an t when

t r y i n g t o r e a d B i l l y - Budd, which has o f t e n been argued t o r ep re -

s e n t on t h e one hand a t e s t a m e n t of C h r i s t i a n accep tance o r on

t h e o t h e r un repen tan t cynicism. Analyzed i n t h e manner t h i s

t h e s i s s u g g e s t s , t h i s l a s t of M e l v i l l e ' s works i s a v i s i o n o f

ambigui ty , where B i l l y ' s t r a n s f i g u r a t i o n i s bo th t r anscenden t

sp lendour and an i r o n i c comment on t h e d e l u s i o n s o f men. who a r e

s a t i s f i e d w i t h mere appearances .

The cho ice of ta les f o r s t u d y i s meant, f o r t h e most

p a r t , t o r e p r e s e n t t h e deg ree of t h e i r d i f f i c u l t y . Both Ba r t l eby

The S c r i v e n e r and Ben i to Cereno a r e g e n e r a l l y acknowledged t o be

M e l v i l l e ' s two s t r o n g e s t s t o r i e s . The former r e p r e s e n t s h i s

f i r s t s t o r y i n p r i n t w h i l e t h e l a t t e r w a s pub l i shed toward t h e

end of h i s s t o r y - w r i t i n g career. Desp i t e t h e i r g e n e r a l l y favour-

a b l e r e c e p t i o n , b o t h s t o r i e s have s u f f e r e d a good d e a l o f c r i t i -

ca l cont roversy . S ince , i n one s e n s e , w e a r e d e a l i n g w i t h t h e

beg inn ing and ending o f M e l v i l l e ' s u s e o f t h e ' t a l e form, it i s

hoped t h a t a new read ing of' Bartle 'by. The 'Sc'r'i'vener and Beni to - Cereno can s u g g e s t a c o n t i n u i t y o f ~ e l v i l l e ' s a r t i s t i c c o n t r o l

and imaginat ive v i s i o n . -- Cock-A-Doodle-Doo!, publ ished imrnedi-

a t e l y a f t e r "Bart leby" , has been s e l e c t e d t o demonstrate t h a t

even i n a minor t a l e w r i t t e n i n a pe r iod of i n t e n s e a c t i v i t y ,

~ e l v i l l e ' s i n t e n t i o n s a r e profound and h i s g rasp of t h e m a t e r i a l

sure . Furthermore, t h i s s t o r y has long been a puzzle t o c r i t i c s ,

who have been uncomfortable wi th i t s apparent b lend of sarcasm

and rap tu re . Yet it i s s i n g u l a r among M e l v i l l e ' s t a l e s f o r i t s

humorous examination of c r e a t i v e performance a s an e x e r c i s e of

ambiguous power. Despi te t h e i r s u p e r f i c i a l d i f f e r e n c e s , a l l . -

t h r e e t a l e s s h a r e a preoccupat ion wi th t h e mystery of appearan-

ces and t h e mystery of dea th , both e s s e n t i a l f e a t u r e s of

M e l v i l l e ' s work from Moby Dick t o B i l l y Budd. -- F i n a l l y , it should be s a i d t h a t M e l v i l l e was n o t a lone

i n h i s century a s an a r t i s t exp lo r ing t h e ambigui t ies of experi-

ence through l i t e r a t u r e . Hawthorne o f t e n shows i n h i s work a

s i m i l a r awareness of t h e mystery of a l l t h i n g s n a t u r a l and moral.

1 Indeed, it has been suggested t h a t t h e s i g n i f i c a n t f e a t u r e of

what i s known a s t h e Symbolist pe r iod i n 1 9 t h cen tu ry American

L i t e r a t u r e -- and of t h e work of Henry James, t o a l a r g e e x t e n t -- I 6 1 i s ambiguity. M e l v i l l e ' s p a r t i c u l a r no t ion of c o n t r a r i e t y a l s o

, connects him t o c e r t a i n f i g u r e s i n t h e Eng l i sh Romantic t r a d i -

t i o n , e s p e c i a l l y t o Coler idge, whose work he was f a m i l i a r with i n

t h e 18501s, and t o Blake, whom he read l a t e r i n h i s c a r e e r .

Co le r idge ' s not ion of t h e s y n t h e t i c n a t u r e of experience and

Blake ' s use of c o n t r a r i e s a r e n o t d i s s i m i l a r t o M e l v i l l e ' s v i s ion .

What 'connects t h e s e a r t i s t s , however, i s n o t s i m p l y a correspon- C -

dence of v i s i o n and technique; t h e r e is , beyond a shared uncom- i

m i t t e d s t ance , a p ro fund i ty of mind t h a t , because it has a l ready

7

seen t o o much and y e t knows t h e r e i s more t o see, w i l l n o t f a l l

i n t o judgment. Another f i g u r e , Andre Gide, i n o u r own cen tu ry ,

has c a l l e d t h i s a t t i t u d e " n e u t r a l i t y w , and h i s words, t o some

degree e x p r e s s i n g t h e n a t u r e o f t h e c r e a t i v e a t t i t u d e i n

M e l v i l l e , can a l s o b e used i n c i d e n t a l l y - a s a s t a n d a r d for c r i t i -

c a l r e s p o n s i b i l i t y :

I do n o t indeed c l a i m t h a t n e u t r a l - i t y ... i s t h e c e r t a i n mark o f a g r e a t mind; b u t I b e l i e v e t h a t many g r e a t minds have been v e r y l o a t h t o ..: conclude -- and t h a t . , t o s t a t e a problem c l e a r l y i s n o t t o suppose it s o l v e d i n advance.,

BARTLEBY THE SCRIVENER

B a r t l e b y The s c r i v e n e r , pub l i shed i n 1853, p r e s e n t s a - d e p a r t u r e i n M e l v i l l e ' s work from t h e r i c h symbo l i ca l t o n e s of

~ o b y Dick and t h e mock-epic s t y l e of P i e r r e . W e n o t on ly have -- b r e v i t y i n form and a much s imp le r s t y l e , b u t a s u b j e c t - m a t t e r

t h a t i s r a d i c a l l y d i f f e r e n t from t h e me taphys i ca l t r i a l s o f t h e

"Soul -Pac i f ic . lug The b a t t l e f o r self-knowledge on a cosmic s c a l e

has changed t o a c o n f l i c t o f two c i t y men ' i n s t a t i c c i rcumstances .

What such stasis i s meant t o s i g n i f y i n t h e development o f

M e l v i l l e ' s t hough t is, on t h e f a c e of t h e m a t t e r , puzz l ing . The

tendency i s t o i n t e r p r e t t h e changes of theme and form b iographic -

a l l y i n t h e absence o f much o t h e r documentary ev idence about

a r t i s t i c i n t e n t i o n s . lo C e r t a i n l y t h e r e l a t i v e p u b l i c f a i l u - r e s

o f Moby Dick and P i e r r e prompted M e l v i l l e t o a c c e p t Putnam's -- o f f e r t o c o n t r i b u t e t o i t s pages. However, whether o r n o t t h e

b l eak atmosphere o f "Bar t l eby" , h i s f i r s t s t o r y f o r Putnam's, i s

t o b e e x p l a i n e d by M e l v i l l e ' s p e r s o n a l d i f f i c u l t i e s can on ly be ,

a t b e s t , c o n j e c t u r a l . l2 There a r e t o o many impor t an t problems i n

t h e s t o r y r e l a t e d t o i t s compel l ing power which much b e p r i m a r i l y

and f i n a l l y unde r s tood i n t h e c o n t e x t of t h e work.

~t f i rs t t h e s t o r y o f f e r s us few c l u e s t o i t s own s i g -

n i f i c a n c e . The f i g u r e o f B a r t l e b y i s p r e s e n t e d a t a d i s t a n c e ,

never q u i t e i n f o c u s , and t h e loquac ious n a r r a t o r i s always t h e r e

t o modulate o u r comprehension through h i s own r e a c t i o n s . More-

ove r , t h e s t o r y p r o v i d e s a s t a r k landscape o f commercial New York

C i t y and t h e n a r r a t o r ' s l aw-o f f i ce s , t h e i n a c c e s s i b i l i t y o f h i s -

t o r i c a l i n f o r m a t i o n abou t t h e t i t l e c h a r a c t e r , and, c o n s i d e r i n g

~ e l v i l l e ' s p r ev ious work, t h e nove l ty

Very l i t t l e happens i n t e r m s of p l o t .

\

9

of a pre-empted gues t .

Ba r t l eby a r r i v e s i n answer

t o an adve r t i s emen t f o r s c r i v e n e r s , t a k e s up an i s o l a t e d p o s t i n

t h e o f f i c e , and proceeds t o copy " s i l e n t l y , p a l e l y , mechanical ly"

tp. 6 7 ) . Suddenly, one day, h e r e f u s e s t o check c o p i e s w i t h t h e

r e s t of t h e s t a f f . H e " p r e f e r s n o t t o . " H e r e a f t e r t h e r e l a t i o n -

s h i p between B a r t l e b y and normal s o c i e t y p r o g r e s s i v e l y d e t e r i o r -

a t e s . The n a r r a t o r a t t e m p t s , w i t h a good d e a l of sou l - sea rch ing ,

bo th t o unders tand B a r t l e b y and t o compel him t o fo l low o f f i c e , -

r o u t i n e . B a r t l e b y remains uncommunicative, o f t e n f i x e d i n "dead-

w a l l r e v e r i e s " (p. 88), and a f t e r a w h i l e g i v e s up copying a l t o -

ge the r . When t h e n a r r a t o r canno t be r i d of him, h e d e c i d e s t o

move o f f i c e s , abandoning B a r t l e b y . The s t o r y ends w i t h B a r t l e b y

having been a r r e s t e d , b rough t t o t h e Tombs, where t h e n a r r a t o r

f i n d s him dead d u r i n g a v i s i t .

There i s n o t h i n g i n t h e s t o r y t o e x p l a i n B a r t l e b y l s - -

s t r a n g e behaviour , and, because h i s c h a r a c t e r i s n o t d e s c r i b e d

wi th much d e t a i l , we might s u s p e c t him t o be a f i g u r e of pa rab le .

Indeed, Ba r t l eby does c a l l t o mind t h e rqad n o b i l i t y o f Don L

~ u i x o t e , ' ~ o r a t t imes t h e s a v i o u r - f i g u r e of c h r i s t , 1 4 o r t h e

Wor ld- re jec t ing Buddhis t monk,15 o r t h e p a t h e t i c f i g u r e o f a

maligned and misunders tood a r t i s t -- perhaps M e l v i l l e h imse l f . 16

Because Ba r t l eby i s c e r t a i n l y o u t of touch w i t h common r e a l i t y ,

each of t h e s e a l l u s i o n s does c a l l t o i t s e l f a p a r t i c u l a r anomaly

between appearance and t r u t h and t h e f a i l u r e of s o c i e t y t o m e r i t

i n d i v 2 d u a l i t y . Y e t , p a r a d o x i c a l l y , each of the.se a l l u s i o n s a l s o

t a k e s u s away from B a r t l e b y h i m s e l f , from t h e c r u c i a l r e c o g n i t i o n

t h a t h i s p a t h e t i c f i g u r e s e e m s t o compel t h e n a r r a t o r t o make.

1 0

Some c r i t i c s have tended t o focus on t h e en igma t i c Ba r t l eby as a T

17 key t o t h e meaning of t h e s t o r y , b u t t h i s n a t u r a l assumption i s

subver ted by t h e performance of t h e s t o r y . Almost immediately w e

l e a r n from t h e n a r r a t o r t h a t B a r t l e b y "was one of t h o s e b e i n g s of

whom noth ing i s a s c e r t a i n a b l e , e x c e p t from t h e o r i g i n a l s o u r c e s ,

and, i n h i s c a s e , t h o s e are v e r y smal l . " Subsequent ly , t h e na r r a -

t o r spends much o f h i s t i m e t r y i n g t o make B a r t l e b y fo l low o r d e r s ,

-- - $ t r y i n g t o unde r s t and him. t r y i n g t o d i s c o v e r who h e is . Tha t h e ; J

i s methodica l ly f r u s t r a t e d i n a l l h i s a t t e m p t s should b e f o r u s . - I

an analagous warning t h a t any c r i t i c a l method des igned t o i n t e r - I

'I -1 p r e t Ba r t l eby w i l l f a i l . T h i s i s o f c o u r s e a g a l l i n g admiss ion,

e s p e c i a l l y s i n c e t h e movement o f t h e t a l e i n v i t e s s p e c u l a t i o n

about t h i s p a l e s c r i v e n e r . \

The c r i t i c s o f t h e s t o r y have tended t o c o n c e n t r a t e on ,-

t h e f i g u r e of B a r t l e b y as a model of s c h i z o p h r e n i a , o r on t h e . ---.-

m a t e r i a l i s m o f t h e n a r r a t o r as t h e metaphor of a mora l ly bankrupt ' ---.

s o c i e t y , o r on t h e "dead le t ters" as ev idence f o r M e l v i l l e ' s sup-

posed complaint o f n e g l e c t e d a r t i s t r y and c r i t i c i s m o f t h o s e w r i -

ters who work s o l e l y f o r money. Such r e a d i n g s have u s u a l l y had

something u s e f u l t o s a y a b o u t t h e s t o r y , b u t u n f o r t u n a t e l y have

, a l s o tended t o n e g l e c t t h e achievement o f ambigui ty i n t h e rela-

t i o n s h i p between t h e r e p r e s e n t a t i v e n a r r a t o r and t h e unusua l

Ba r t l eby . Thus, i n t h e d i s c u s s i o n s o f a sch i zophren ia t heme , ' t he

most n o t a b l e c r i t i c s , (Newton Arvin, Richard Chase, Mordecai

Marcus) , have focused too much a t t e n t i o n on t h e a s s o c i a t i o n a l

c p a l i t i e s of t h e t e x t , t h e r e b y g i v i n g t h e impress ion ~ e l v i l l e

18 c r e a t e d a model c o n f l i c t o f p a t h o l o g i c a l t y p e s . I n an e x t e n s i v e

r e a d i n g of t h e "wa l l s " metaphor , Leo Marx took t h e "lead o f t h o s e " -

cr i t ics who s e e M e l v i l l e ' s work a s an a t t a c k on 1 9 t h c e n t u r y ,

American c a p i t a l i s m , embodied i n t h e n a r r a t o r , and a s an emba t t l ed F---- - - and s t o i c a l s u p p o r t of t h e o r d i n a r y man's f i g h t f o r i n d i v i d u a l i t y

.midst a l i e n a t i n g socio-economic f o r c e s . l9 such s o c i o l o g i c a l

c r i t i c i s m can i l l u m i n a t e s o m e o f t h e f o r c e s i n t h e s t o r y , b u t ,.----" '

does l i t t l e t o c l a r i f y t h e a r t i s t i c achievement of a w r i t e r whose 1;

p r i n c i p a l t h r u s t from t h e beg inn ing o f h i s c a r e e r had been meta- /

p h y s i c a l and symbol ica l r a t h e r t han s o c i a l and p o l i t i c a l . Extra- -- p o l a t i v e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s , on t h e o t h e r hand, have a l s o sometimes . r

e r r e d , a s i n Maurice Fr iedman's modern r e a d i n g of B a r t l e b y as an

e x i s t e n t i a l he ro , w i t h s p i r i t u a l l i n k s t o Dostoevsky and Kafka. 20

Such c r i t i c a l work a g a i n t e n d s t o obscu re M e l v i l l e ' s s p e c i f i c

a r t i s t i c s t r a t e g i e s . One of t h e b e t t e r r e a d i n g s of t h e s t o r y h a s - - -

been by Char les G. Hoffman, who, d e s p i t e acknowledging t h e s t o r y ' s ----_ . - % -

power, s e e s t h e ending as a f a i l u r e . 21 The ending , w i t h i t s sup-

posed t ransformed p e r c e p t i o n of B a r t l e b y by t h e n a r r a t o r , i s a - c r u c i a l ma t t e r . While t h i s t h e s i s a rgues w i t h t h e view t h a t

M e l v i l l e un re se rved ly assumed t h e v o i c e o f h i s n a r r a t o r i n t h e

ending , i t does r ecogn ize t h e v a l u e of Hoffman's work which

engages i t s e l f s e r i o u s l y w i t h what i s o c c u r r i n g i n t h e s t o r y . An

e q u a l l y worthwhile b u t c o n t r a r y p o s i t i o n i s t aken by Kingsley

Widmer, who i n h i s s tudy sees t h e t a l e a s an e x e r c i s e i n i r o n i c

n i h i l i s m w i t h no redemption f o r t h e n a r r a t o r . 22 Although

work i s one of t h e b e s t p u b l i s h e d a n a l y s e s of t h e n a r r a t o r ' s r o l e ,

t h i s t h e s i s a l s o t a k e s e x c e p t i o n w i t h t h e h y p o t h e s i s of an unre-

deemed n a r r a t o r . Such an i n t e r p r e t a t i o n h a s t h e e f f e c t o f reduc-

i n g t h e s t o r y t o a dual ism, ,of "us" and "them1', of a manipula t ive

b u t b l i n d n a r r a t o r v e r s u s a weak B a r t l e b y , and M e l v i l l e ' s work

never l eaves u s comfortably w i t h such s imp le c h o i c e s , however

a t t e n u a t e d by c i rcumstances . The c u r i o u s r e s u l t of a l l t h e

aforementioned c r i t i c i s m i s t h a t i t s wide range does m i r r o r one

of t h e e f f e c t s of t h e s t o r y : t h a t o f accommodating c o n f l i c t i n g

po in t s -of -view wh i l e remaining e l u s i v e l y clear of them.

Such a d a p t a b i l i t y t o g e n e r a l i z e d c r i t i c i s m i s due,

q u i t e probably, t o t h e n a r r a t i v e method. The formal problem of

hav ing t h e f i r s t person n a r r a t o r be an a c c u r a t e spokesman whi le

y e t i n d i c a t i n g h i s l i m i t a t i o n s i s a tes t o f i r o n i c achievement . T

b u t does n o t have, i n t h i s s e n s e , any i n n a t e r e l a t i o n s h i p t o t h e

problem o f c e r t i t u d e . But a b i o g r a p h i c a l s k e t c h which a t t e m p t s

t o d i s c o v e r t h e meaning o f a p e r s o n a l r e l a t i o n s h i p , y e t which i s

hampered by t h e b i a s of memory, does s u g g e s t t h a t t h e p roces s of

knowing i s a s t e n t a t i v e and c o n d i t i o n a l as what can b e known.

S ince t h e n a r r a t o r t e l l s u s a lmos t immediate ly t h a t v e r y l i t t l e

can be known of B a r t l e b y , and s i n c e a s o l i d p h y s i c a l impress ion

o f Ba r t l eby i s never c r e a t e d , one might e x p e c t t h a t t h e r e a l i t y

o f t h e n a r r a t o r ' s e x p e r i e n c e i s never q u i t e conveyed by t h e des-

c r i p t i o n of i t s appearances . T h i s minor q u a l i f i c a t i o n t o any

approach t o t h e s t o r y i s impor t an t because it a t l e a s t ma in t a in s

t h a t t h e n a r r a t o r , however s i n c e r e , can o n l y o f f e r u s approxima-

t i o n s t o h i s expe r i ence and n o t i t s s u b s t a n c e , and t h a t h i s s t r u g -

g l e t o unders tand assumes v a r i o u s s t a n c e s o f r e a c t i o n t o d i f f i -

c u l t y r a t h e r t han one c o n s i s t e n t a t t i t u d e . What t h i s t h e s i s pro-

poses i s a f i n a l ambigui ty i n t h e r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f t h e n a r r a t o r ' s

e x p e r i e n c e , from which w e c a n i n f e r on ly a t e n t a t i v e c o n d i t i o n o f

t r u t h . B a r t l e b y ' s en igma t i c "I p r e f e r n o t t o " i s t h e key u t t e r -

ance i n t h e s t o r y , f o r it e q u a l l y i n v o l v e s t h e d i f f e r e n t l e v e l s of

i 13 in t e l l ec t , imagina t ion , and w i l l i n bo th n a r r a t o r and r e a d e r whi le

=rejecting f u r t h e r coope ra t ion and r e l a t i o n s h i p . If t h e n a r r a t o r

a t t e m p t t o unders tand such a response o f h i s s c r i v e n e r ' s , as

a tes t of h i s own humanity, t hen h i s changing impress ions and

deve lop ing bewilderment should be an impor t an t e lement i n bo th t h e

t a l e ' s achievement and t h e de t e rmina t ion o f i t s f i n a l p o s i t i o n .

Therefore , w e s h a l l start w i t h t h e r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f t h e n a r r a t o r

i n t h e s t o r y b e f o r e a t t empt ing t o unders tand what t h e s t o r y i s

t r y i n g t o t e l l us . . .

THE PROBLEIVI. O F THE NARRATOR ---C

--

I f t h e t r u t h concern ing B a r t l e b y i s hidden because of

t h e n a t u r e of appea rances , which can o f f e r u s on ly h i n t s abou t

~ h a r a c t e r , and because of t h e imper fec t ions o f memory, t h e n as

readers w e have t h e d i f f i c u l t y of a s s e s s i n g t h e s i g n i f i c a n c e of

t h e n a r r a t o r ' s r e v e l a t i o n s . A r e w e t o t a k e t h e n a r r a t o r ' s s t o r y

a t f a c e v a l u e ? H i s s u f f e r i n g , and t h e t r a g i c a s p e c t s o f h i s ex-

pe r i ence are unden iab le , However, t h e s t o r y i s n o t p r e s e n t e d i n

un re l i eved s e r i o u s n e s s . The s e v e r a l jokes and t h e exagge ra t ed . ,

humour of many of t h e s cenes work a t t h e l a w y e r ' s expense. H e i s

o f t e n exposed as pompous and sen t imen ta l . Fundamental ly , t h e con-

t r a d i c t i o n o f a weak, unambit ious man l i k e B a r t l e b y u p s e t t i n g t h e

performance of o f f i c e r o u t i n e by p r e f e r r i n g n o t t o comply w i t h -- convent ions f o r no a p p a r e n t r ea son , i s i n i t s e l f a comica l ly

absurd s i t u a t i o n . Y e t t h e n a r r a t o r f i n d s n o t h i n g funny i n h i s

d i f f i c u l t i e s w i t h B a r t l e b y , I n t h e l i g h t o f t h e n a r r a t o r ' s i r o n i c

ignorance and t h e ambiguous comedy of h i s p l i g h t , t h e t ransforma-

t i o n of h i s a t t i t u d e a t t h e d e a t h of B a r t l e b y canno t b e t aken

l i t e r a l l y , I f t h e r e i s a g r a d u a l p roces s o f r e v e l a t i o n t h e nar-

r a t i v e c o n c e a l s it w e l l , Transformat ion i s u n d e r c u t by an i r o n i c

, enigma: r e p e a t e d l y B a r t l e b y i s shown t o b e b o t h weak and t h e a n t i -

t h e s i s of s o c i a l l y accep ted v a l u e s , b u t somehow, by t h e s t o r y ' s

end w e a r e meant t o acknowledge t h a t t h i s " b i t o f wreck" r ep re -

s e n t s humanity.

To accoun t f o r t h e d i s c r e p a n c i e s i n t h e g e n e r a l s e r i o -

comid tone o f t h e n a r r a t i v e , we must look t o t h e n a r r a t o r and t h e

facades of h i s p e r s o n a l i t y . The lawyer ' s norma:l:i't,y i s t h e most

impor tan t c o n s i d e r a t i o n i n t h i s r e s p e c t . There i s a good d e a l o f

dif fuseness t o h i s

no o the r c h a r a c t e r

15

c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n , p r i n c i p a l l y because t h e r e i s

e q u a l l y developed i n t h e s t o r y , W e have only

voice t o guide u s t o an apprec ia t ion of h i s p e r s o n a l i t y . Within

these l i m i t a t i o n s w e can nonethe less make some u s e f u l observa-

t i o n s . F i r s t of a l l , t h e lawyer t akes pa ins t o d e s c r i b e himself

a s r e p r e s e n t a t i v e -- of h i s c l a s s , h i s p ro fess ion , h i s t ime -- by

t h e mere f a c t t h a t d e s p i t e h i s disavowals of any c e l e b r i t y he i s

s e n s i t i v e t o both p u b l i c opinion and t o t h e appearance of v i r t u e

and hard work. H i s conservat ism, a f f a b i l i t y , humour, and reason-.

ableness , may tend t o i n d i v i d u a t e him s l i g h t l y , b u t n o t enough t o

see him a s d e v i a t i n g i n any way from normal s t andards of decency

and o rd ina r iness . However, t h e s e q u a l i t i e s make up a persona which

a l s o conceals any s e l f - c r i t i c a l evidence and, i n f a c t , t h e l a r g e r

phi losophica l i s s u e s of t h e s t o r y . The v i r t u e s which t h e na r ra -

t o r espouses -- s o c i a b i l i t y , f o r t i t u d e , prudence, coopera t iveness ,

phi lanthropy -- and which Bar t leby w i l l n o t o r cannot p r a c t i s e ,

form a narrow code of conduct which cannot do j u s t i c e t o an " o r i -

gina1"23 c h a r a c t e r such a s Bart leby. Yet t h e n a r r a t i v e proceeds

without awareness of t h i s d i f f i c u l t y .

How t h e lawyer a t t empts t o discovery t h e meaning of

, Bar t l eby ' s a c t i o n s i s a r t i c u l a t e d r h e t o r i c a l l y , T h i s f e a t u r e f i t s

we l l with t h e lawyer ' s p r o f e s s i o n , which must show a f a c i l i t y f o r

d i sc r imina t ion and pe r suas ion , and a c o n s i s t e n t l o g i c . Corres-

pondingly t h e n a r r a t o r t e l l s h i s s t o r y by proceeding from an

assumption of shared p r i n c i p l e s of behaviour and c o g n i t i o n t o a

ca re • ’u l ly reasoned admission of g u i l t and unavoidable ignorance,

and f i n a l l y , t o an i m p l i c i t i n v i t a t i o n t o s h a r e i n u n i v e r s a l spe-

cu la t ion . Such a p a t t e r n c r e a t e s an appearance of determinism

1 6

and suggests t h e i n e x o r a b i l i t y of Fa te . From t h e rnoments~ar t l eby

comes t o t h e lawyer ' s o f f i c e , s tanding i n t h e doorway l i k e a

nmotionless young man" (p. 661, B a r t l e b y ' s h i s t o r y seems complete,

f o r h i s sudden appearance a l r eady con ta ins w i t h i n it a l l t h e

v a r i a t i o n s of mot ionlessness i n t h e s t o r y from h i s "dead-wall

r eve r i e s" t o h i s dea th i n t h e Tombs. The a p p a l l i n g ' s u g g e s t i o n s

of Bar t l eby ' s s t a s i s a r e o f t e n concealed by t h e n a r r a t o r ' s pro-

t e s t i n g consciousness which must f i n d "common sense" explana-

t ions . A s t h e n a r r a t o r grows more despera te , h i s blandness and . .-

e a r l y optimism are undercut , a l lowing us t o pe rce ive some of t h e

f r igh ten ing inadequacies of h i s world-view -- t h e i l l u s i o n t h a t

however imperfec t t h e workaday world i s , it can save u s from be-

coming human wrecks.

The lawyer ' s reasonableness i s a r h e t o r i c a l mask i n

s e v e r a l d i f f e r e n t senses . I n t h e f i r s t i n s t a n c e , he a t t empts t o

t e l l h i s s t o r y reasonably . H i s "method" i s t o p o r t r a y t h e back-

ground and s e t t i n g t o B a r t l e b y ' s s t o r y , in t roduce t h i s unusual

scr ivener i n t h e c o n t e x t of every day o f f i c e d u t i e s , and then

J show how he t r i e d t o d e a l wi th h i s d i f f i c u l t employee as f a i r l y

a s poss ib le , d e s p i t e out rageous chal lenges t o h i s good w i l l .

The n a r r a t o r manages t o convince us of h i s good i n t e n t i o n s , y e t

t h e r e a r e i n c o n s i s t e n c i e s and c o n t r a d i c t i o n s i n h i s account t h a t

c a l l i n t o ques t ion bo th h i s self-awareness and h i s awareness of

what happened. L a t e r on, we s h a l l s e e how t h e n a r r a t o r ' s reason-

ableness a l s o d i s g u i s e s d e s p e r a t i o n and f e a r a t having h i s world-

view ' threatened.

Con t rad ic t ions appear i n t h e s t o r y i n t h e f i r s t few ---?

pages. The n a r r a t o r t e l l s u s t h a t "Bart leby was one of those , >

Y k

beings o f . whom no th ing i s a s c e r t a i n a b l e t v (p. 5 9 ) , e f f e c t i v e l y

c r ea t ing a s ense of i n t r i g u e , and then p a r a d o x i c a l l y h e t e l l s us

t h a t a g e n e r a l d e s c r i p t i o n of h i s own world i s " i n d i s p e n s a b l e t o

an adequate unde r s t and ing of t h e c h i e f c h a r a c t e r abou t t o be

presented" Cp. 5 9 ) . C e r t a i n l y t h e paxadox i s r e l a t i v e t o t h e

commonsense n o t i o n t h a t , if t h e r e i s a s t o r y t o t e l l , it must be

somehow t o l d . However, t h e f a c i l i t y w i t h which he p a s s e s over

t h e f i r s t d i f f i c u l t y i n t h e s t o r y -- B a r t l e b y l s unknowableness --

does sugges t more of s e l f - i n t e r e s t t h a n an .awareness o f t h e s u b t l e . r

mysteries o f p e r s o n a l i t y and r e c o l l e c t i o n . T h i s d i s t o r t i o n o f

c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s i s a f e a t u r e of t h e n a r r a t o r ' s "method", which

p r o f e s s e s t o o r d e r r e a l i t y b u t a c t u a l l y p r o t e c t s and aggrandizes

h i s p e r s o n a l i t y . 2 4 W e a r e g iven more in fo rma t ion abou t t h i s

"method" i n t h e f i r s t few pages of s e l f - d e s c r i p t i o n fo l lowing t h e

s ta tement o f i n t e n t i o n s . H e i s a man who p r e f e r s t o be unambi-

t i o u s and does a "snug b u s i n e s s among r i c h men's bonds" (p . 60),

and b e l i e v e s t h a t t h e " e a s i e s t way o f l i f e i s t h e b e s t v v (p. 5 9 ) .

H i s f o r t e i s t h e l e t t e r of t h e l a w , t h e documentation of it, and

n o t t h e human drama su r round ing it. By d e l i b e r a t e l y avo id ing

" turbu lence" and con t rove r sy , h e h a s c u t h imse l f o f f from t h o s e

elements of l i f e which do n o t f i t h i s i d e a o f h imse l f . H e i s

eage r t o t e l l us of h i s r e s p e c t a b i l i t y :

The l a t e John Jacob A s t o r , a person- age l i t t l e g iven t o p o e t i c e n t h u s i - asm, had no h e s i t a t i o n i n pronoun- c i n g my f i r s t grand p o i n t t o b e prudence; my n e x t , method. I do n o t speak it i n v a n i t y , b u t simply r e c o r d t h e f a c t , . t h a t I was n o t unemployed i n my p r o f e s s i o n by t h e l a t e John Jacob As tor ; a name which, I admit , I love t o r e p e a t ; f o r it h a t h a rounded and o r b i c u l a r

18

sound t o it, and r i n g s l i k e un to b u l l i o n . I w i l l f r e e l y add, t h a t I was n o t i n s e n s i b l e t o t h e l a t e John Jacob A s t o r 1 s good op in ion . (p . 60)

The p r i d e w i t h which t h e lawyer r e c a l l s A s t o r , and t h e a s soc i a -

t i o n of prudence and method w i t h f i n a n c i a l g a i n , r e a d i l y i d e n t i f y

t h e n a r r a t o r ' s m a t e r i a l i s m . The f r ank admiss ion t h a t h e l oves

t h e sound of A s t o r ' s name s u g g e s t s t h a t whatever s en t imen t s t h e

lawyer p o s s e s s e s are connected w i t h money and succes s . T h i s

admission s o q u a l i f i e s t h e v a l u e of "prudence" and "method" (p. 60 ) . .

t h a t we must beg in t o look f o r o t h e r unconsc ious i r o n i e s . A s

t h e s e i r o n i e s come i n t o be ing , w e f i n d t h a t i n each i n s t a n c e

t h e r e i s a c o n t r a d i c t i o n between t h e n a r r a t o r ' s assumed o r pro-

f e s sed i d e a l s and h i s behaviour , i n d i c a t i n g f i n a l l y a d i s t u r b i n g

l ack of awareness.

Given t h a t t h e n a r r a t o r i s soon invo lved i n ma in t a in ing

h i s world o r d e r a g a i n s t t h e u p s e t t i n g p re sence o f B a r t l e b y , h i s

method i n do ing s o can b e s een a s an e x t e n s i o n o f h i s m a t e r i a l -

i s m . We soon l e a r n t h a t "method" f o r t h e n a r r a t o r can b e equa ted

wi th expediency. I n t e l l i n g h i s s t o r y , what h e f i r s t f i n d s

exped ien t i s t o i n t e r r u p t t h e c a r e f u l p r e s e n t a t i o n o f f a c t s w i th

a seemingly i r r e l e v a n t s t a t e m e n t about h i m s e l f . When he com-

p l a i n s , b e f o r e w e have been p r o p e r l y a p p r i s e d o f t h e s e t t i n g , of

t h e "sudden and v i o l e n t ab roga t ion of t h e O f f i c e o f Master i n

Chancery," (p. 6 0 ) t h e d i g r e s s i o n i s s o incongruen t t o t h e i n t en -

t i o n of h i s n a r r a t i v e , t h a t w e a r e immediate ly s t r u c k by it. The

h i n t s of g reed and v i o l e n c e a r e developed a f t e r w a r d s w i t h deva-

s t a t i n g e f f e c t , b u t t h e i r i n c l u s i o n a t t h i s p o i n t i n t h e na r r a -

t i v e s u g g e s t s t h a t w e ' should s u s p e c t t h e q u a l i t y of t h e na r r a -

t o r ' s reason even be fo re Bar t leby a r r i v e s . Upon l a t e r discover-

ing t h e lawyer ' s manner of examining h i s conscience -- of equat-

ing c h a r i t y w i t h s e l f - i n t e r e s t -- t h e l a t e n t da rke r sugges t ions

of t h e n a r r a t o r ' s words come more c l e a r l y i n t o focus. A sub- - t e x t i s revea led , n o t i n t h e sense t h a t a p a r a l l e l dramat iza t ion CL_

of ideas t a k e s p l a c e , b u t i n t h e sense t h a t c r u c i a l i d e n t i f y i n g

not ions about e i t h e r t h e n a r r a t o r o r Bar t leby c a r r y a s i g n i f i -

cance c o n t r a r y t o t h e professed one.

What makes such con t ra ry s i g n i f i c a n c e s a sub-text i s . -

t h e i r cons i s t ency of i r o n i c e f f e c t . From t h e moment t h e narra-

t o r begins t a l k i n g of h i s prudence t o t h e d iscovery of Bar t l eby ' s

dead body i n t h e Tombs, each thought o r a c t i o n t h a t a c t u a l l y

develops t h e n a r r a t i v e t o i t s conclusion can be s a t i s f y i n g l y

apprehended both i n i t s i n t e n t i o n a l and u n i n t e n t i o n a l meanings.

But t h i s i r o n i c p a t t e r n i s n o t a simple a n t i t h e t i c a l s t r u c t u r e ,

f o r a t any junc tu re of con t ra ry sugges t ions t h e f i n a l e f f e c t i s

one of t e n t a t i v e n e s s and ambiguity, prevent ing t h e r eader from

ca tegor iz ing t h e n a r r a t o r and allowing only f o r approximations h

about t h e essence of c h a r a c t e r . The s p e c i f i c i rony i s a subver-

s ion of e x p e c t a t i o n s , a l lowing f o r exp lo ra t ion of meaning.

An immediate example i s t h e d i g r e s s i ~ n on t h e l o s s of

Chancery revenues. Because of l a t e r d i s c l o s u r e s about t h e nar ra-

t o r ' s mater ia l i sm, t h e i n i t i a l h i n t of greed t a k e s on new s i g n i -

f icance . Does "Off ice" have a q u a s i - e c c l e s i a s t i c a l impl ica t ion ,

and t h e revenue a sugges t ion of simony? We cannot be su re , even

when'we r e a l i z e t h e lawyer c o n t r o l s h i s own off ice-world absolu-

t e l y , t h a t h e t h i n k s much and dubiously about c h a r i t y , and t h a t

t h e symbolism of t h e s t o r y a t t imes impl ie s t h a t t h e n a r r a t o r

, 20

might r e p r e s e n t t h e a p o s t l e founder o f t h e ChurCh. On

t h e one hand w e a r e meant t o unders tand h i s d i g r e s s i o n as normal

human i r r i t a t i o n a t t h e v a g a r i e s of F a t e , and on t h e o t h e r hand

t h e r e i s t h e l u r k i n g , n e v e r a r t i c u l a t e d , s u g g e s t i o n t h a t h i s

aside i s a r e v e l a t i o n o f m o r a l abuse.

A f t e r t h i s ambiguous r e v e l a t i o n , a good d e a l more i s

lea rned about t h e n a r r a t o r th rough h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h t h e

c l e r k s . Turkey and Nippe r s are c l e a r l y n o t o v e r l y e f f i c i e n t i n

t h e i r d u t i e s ; t h e i r comic i d i o s y n c r a c i e s . a r e such t h a t t h e per-

formance o f work s e e m s a d e l i c a t e l y ba lanced s t a t e o f a f f a i r s .

The n a r r a t o r ' s "prudence" and "method" i n t h i s r e s p e c t i s t o

mainta in a s t a t u s quo, however l u d i c r o u s a t t i m e s , p rov ided t h a t

c e r t a i n minimum s t a n d a r d s are kept . Such i n c o n s i s t e n c y on h i s

p a r t seems p o s i t i v e , f o r sympathy and humour a r e e v i d e n t l y pre-

s e n t i n h i s a t t i t u d e . The h i r i n g of a young a p p r e n t i c e , Ginger-

Nut, a s o f f i c e boy, shows p a t e r n a l c o n s i d e r a t i o n . The e f f e c t of

t h e h a b i t u a l c a r e l e s s n e s s o f Turkey and t h e f i e r y temper of

Nippers i s t o humanize t h e o the rwi se uncommon d u l l n e s s o f o f f i c e

r o u t i n e . T h e i r f a u l t s are inconveniences t h e lawyer i s prepared

t o l i v e w i t h , even when Turkey mis t akes a cake f o r a seal and w i t - I

t i l y s aves h imse l f from d i s m i s s a l by promising t o pay f o r t h e v s o i l e d documents. Such indu lgence , a s r e p o r t e d by t h e n a r r a t o r ,

shows u s j u s t how f a r t h e lawyer i s prepared t o go i n excus ing

human e c c e n t r i c i t y and e r r o r , t he reby s e t t i n g up t h e r a t i o n a l e

f o r h i s e x a s p e r a t i o n w i t h B a r t l e b y . I n t h i s s e n s e , t h e long des-

c r i p t i o n of h i s a s s i s t a n t s i s impor t an t t o t h e n a r r a t o r ' s s t o r y ,

f o r it c a r e f u l l y j u s t i f i e s h i s good w i l l , t h e importance of o f f i c e

harmony t o g e t t i n g h i s work done,' a n d t h e f a c t t h a t h e i s n o t

2 1

w i t h o u t hbmour. However, b u r i e d w i t h i n t h i s norm, are i n d i c a t i o n s

t h a t t h e l awyer ' s sympathy i s a l s o a k ind of condescension, and

t h a t t h i s condescension p r e v e n t s him from e x p e r i e n c i n g f e e l i n g s

of depth. C e r t a i n l y h i s t h r e e a s s i s t a n t s a r e s i n g u l a r l y hol low

c r e a t u r e s , w i t h o u t ev idence o f p r i v a t e f e e l i n g o r c h a l l e n g e t o

t h e n a r r a t o r ' s a u t h o r i t y . 26 Furthermore, t h e v e r y r e p e t i t i v e n e s s

of o f f i c e r o u t i n e keeps l i f e o u t and c r e a t e s t h e s p i r i t u a l l y un-

changing c i rcumstances t o which t h e s o l i t a r y B a r t l e b y comes.

The n a r r a t o r ' s p s y c h o l o g i c a l c o n d i t i o n a s B a r t l e b y

begins t o r e j e c t a c t i v i t y shows u s o t h e r i n c o n s i s t e n c i e s w i t h i n

h i s r ea sonab le p i c t u r e of h i m s e l f . The n a r r a t o r i s an "eminent ly

s a f e man," who, when h e i s thwar ted , as i n t h e c a s e o f h i s l o s s - of Chancery revenues and as i n t h e memory of t h e i n f u r i a t e d C o l t

shoot ing Adams, i s tempted t o sudden v i o l e n c e . Perhaps , f o r t h i s

reason, h e wishes t o a v o i d c o n f r o n t a t i o n , as i s ev idence by h i s

i n d e c i s i v e n e s s w i t h B a r t l e b y , and s o , e a r l y i n t h e n a ~ r a t i v e , h e

t e l l s u s h e h a s chosen t h e " c o o l t r a n q u i l i t y o f a snug retreat ... a snug b u s i n e s s among r i c h men's bonds," (p. 60) as h i s charac-

t e r i s t i c s t y l e of l i f e . F o r "snug r e t r e a t " w e can r e a d smug re-

t r e a t as i t s p s y c h o l o g i c a l e q u i v a l e n t , f o r h e does admi t t h a t h e

avoids t h e drama of t h e cour t room and h e does r e p o r t A s t o r ' s good

opinion wi th some deg ree of s e l f - s a t i s f a c t i o n . The ph rase "snug

r e t r e a t " beg ins t o assume importance on ~ a r t l e b y ' s a r r i v a l . H e

i s desc r ibed as " p a l l i d l y n e a t , p i t i a b l y y e s p e c t a b l e , i n c u r a b l y

f o r l o r n " (p. 6 6 ) . The language c o n t a i n s a s much self-comment as

it doe's d e s c r i p t i o n of B a r t l e b y , s i n c e t h e r e i s a k i n d of pa t ron-

i z i n g and condescending a t t i t u d e i n " p i t i a b l y r e s p e c t a b l e , " and

most t e l l i n g l y -- " i n c u r a b l y f o r l o r n . " Y e t . the l awyer ' s f i r s t a c t

upon h i r i n g Bar t leby i s t o i s o l a t e him

This i s done, according t o t h e lawyer,

2 2

from t h e o t h e r s c i i v e n e r s .

" t o have t h i s q u i e t man

w i t h i n easy r e c a l l , i n case any t r i f l i n g t h i n g was t o be done."

(p. 67). The p a t r o n i z i n g a i r of " t r i f l i n g " i s d i f f i c u l t t o ig-

nore, b u t t h e i s o l a t i o n of Bar t l eby sugges t s more than w i l f u l

humour. I s o l a t e d from s o c i e t y , B a r t l e b y ' s immediate s e t t i n g I

looks out through a window on to a wa l l . I t seems s t r a n g e t h a t t h e

n a r r a t o r , who has a l r e a d y i d e n t i f i e d Bar t l eby as " incurab ly fo r -

lo rn , " should exacerbate t h a t apparent hopelessness by i s o l a t i o n -

and by t h e depress ing sugges t iveness of a w a l l a f f o r d i n g no view.

of course, t h e n a r r a t o r has a l r e a d y desc r ibed t h e s p e c t a c l e of

wa l l s a s " d e f i c i e n t i n what landscape p a i n t e r s c a l l " l i f e " (p. 6 0 )

s o one would n o t expect him t o be aware of t h e t e r r i b l e i rony of

p lac ing Bart leby by such a view. Nonetheless, a l though Bar t leby

seems t o adapt t o h i s new environment, t h e t r a g i c even t s of t h e

s t o r y have been s e t i n motion by t h i s one a c t of whimsy. Taken

i n i t s e n t i r e t y , t h e i rony of B a r t l e b y ' s p rogress ive r e t r e a t from

a c t i v i t y i s t h a t it m i r r o r s t h e n a r r a t o r ' s own r e t r e a t from t h e

more pub l i c r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s of h i s p ro fess ion . J u s t a s t h e nar-

r a t o r ' s "snug r e t r e a t " i s a smug r e t r e a t from d i f f i c u l t y , s o

Bar t leby ' s r e t r e a t from l i f e i s a r e d u c t i o of t h e n a r r a t o r ' s

philosophy. A s a c o p y i s t , Bar t l eby performs work which impl ies

t h e ab&nce of any c r e a t i v i t y . The lawyer himself i s n o t a c rea-

t i v e pe r sona l i ty . Symbolical ly , t h e "dead wa l l " which both s e e

each day i s t h e f i n a l r educ t ion of t h e n a r r a t o r ' s mater ial ism: a

sepa ra t ion from l i f e , a b l i n d n e s s , an emptiness.

Despi te such d e f i c i e n c i e s i n h i s awareness t h e n a r r a t o r

has capably rep resen ted himself as a man of reason and order . By

2 3

t h e t i m e - B a r t l e b y r e f u s e s t o copy documents, w e are prepared t o

a c c e p t t h a t t h e n a r r a t o r i s a man of normal d i s p o s i t i o n , t h a t h e

i s n o t l a c k i n g i n r ea sonab lenes s , c o o p e r a t i o n , and ph i l an th ropy ,

t h a t h e p r i z e s t h e accep ted decen t s t a n d a r d s of l i f e and t h e good

op in ion of o t h e r s , and t h a t B a r t l e b y i s a deep ly d i s t u r b e d i n d i -

v i d u a l whom no layman can e x p e c t t o hand le w e l l . W e can a c c e p t

such a view because t h e n a r r a t o r h a s p repa red u s f o r it. J u s t a s

he has assumed a l l a long t h a t B a r t l e b y would d e p a r t when o rde red ,

he h a s e a r l i e r assumed t h e r e a d e r would s h a r e i n t h e unders tand-

i n g o f prudence, comfort , r ea son , parsimony, as c r e d i b l e s tand-

a r d s of behaviour .

What beg ins t o emerge abou t t h e n a r r a t o r a s t h e s t o r y

unfo lds i s t h a t he i s a s much i n t e r e s t e d i n t e l l i n g h i s own s t o r y

a s h e i s i n t e r e s t e d i n t h e s t o r y of B a r t l e b y . Harmless i n i t s e l f ,

t h i s s e l f - i n t e r e s t is , u n f o r t u n a t e l y , a l s o a l l i e d w i t h moral va l -

ues whose e s sence become d i s t o r t e d i n t h e l awyer ' s p e r s o n a l i t y by

a s u b t l e d i s r e g a r d of any th ing unconvent iona l o r unreasonable .

When B a r t l e b y r e f u s e s t o check c o p i e s , t h e n a r r a t o r shows h i s d i s -

p l e a s u r e by exagge ra t ing t h e e f f e c t of B a r t l e b y ' s unconvent iona l

and unreasonable p r e f e r e n c e s :

I t is n o t seldom t h e c a s e t h a t , when a man h a s been browbeaten i n some unprecedented and v i o l e n t l y unreason- a b l e way, h e beg ins t o s t a g g e r i n - h i s own p l a i n e s t f a i t h . (p. 70)

The n a r r a t o r has h a r d l y been "browbeaten" and c e r t a i n l y n o t w i t h

any v io l ence . 27 B a r t l e b y ' s mi ldnes s , by t h e l awyer ' s own admis-

s i o n , c o n t r a d i c t s such a p o s s i b i l i t y . W e beg in t o s e e t h a t words

l i k e "unprecedented", " v i o l e n t l y " , "unreasonable" , " f a i t h " , are

be ing used r h e t o r i c a l l y , t o convey more o f . a g e n e r a l impress ion

than a s p e c i f i c obse rva t ion . ~Jh'j-le t h e n a r r a t o r ' s words-os ten-

s i b l y d e a l w i t h B a r t l e b y ' s sudden uncoope ra t iveness , t h e r e i s a

subtler sense i n which t h e y d e s c r i b e t h e n a r r a t o r ' s own s t a t e of

mind. H i s r e a c t i o n h a s superceded t h e e v e n t , f o r it i s h i s s o l i p -

s i s m which d i s t i n g u i s h e s t h e passage r a t h e r t h a n any concern w i t h

accuracy o r reason . Such a d i sc repancy becomes keener when t h e

s i t u a t i o n worsens and it becomes c l e a r t h a t B a r t l e b y w i l l n o t on ly

do no copying b u t w i l l a l s o r e f u s e t o l e a v e t h e premises . I n two

h e a v i l y i r o n i c pas sages , we f i n d t h e n a r r a t o r a t t e m p t i n g t o m e e t

t h i s c h a l l e n g e by u n i t i n g p r a c t i c a l c o n s i d e r a t i o n s w i t h r e l i g i o u s

i d e a l s :

I f I t u r n him away, t h e chances a r e t h a t he w i l l f a l l i n w i t h some less i n d u l g e n t employer, and t h e n h e w i l l b e r u d e l y t r e a t e d , and perhaps d r i - ven f o r t h m i s e r a b l y t o s t a r v e . Yes. H e r e I can cheap ly purchase a d e l i - c i o u s s e l f - a p p r o v a l . To b e f r i e n d Bar t l eby ; t o humour him i n h i s s t r a n g e w i l f u l n e s s , w i l l c o s t m e l i t t l e o r n o t h i n g , w h i l e I l a y up i n my s o u l what w i l l e v e n t u a l l y prove a s w e e t mor se l f o r my consc i - ence. (p . 72 )

L a t e r t h e n a r r a t o r t u r n s t o t h e C h r i s t i a n commandment o f c h a r i t y

t o ove r - ru l e h i s qu ickening resen tment :

Aside from h i g h e r c o n s i d e r a t i o n s , c h a r i t y o f t e n o p e r a t e s as a v a s t l y w i s e and p ruden t p r i n c i p l e -- a g r e a t s a f e g u a r d t o i t s posses so r . Men have committed murder f o r j e a l o u s y ' s s a k e , and a n g e r ' s sake , and s e l f i s h n e s s ' s ake , and s p i r i t u a l p r i d e ' s s ake ; b u t no man, t h a t e v e r I hea rd o f , ever committed a diabo- l i c a l murder f o r s w e e t c h a r i t y ' s sake . Mere s e l f - i n t e r e s t , t hen , i f no b e t t e r mot ive can b e e n l i s t e d , shou ld e s p e c i a l l y w i t h high-tem- pe red men, prompt a l l b e i n g s t o c h a r i t y and p h i l a n t h r o p y . (p. 88)

25

Both t h e s e passages o f f e r unconscious i r o n i e s on t h e

j u s t i f i c a t i o n of c h a r i t y . Although t h e passages a r e

w e l l , as one might expect from a lawyer be fo re a jury of

both c o n t a i n d i s t o r t i o n s of t h e intended s p i r i t of

~ h a r i t y , now made expedient by circumstances. I n t h e f i r s t , t h e

c r a s s r educ t ion of c h a r i t y t o a s a f e and cheap "purchase" of

n o b i l i t y mocks t h e C h r i s t i a n not ion of a t t a i n i n g heaven by lov-

ing one ' s neighbour. 28 The argument f o r he lp ing Bar t l eby should

a t t h i s p o i n t b e in f luenced by t h e well-being of t h e s c r i v e n e r , . P

s ince t h i s passage fo l lows an observat ion t h a t t h e s c r i v e n e r

l i v e s only on "ginger-nuts" . Yet t h e n a r r a t o r ' s argument i s

ins tead based 'on s e l f - c o n g r a t u l a t i o n ("some l e s s indulgent

employer"), s e n t i m e n t a l i t y ( "d r iven f o r t h miserably t o s t a r v e " ) ,

self-concern ("purchase a d e l i c i o u s s e l f - a p p r o v a l " ) , condescen-

s ion ( " t o humour him i n h i s s t r ange w i l f u l n e s s t 1 ) , ma te r i a l i sm

( " c o s t me l i t t l e o r n o t h i n g " ) , and s e l f - g r a t i f i c a t i o n ( "a sweet

morsel f o r my consc ience") . The second passage e l a b o r a t e s t h e

argument of t h e f i r s t by l i n k i n g s e l f - g r a t i f i c a t i o n wi th s e l f -

preserva t ion . The n a r r a t o r must r e s o l v e h i s f e e l i n g s of v io lence

toward Bar t leby and t h e s a f e s t means appear t o be a submission t o

c h a r i t y . The i r o n y of t h e argument, persuading by reduc t ive

analogy t h a t murder can be prevented by c h a r i t y , and t h a t the re -

f o r e c h a r i t y i s a "prudent p r i n c i p l e t ' , i s a t e r r i b l e an t i -c l imax

t o t h e dilemma of how Bar t l eby can be helped. "Mere s e l f - i n t e r e s t "

becomes n o t j u s t t h e b a s i s f o r c h a r i t y b u t i t s very form. Such

an understanding of t h e lawyer ' s motives, however a t t e n u a t e d by

t h e genuine problem of B a r t l e b y l s psychologica l d e b i l i t y , makes

it e a s i e r t o a c c e p t t h e s c r i v e n e r ' s r e f u s a l of any h e l p from t h e

lawyer. .

A s w e r e a d more of t h e s t o r y w e beg in t o r e a l i z e t h a t

t h e n a r r a t o r ' s r ea sonab lenes s and bravado c o n c e a l f e a r and des-

pe ra t ion . 29 B a r t l e b y l s s t r a n g e n e s s and t h e " s c a n d a l i z i n g

t h e n a r r a t o r ' s ] r e p u t a t i o n " (p. 90) c o n t r i b u t e t o t h e f e a r o f

t h e n a r r a t o r b u t do n o t q u i t e e x p l a i n h i s f e e l i n g o f d e s p e r a t i o n .

A look a t t h e l a w y e r ' s r e a c t i o n s t o B a r t l e b y ' s r e f u s a l s shows a

p rog res s ive i n t e n s i f i c a t i o n of bewilderment. I t i s as i f t h e

lawyer w e r e b e i n g v i c t i m i z e d by h i s s c r i v e n e r . A f t e r B a r t l e b y ' s

f i r s t "I would p r e f e r n o t t o " t h e lawyer i s "s tunned" (p . 6 8 ) ,

then i n s e p a r a t e e p i s o d e s : "touched and d i s c o n c e r t e d " (p. 7 0 ) ,

"s taggered" (p . 7 3 ) , "unmanned" (p . 7 6 ) , " m o r t i f i e d " (p . 8O),

" thunders t ruck" (p , 861, t h e l a s t be ing equa ted t o t h e sudden

dea th of a man by l i g h t n i n g . Throughout t h i s d e t e r i o r a t i n g rela-

t i o n s h i p w i t h B a r t l e b y , t h e n a r r a t o r f i g h t s a s i f h i s p re se rva -

t i o n w e r e a t s t a k e , and h i s e f f o r t s i r o n i c a l l y p e r v e r t , t h e real

d i f f i c u l t i e s of B a r t l e b y , When B a r t l e b y announces: "I have g iven

up copying" (p. 8 3 ) , t h e n a r r a t o r ponders t h e u s e l e s s n e s s o f h i s

s c r i v e n e r . H e r e g r e t s t h a t B a r t l e b y does n o t have any r e l a t i v e s

who might t a k e him away t o some "convenient r e t r e a t " (p . 8 3 ) , and

, wi th t h i s ph ra se , unconsc ious ly s i g n a l i z e s t h e t e n s i o n between

h i s own "snug retreat" and B a r t l e b y ' s retreat from community of

any s o r t . The n a r r a t o r r e s e n t s t h e i n t r u s i o n , unde r s t andab ly s o ,

b u t t h e concommitant i m p l i c a t i o n s of "retreat" a l s o s u g g e s t a

c l a s h between two d i f f e r e n t k i n d s of inwardness. B a r t l e b y ' s i n -

wardness may b e lunacy o r it may b e d e l i b e r a t e wi thdrawal , b u t it

i s c h a r a c t e r i z e d by impotence. The n a r r a t o r ' s inwardness i s a

cogent maintenance of a chosen p r ivacy . The n a r r a t o r h a s power

of d e c i s i o n . Thus, i n such an o p p o s i t i o n , B a r t l e b y ' s wi thdrawal

demonstrates t h e shor tcomings of t h e n a r r a t o r ' s own, s i n c e i n t h e

face of t h e d i s i n t e g r a t i o n of a human be ing , t h e n a r r a t o r anxious-

l y ponders how appearances can s t i l l be main ta ined . One example

of t h e n a r r a t o r ' s u n f o r t u n a t e e x e r c i s e o f moral c h o i c e f o l l o w s

h i s obse rva t ion t h a t B a r t l e b y seems " a b s o l u t e l y a l o n e i n t h e uni-

verse" (p. 8 3 ) . Immediately a f t e r w a r d s , h e d e c i d e s t h a t B a r t l e b y

must l e a v e , f o r " n e c e s s i t i e s connected w i t h my b u s i n e s s t y ran -

nized over a l l o t h e r c o n s i d e r a t i o n s " (p . 8 3 ) . Such ty ranny o f t h e . *

u t i l i t a r i a n , however, canno t e x p l a i n away t h e ou t r ageous jux ta -

p o s i t i o n of p e r c e i v i n g B a r t l e b y ' s complete a l o n e n e s s and t h e n

ban ish ing him. Only f e a r can p rov ide an i n t e l l i g i b l e mot ive f o r

t h e n a r r a t o r r e f u s i n g t o unders tand what h e has seen .

If w e examine t h e n a r r a t o r ' s r e a c t i o n s t o B a r t l e b y

r a t h e r t han t o h i s p r e f e r e n c e s , w e f i n d t h a t t h e n a r r a t o r i s

v i c t imized by h i s own n a t u r e , even a t t h o s e moments when some

genuine f e e l i n g seems t o be developing. When B a r t l e b y p r e f e r s

n o t t o check c o p i e s , t h e l awyer ' s i n i t i a l r e sponse i s c o n c i l i a -

t o ry :

But t h e r e w a s something about B a r t l e b y t h a t n o t on ly s t r a n g e l y disarmed me, b u t , i n a wonderful manner, touched and d i s c o n c e r t e d m e . (p. 69-70)

A s ~ a r t l e b y ' s behaviour becomes s t r a n g e r t h e n a r r a t o r grows more

though t fu l . isc covering t h a t t h e s c r i v e n e r i s l i v i n g i n h i s o f f i -

c e s h e contempla tes t h e b a r r e n s p e c t a c l e t h a t i s r e v e a l e d on a

Sunday on Wall S t r e e t : "And h e r e Ba r t l eby makes h i s home; s o l e

s p e c t a t o r of a s o l i t u d e which he h a s seen a l l populous." (p. 77)

This thought i n t u r n l e a d s t o d e p r e s s i o n f o r t h e lawyer r e a l i z e s :

"The bond of a common h w a n i t y drew me i r r e s i s t a b l y

f r a t e r n a l melancholy! For both I and Bar t l eby were

2 8

t o gloom. A

sons of Adam."

The lawyer h a s been brought t o t h e p o i n t of recogni-

t i o n , where t h e s c r i v e n e r ' s humanity assumes more importance than

h i s e c c e n t r i c i t y . Although he again becomes exaspera ted wi th

~ a r t l e b y and l o s e s h i s new percep t ion of him, t h e lawyer has been

made t o f e e l something of t h e t e r r i b l e human waste i n h i s s c r i -

vener. The language o f h i s pe rcep t ions has none of t h e s e l f - . -

assurance and pomposity of t h e opening pages:

... happiness c o u r t s t h e l i g h t , s o we deem t h e world i s gay; b u t misery h ides a l o o f , s o we deem t h a t misery t h e r e i s none, (p: 7 7 )

Yet p r a c t i c a l c o n s i d e r a t i o n s a r e such t h a t t h e n a r r a t o r

cannot hold onto t h i s pe rcep t ion . H i s ma te r i a l i sm over- r ides pro5-

lems without immediate o r c l e a r s o l u t i o n s . The n a r r a t o r i s bound

t o t h e not ion t h a t s u f f e r i n g can be redeemed, ~ e a s o n a b . 1 ~ he

assumes t h a t he can h e l p Bar t l eby , and, i f n o t , reasonably he as-

sumes t h e s c r i v e n e r w i l l depa r t . When t h e n a r r a t o r i s persuaded

t h a t t h e s c r i v e n e r i s t h e v i c t i m of " i n n a t e and i n c u r a b l e d i s -

order" (p , 7 9 ) , t h a t he can provide ."alms t o h i s body; b u t h i s

body d id n o t pa in him" (p. 7 9 ) , then t h e n a r r a t o r i s h e l p l e s s and

must begin t o cons ider an i r r a t i o n a l p r i n c i p l e of l i f e .

La te r , i n a more hopeful frame of mind, b u t nonethe less

u n r e a l i s t i c , t h e lawyer dec ides t o devote h i s l i f e t o ~ a r t l e b y :

A t l a s t I s e e it; I f e e l it; I p e n e t r a t e t o t h e p redes t ined pur- pose of my l i f e . I am con ten t , Others may have l o f t i e r p a r t s t o e n a c t ; b u t my mission i n t h i s world, Bar t l eby , i s t o f u r n i s h you wi th office-room f o r such pe r iod a s you may s e e f i t t o remain. (p , 89)

a r e t h a t h e cannot p o s s i b l y commit h imse l f t o t h e care of

Bar t leby s o long as he m a i n t a i n s a l l e g i a n c e t o t h e v a l u e s and

of a s u c c e s s f u l lawyer. Moreover, h i s h a s t y a n a l y s i s o f

~ a r t l e b y ' s t r o u b l e s and t h e proposed s o l u t i o n , demons t ra tes once

more t h a t h e i s c o n s i d e r i n g h i s own w e l f a r e r a t h e r t h a n t h e w e l -

f a r e of Ba r t l eby . A s it happens, t h i s r e s o l u t i o n c o l l a p s e s when

s o c i e t y beg ins t o g o s s i p and t h e lawyer r e a l i z e s h i s b u s i n e s s

w i l l s u f f e r . What t h e lawyer f i n d s d i f f i c u l t t o a c c e p t i s t h a t

good i n t e n t i o n s canno t redeem s u f f e r i n g . For him, B a r t l e b y i l l u s -

t rates t h e p o i n t l e s s n e s s of e x i s t e n c e -- an i n t o l e r a b l e conclu-

s i o n t o a man whose v e r y p r o f e s s i o n i m p l i e s a b e l i e f i n a

r a t i o n a l and o rde red world-view. B a r t l e b y ' s r e f u s a l s t o p a r t i c i -

p a t e i n t h e o r d i n a r y r i t u a l s o f work and s o c i e t y , h i s mys te r ious

s i l e n c e s and s e l f - n e g l e c t , and h i s appearance o f profound apa thy ,

f i n a l l y become a n h i a t u s i n t h e n a r r a t o r ' s own th ink ing . Agains t

t h e arguments of c h a r i t y and p r a c t i c a l n e c e s s i t y , h e can i n ne i -

t h e r c a s e f i n d any j u s t s o l u t i o n . There remains on ly a l i t e r a l

retreat from t h e problem:

S ince h e w i l l n o t q u i t m e , I must q u i t him. (p . 91)

Thus, through t h e m e r e accumulat ion of e n t r e a t y and absurd con-

f l i c t , t h e n a r r a t o r i s a b l e t o j u s t i f y h i s abandonment o f Ba r t l eby ,

a s t h e i n e x o r a b l e conc lus ion t o a p r o g r e s s i v e l y d e t e r i o r a t i n g and

t h r e a t e n i n g s i t u a t i o n .

Looking more c l o s e l y a t t h e n a r r a t o r ' s abandonment of

B a r t l e b y , one l e a r n s t h a t h i s f e a r i s a fear o f t h e i r r a t i o n a l .

When h e d i s c o v e r s t h a t B a r t l e b y h a s been u s i n g h i s o f f i c e s a s a

dwe l l i ng , t h e n a r r a t o r e x p e r i e n c e s a complex range of f e e l i n g s .

9 Examining B a r t l e b y - few p o s s e s s i o n s and t h e f e e l i n g o f dese r t ed -

nes s i n Wall S t r e e t , t h e n a r r a t o r n o t e s t h e impress ion of "empti-

ness" Cp. 77) and " shee r vacancy" (p. 7 7 ) . What h a s been o rd in -

a r i l y expe r i enced as "populous" (p. 77) i s now a " s o l i t u d e "

(p. 77) . But t h e "melancholy" (P. 77) t h a t s e i z e s him i s n o t

simply t h e s adness o f s e e i n g a n o t h e r human b e i n g dep r ived o f soc i -

e t y . Because w e have been a l r e a d y a p p r i s e d o f t h e n a r r a t o r ' s

love o f comfort , s e c u r i t y , m a t e r i a l g a i n , t h e r e i s a sugges t ion

he re t h a t what i s e q u a l l y d i s t u r b i n g t o t h e n a r r a t o r i s t h a t . P

r e a l i t y i s o t h e r t h a n what he h a s a lways assumed. I n t h e cou r se

of day changing t o n i g h t , t h e t r a n s f o r m a t i o n o f " i n d u s t r y and

l i f e " (p. 77) t o " shee r vacancy" and o f t h e impres s ive F 7 a l l

S t r e e t t o a k i n d o f " ru ined Car thage" (p. 7 7 ) , s u g g e s t s t h a t t h e

b u s t l e of humanity concea l s what i s e t e r n a l l y p r e s e n t : empti-

ne s s , misery , dea th . Because t h e s e l a t t e r q u a l i t i e s are presen-

t e d a n a l o g i c a l l y , t h e y have a t e n t a t i v e e x i s t e n c e , as much depend-

e n t on t h e n a r r a t o r ' s p a r t i c u l a r consc iousness as upon o b j e c t i v e

phenomena. Y e t t h e impor t an t c o n s i d e r a t i o n i s t h e e lement of

s u r p r i s e and u n c e r t a i n t y , t h a t t h e n a r r a t o r h a s worked a l l h i s

l i f e i n W a l l S t r e e t and i s n o t aware t h a t t h e n a t u r a l d a r k h a l f

of h i s world c o u l d r e v e a l t h e s t e r i l i t y and i n s u b s t a n t i a l i t y of

h i s sur roundings . P e t r a and Car thage are n o t merely e x o t i c by-

gone examples of d e a t h and d e s t r u c t i o n , b u t are p r e s e n t , even t o

t h e l awyer ' s own u n p o e t i c mind, w i t h i n t h e o r d i n a r i n e s s of h i s

f a m i l i a r , everyday world.

Such a s s o c i a t i o n s w i t h B a r t l e b y l e a d t o an "over-

powering .. . melancholy" (p. 771, a s t h e lawyer r e a l i z e s t h a t

beh ind t h e s c r i v e n e r ' s m e d i o c r i t y e x i s t s t h e common s u f f e r i n g of

both h e and Bar t leby a r e "sons of Adamw i m p l i e s a r e s p o n s i b i l i t y

f o r an unredeemable condi t ion . The t r i v i a l i t y of " b r i g h t s i l k s

and s p a r k l i n g faces" (p. 77) observed on Broadway i s compared t o

t h e morbid s e r i o u s n e s s of t h e " p a l l i d " c o p y i s t , b u t t h e ensuing

deduction t h a t w e do n o t acknowledge misery i s somewhat q u a l i f i e d

by t h e s u p e r f i c i a l l y f e s t i v e not ion of l i f e a s a Broadway parade,

f o r it sugges t s t h a t Bar t leby l acks only m a t e r i a l b e n e f i t s .

~ n d e e d , even such a q u a l i f i e d percept ion of t h e n a r r a t o r ' s i s . .

almost d ismissed a s "chimeras ... of a s i c k and s i l l y brain"

(p. 77) .

H e then undertakes a c l o s e i n t r o s p e c t i v e a n a l y s i s of

Bart leby and h i s s t r a n g e behaviour. The e f f e c t of t h e a n a l y s i s

inc reases t h e sense of mystery, f o r , d e s p i t e t h e s c r i v e n e r ' s

hermetic s e l f - n e g l e c t and p a t h e t i c c a p t i v a t i o n wi th t h e blank

wal l , he manages t o impart a sense of " p a l l i d haughtiness" .

Unfortunately, however, t h e va lue of t h e n a r r a t o r ' s percept ion

has been compromised by i t s manner:

Suddenly I was a t t r a c t e d by Bar t l eby ' s c losed desk, t h e key i n open s i g h t l e f t i n t h e lock.

... Everything was methodical ly arranged, t h e papers smoothly placed. The pigeon-holes were deep, and removing t h e f i l e s of documents, I groped i n t o t h e i r r ecesses . Pre- s e n t l y I f e l t something t h e r e , and dragged it ou t . I t was an o l d ban- danna handkerchief , heavy and knot- t ed . I opened it, and saw it was a s a v i n g ' s bank. (p. 78)

Since i t i s t h e " sav ing ' s bank" which engenders t h e pondering of I

Ba r t l eby ' s c o n d i t i o n , we a r e l e f t with t h e i r o n i c impl ica t ion t h a t

it has taken t h e s i g h t of confirmed poverty -- t h e s i g h t of t h e

i I

wor th o f ~ B a r t l e b y por t rayed by a handkerchief of money -- cC-C-

t o

t h e n a r r a t o r f i r s t t o sympathetic m y s t i f i c a t i o n and then,

a f t e r f u r t h e r thought , t o a heav i ly i r o n i c " p r u d e n t i a l f e e l i n g "

(p. 7 9 ) of " repu l s ion" (p. 79) . The above passage i s a l s o a kind

of parody of t h e thought processes wi th which t h e n a r r a t o r a r r i v e s

a t a manageable v i s i o n of Bart leby. "Bar t l eby ' s c l o s e d desk"

(p. 78) i s metaphor ica l ly t h e problem of Bar t leby , a s seen by t h e

na r ra to r . Everything i s "methodically arranged", by which we can

recognize t h e n a r r a t o r ' s own conception and arrangement of th ings .

By prying deeply enough i n t o B a r t l e b y ' s p e r s o n a l i t y , t h e nar ra-

t o r f e e l s he can f i n d a s e n s i b l e t r u t h . But s i n c e h i s i n t e l l e c -

t u a l method i s m a t e r i a l i s t i c r a t h e r than s p i r i t u a l , t h e s e n s i b l e

t r u t h he f i n d s i s a poor man's fo r tune . Correspondingly, t h e

more depth t h e n a r r a t o r ' s i n t u i t i o n s and f e e l i n g s a c q u i r e , i ron-

i c a l l y t h e more h i s a t t i t u d e t o Bar t leby changes from " p i t y "

(p. 79) t o " repu l s ion" (p. 79) . The n a r r a t o r e x p l a i n s t h e change

a s t h e "hopelessness of remedying excess ive and o rgan ic ill" (p.

7 9 ) . However a c c u r a t e t h i s d iagnos i s i s , it does n o t a l t e r t h e

f a c t t h a t t h e n a r r a t o r ' s "common sense" approach t o Bar t leby i s ,

given t h e circumstances, completely misplaced.

M e l v i l l e connects such a d e l i c a t e q u e s t i o n of consci-

ence with t h e f a t e of Bar t leby , t h e r e f o r e enab l ing t h i s scene,

and othe;s l i k e it, t o have an ambiguous sense of power. Melvi l le

por t r ays t h e n a r r a t o r ' s quandary a t a l e v e l of exper ience where

t h e r e i s no c l e a r - c u t , t e n a b l e d i s t i n c t i o n between a p p r o p r i a t e

self-concern and s e l f i s h n e s s , between he lp ing ' t h e unfor tuna te

Bart leby and be ing manipulated by him, between b e l i e v i n g i n t h e

e f f i c a c y of i n t e l l e c t u a l d i s c r i m i n a t i o n and be ing deceived by i t s

3 3

s o p h i s t i c a t i o n . The n a r r a t o r ' s compromise -- t o a t t e m p t t o d i s -

miss ~ a r t l e b y w h i l e a l s o ex t end ing f i n a n c i a l h e l p -- would seem

t h e only v i a b l e means o f ma in t a in ing s o c i a l c r e d i b i l i t y , and

y e t , because o f such a mora l s t a n c e , t h e n a r r a t o r l o s e s s p i r i t u a l

c r e d i b i l i t y , N e v e r t h e l e s s , t h e n a r r a t i v e never a l l o w s u s such

c l e a r moral a l t e r n a t i v e s . W e do know t h a t B a r t l e b y ' s p resence

c l e a r l y s i g n i f i e s an e x t r a o r d i n a r y d i f f i c u l t y , and w e a l s o know

t h a t t h e n a r r a t o r c o n s i s t e n t l y misses an o p p o r t u n i t y of perce iv-

ing t h e s i g n i f i c a n c e of B a r t l e b y by ma in t a in ing h i s o r d i n a r y , . -

materially-bound a t t i t u d e s . However, each p a r t i c u l a r ep i sode

p a r t l y e x o n e r a t e s t h e n a r r a t o r , f i r s t , a s w e have seen , by be ing

d e l i b e r a t e l y t o l d i n a d e f e n s i v e manner, and second ly , because

d e s p i t e t h e n a r r a t o r ' s l i m i t a t i o n s he does a t t e m p t s i n c e r e l y t o

f e e l B a r t l e b y ' s p l i g h t . When, i n t h e l a t t e r e p i s o d e , t h e na r r a -

t o r t e l l s us h e h a s f e l t "a f r a t e r n a l melancholy" (p. 7 7 ) , per-

sona l ly s t r o n g e r t h a n e v e r b e f o r e exper ienced , we can o n l y

accept h i s s t a t e m e n t , even i f he l a t e r s p o i l s t h e s e n t i m e n t by

t r y i n g t o d i s m i s s it as a " s i c k " chimera. H e r e g a i n s h i s compo-

sure by j u s t i f y i n g a " r e p u l s i o n " t o B a r t l e b y ' s h o p e l e s s c a s e ; he

a l s o says: " i t w a s h i s s o u l t h a t s u f f e r e d , and h i s s o u l I could

not reach" (p. 7 9 ) , and even acknowledging t h e i r o n y o f t h e u t t e r -

ance, w e should n o t e a s i l y d e n i g r a t e i t s f e l t t r u t h . Some c r i t i c s ,

i n t h i s r e s p e c t , have u n f a i r l y i n t e r p r e t e d t h e n a r r a t o r ' s reac-

t i o n s a s be ing d e f i c i e n t or h y o p c r i t i c a l i n a l l c a s e s . 30

A s t h i s e p i s o d e demons t ra tes , t h e n a r r a t o r f e a r s

B a r t l e b ~ , a l t h o u g h t h e r e i s no mention of d e f i n i t e cause . H e

f e a r s t h e i r r e s i s t i b l e "gloom" (p. 77) of B a r t l e b y r s p r e s e n c e , t h e

Sense of solitude" (p. 77) and "emptiness" (p. 77) engendered by

B a r t l e b y ' ~ h e r m i t - l i k e e x i s t e n c e , t h e s c r i v e n e r ' s a i r of " p a l l i d

haught iness" (.p. 78) and " a u s t e r e r e s e r v e " ( p , 78) w i t h i n an

*therwise g e n e r a l impress ion o f dementedness, and f i n a l l y t h e

susp ic ion t h a t B a r t l e b y ' s hope le s snes s w i l l soon i n f e c t

him and perhaps l i k e w i s e t r a n s f o r m him i n t o a u n i v e r s a l l y behe ld

v i c t i m . There i s no obvious b a s i s f o r t h e s e f e a r s , f o r t h e y a r e

t h e i r r a t i o n a l subs t ance o f h i s e x p e r i e n c e of Ba r t l eby . The

e f f e c t of t h i s f e a r o f t h e i r r a t i o n a l i s n o t on ly t o a w e a t t imes

t h e n a r r a t o r i n t o "tame compliance" (p. 78)' b e f o r e h i s s c r i v e n e r , -

b u t a l s o t o d r i v e him more and more i n t o inwardness , where t h e

u n c e r t a i n t i e s o f h i s p o s i t i o n s e e m magnif ied. H e i s " thunder-

s t r u c k " (p. 86) t h a t B a r t l e b y does n o t l e a v e d e s p i t e b e i n g d i s -

missed from employment. H e r e a d s "Edwards on t h e W i l l " and

" P r i e s t l e y on Necess i t y" (p , 8 8 ) , looking f o r s p i r i t u a l guidance

t o what now s e e m s t o him a d i v i n e l y o rde red s t a t e o f a f f a i r s .

F i n a l l y he must f lee B a r t l e b y because h e f e e l s h imse l f i r r e t r i e v -

ab ly drawn i n t o B a r t l e b y ' s "moon-struck" world. H e i s found and

brought back by t h e new t e n a n t of h i s former o f f i c e s t o persuade

Bar t leby t o l eave . H e t h e n o f f e r s B a r t l e b y a p l a c e i n h i s own

home, and when B a r t l e b y unaccountably r e f u s e s , h e f l e e s a second

t i m e . The n a r r a t o r does n o t see him a g a i n u n t i l B a r t l e b y has been

i n c a r c e r a t e d i n p r i s o n , where indeed t h e r e i s no more r ea son t o

f e a r Ba r t l eby o r t o f e a r for h i s s a f e t y ,

A s t h e s t o r y d i s c l o s e s t h e i r o n i c d e g i c i e n c i e s of t h e

n a r r a t o r , it a l s o raises q u e s t i o n s t h a t a r e l a ~ g e r t h a n h i s per-

sona l d i f f i c u l t i e s . W e have t h e y e ~ ~ o n s i b i l i t y ' , as r eadexs , t o

be aware of how t h e n a r r a t o r c o n t r o l s t h e manner of t h e s t o r y

whi le s ee ing t h a t t h e c r u c i a l q u e s t i o n s e scape h i s censo r sh ip .

The trut .h of Bart leby i s i r r a t i o n a l and because t h e n a r r a t o r i s

~omrnit ted t o reason and method f o r r e v e a l i n g his experience t h a t

t r u t h mostly escapes t h e n a r r a t o r ' s awareness. To a r r i v e a t an

understanding of t h e l a r g e r ques t ions we should now look a t how

comic v i s i o n al lows f o r a movement from p a r t i c u l a r d i f f i c u l t y

t o un ive r sa l problems.

COMEDY OF IRRESOLUTION -- , i

, Comedy i n B a r t l e b y The S c r i v e n e r i s used by M e l v i l l e t o - i n d i c a t e t h e impersonal a b s u r d i t y of t h e u n i v e r s e . ' The Judeo-

c h r i s t i a n p i c t u r e of a God-centred cosmos, d i v i n e l y ordered , w i t h

Man's purpose i n t h i s p l a n be ing t h e r ecove ry o f a benign God's

favour , through f a i t h , hope, c h a r i t y , had been exposed a s l a r g e l y

w i s h - f u l f i l l m e n t and a n a c h r o n i s t i c mythology i n bo th Moby -- Dick

and P i e r r e , 31 The ambiguous demonism and e q u a l t r e a t m e n t o f d i f -

f e r e n t r e l i g i o n s and myths i n Moby -- Dick sugges t ed a r e l a t i v i t y . .

of a l l v a l u e s and ignorance of d i v i n e reason . I n P i e r r e , t h e

plinlimmon pamphlet i r o n i c a l l y surmised t h e r e w a s no hope of d i s -

cover ing t h e W i l l of God because God-created c a r n a l and m a t e r i a l

f o r c e s p revented t h e i d e a l l i f e . I n B a r t l e b y The S c r i v e n e r t h e r e - i s no longe r any deba te on t h e v a l u e o f s p i r i t u a l s e a r c h and no

a t tempt t o imagine t h e i d e a l . W e a r e i n s t e a d supposedly presen-

t e d w i t h t h e s p i r i t u a l l y " r e a l " c o n d i t i o n o f man's place. i n t h e

cosmos: a s e i t h e r t h e deluded m a t e r i a l i s t o r as t h e h e l p l e s s ,

abandoned s e e r . Y e t such i s t h e n a t u r e of Me lv i l l e ' s a r t , t h a t

t h i s d i smal p e r s p e c t i v e i s proposed t e n t a t i v e l y r a s h e r t h a n d e f i -

n i t i v e l y , a s i f t h e n a r r a t i v e i t s e l f w e r e a means o f s p i r i t u a l

search and assessment . Comedy, as a n i d e a l mode o f comparing

moral a l t e r n a t i v e s , i s t h e e f f e c t i v e counte r -ba lance t o t h e t r a -

g i c e lements of Ba r t l eby ' s fa te .

[The appearance o f t h e comic i n l 'Bar t leby" can be presen- \

t e d i n i t s s h o r t e s t form as t h e s c r i v e n e r ' s r e sponse , "I p r e f e r

not t d . " Tha t a mere c l e r k , d e s c r i b e d f o r u s a s " p i t i a b l y respec-

t a b l e " and " i n c u r a b l y f o r l o r n " shou ld suddenly assume an a i r of

haught iness and d i s r u p t t h e work of t h e o f f i c e i s undoubtedly

. t range, and i t i s comic from d i f ' f e r e n t p e r s p e c t i v e s . hire i s

the comic i n c o n g r u i t y of a thoroughly u n l i k e l y r e b e l . here is

$so t h e r e p e t i t i v e n e s s of t h e response "1 p r e f e r n o t t o , " which

g ives t h e impres s ion of a r e s o l v e o the rwi se l a c k i n g i n t h e scri-

v e n e r ' ~ c h a r a c t e r . 3 h h e c o n t r a d i c t i o n o f a meek, i n d e c i s i v e man,

ambi t ion o r appa ren t s o c i a l needs , u p s e t t i n g t h e perform-

ance of o f f i c e r o u t i n e f o r no d i s c e r n i b l e r ea son seems of i t s e l f

to be more f a n t a s t i c t h a n humorous, and y e t t h e s h e e r ex t r ava -

gance o f t h e r e sponse , g iven t h e un imagina t ive su r round ings , i s . -

humorous.

B a r t l e b y ' s "I p r e f e r n o t t o " i s t h e e s s e n t i a l expres-

s ion o f c o n t r a d i c t i o n i n t h e s t o r y . Its m e r e r e c u r r e n c e a l l ows

f o r t h e d i f f e r e n t r e v e l a t i o n s o f c h a r a c t e r and theme t o be pre-

s en t ed c o h e r e n t l y and s u s p e n s e f u l l y . Repeated i n t h e l awyer ' s

o f f i c e , where e c c e n t r i c i t y i s indulged on ly i n s o f a r a s it does /'

n o t b reach e i t h e r t h e l awyer ' s a u t h o r i t y o r h i s method of doing / t h i n g s , B a r t l e b y ' s en igma t i c response seems t o c a l l i n t o q u e s t i o n

1

even t h e common everyday r i t u a l s of work and s o c i a l r e l a t i o n s h i p s

and show them up as fundamental ly sha l low and p u r p o s e l e s s . There

i s a l s o a correspondence between B a r t l e b y ' s u t t e r a n c e and t h e

va r ious l e v e l s o f s i g n i f i c a n c e from form t o symbol. F i r s t o f a l l ,

h i s response i s as s u c c i n c t and s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d as t h e s t o r y ' s

e x t e r n a l manner i s , b u t a l s o as b i z a r r e and ambiguous a s i t s

i n t e r n a l workings. Because o f i t s recurren.ce , w e are a b l e t o s e e

t h e ph ra se i t se l f as " p a l l i d l y n e a t " , " p i t i a b l y r e s p e c t a b l e " ,

y f o r l o r n " .

The v a r i o u s e x p r e s s i o n s of comedy i n t h e s t o r y can be r

c l a s s i f i e d a s e x a g g e r a t i o n , jokes o r innuendoes , and metaphys ica l

38

wit. Exaggeration, by stretching behaviours, ideas, situations,

&comes comic when distortion occurs.

lentless staring at the wall is an example of comic exaggeration, -

r-

be. _However, there are so many seemingly

disparate examples of comic exaggeration in the story that it < - --

may be useful to take Bartleby's "I prefer not to" as an organ- - . - - -

izing principle. The response itself is an exaggeration of both --

the etiquette of refusal and the rights of the individual over

society. Furthermore, by implying more than it overtly states,

the utterance has a metaphorical value which increases in direct 4 -- -

proportion to the allusive significance of the narrator's own

psychological state. C -- -_ -

The narrator's lack of awareness is a good example of

this relationship. We have seen how his self-centredness, -- materialism, and fear prevent him from truly appreciating or

assisting the condition of Bartleby's helplessness. He is

enraged by Bartleby's seeming lack of awareness of business res-

ponsibility. The more Bartleby refuses to perform his duties,

the more the narrator becomes concerned with aspects of survival:

food, reputation, freedom, and necessity. Such topics are enter-

tained in the course of reaction to Bartleby's refusals, (expand-

ing as well our attention to wider issues), U y e t the narrator - does not-take responsibility for action himself. In his way he ?-"

is as paralyzed as Bartleby. Hence, we have the comic situation

of -I __ the spiritually blind narrator attempting to take responsibility

for a-spiritually paralyzed employee. Furthermore, the narrator's L- - - - - - -- -- - . -

r~ponsibilities are consist with food imagery, i -

and the effect of this borders on the grotesque. - --

f o r something t o copy" (p. 67) and he appears t o "gorge himself

on my documents" (p. 67) . The n a r r a t o r then confesses t h a t check-

ing copies i s "a very d u l l , wearisome, l e t h a r g i c a f f a i r " (p. 6 7 ) .

The jux tapos i t ion of t h e two comments i s such t h a t when Bar t leby

s h o r t l y a f t e rwards announces he w i l l n o t check cop ies , t h e

s t rangeness of h i s behaviour i s somewhat obvia ted . Indeed,

~ a r t l e b y i s t h e p e r f e c t g u e s t i n a l l ways b u t one. H e pa r t akes

of t h e "food" of copying documents till s a t i e t y ; he then p o l i - . - t e l y r e f u s e s t o examine h i s e f f o r t s , and l a t e r , t o pa r t ake of

any more. Les t t h i s seem an extrhvagant reading of t h e s i t u a t i o n ,

we should remind ourse lves of how o f t e n food i s mentioned i n t h e

na r ra t ive . Turkey and Nippers s e e m t o be dependent f o r t h e i r

psychological cond i t ion on food alone. Almost a s i f t hey were

merely complementary s o l a r symbols, ( t o borrow t h e s t o r y ' s mixed

metaphors), lunch-hour marks t h e change i n t h e i r b r i g h t n e s s and

e f f e c t i v e n e s s . Turkey, r e in fo rced by d r ink , d i s p l a y s " h i s f u l l e s t

beams from h i s r e d and r a d i a n t countenance" (p. 6 1 ) i n t h e a f t e r -

noons, when h e i s a p t t o s c a t t e r b l o t s of i n k , o r mistake a gin-

ger cake f o r a s e a l . The n a r r a t o r complains t h a t ~ u r k e y ' s c lo -

' t hes smell of "eat ing-houses" (p. 6 4 ) . Nippers, u s u a l l y sa l low

and bad-tempered i n t h e mornings and p a c i f i e d by d r i n k i n t h e

af te rnoons , i s s a i d t o s u f f e r from " i n d i g e s t i o n " (p. 65) . The

o f f i c e boy i s named a f t e r a ginger cake and h i s p r i n c i p a l a c t i v i t y

seems t o be t o f e t c h snacks f o r t h e c l e r k s . The n a r r a t o r himself

i s c o n t r o l l e d by thoughts of food. Af te r Bar t leby r e f u s e s t o

f check copies , "according t o common usage and common sense" Cp. 7 0 ) ,

t h e n a r r a t o r begins t o observe Bar t l eby ' s h a b i t s and no tes " t h a t

4 0

e never went t o d inne r " (p . 7P). Then i n a g ro t e sque pa;ody of

a s s o c i a t i o n t h e n a r r a t o r a t t e m p t s t o a r r i v e a t a recog-

n i t i o n of B a r t l e b y by f l i p p a n t l y employing t h e p r i n c i p l e o f cor -

H e l i v e s , t h e n , on g inge r -nu t s , t hough t I; never ea ts a d i n n e r , p r o p e r l y speaking ; h e must be a v e g e t a r i a n , t h e n , b u t no; h e never e a t s even v e g e t a b l e s , h e e a t s n o t h i n g b u t g inger -nu ts . My mind t h e n r a n on i n r e v e r i e s concern ing t h e p robab le e f f e c t s upon t h e hum- a n c o n s t i t u t i ' o n of l i v i n g e n t i r e l y , p

on g inge r -nu t s . Ginger-nuts are so c a l l e d , because t h e y c o n t a i n g i n g e r as one o f t h e i r p e c u l i a r c o n s ) t i t u e n t s and f i n a l f l a v o u r i n g one. Now, what i s g i n g e r ? A h o t , s p i c y t h i n g . Was B a r t l e b y h o t and s p i c y ? Not a t a l l . Ginger , t h e n , had no e f f e c t upon B a r t l e b y . Pro- bab ly he p r e f e r r e d it shou ld have none. (p. 71-72)

If w e were t o r e l y on t h i s passage a l o n e , w e might b e l i e v e t h e

n a r r a t o r i s speaking tongue-in-cheek. However, when h e s e r i o u s l y

begins examining h i s consc i ence and ponder ing t h e meaning of char-

i t y s h o r t l y a f t e r w a r d s , h e speaks of " a d e l i c i o u s s e l f - a p p r o v a l "

(p. 72) and "a s w e e t mor se l f o r . . . consc ience" (p. 72) , d i s c l o s -

i ng t h a t even r e l i g i o u s q u e s t i o n s a r e matters of a p p e t i t e f o r him.

La te r , a f t e r a d i r e c t c o n f r o n t a t i o n w i t h Ba r t l eby :

You w i l l n o t ?

. - I p r e f e r no t . Cp. 73)

dur ing which t h e n a r r a t o r tries t o i n t i m a t e " t h e u n a l t e r a b l e pur-

Pose of some t e r r i b l e r e t r i b u t i o n v e r y c l o s e a t hand" (p. 741, h e

Suddenly dec ides t o postpone q d e c i s i o n because' " i t was drawing

towards ... dinner-hour' ' Cp. 78). H i s a t t e m p t a t a physiognomic i

unders tanding of B a r t l e b y becomes t h e p e r c e p t i o n t h a t " h i s

4 1

B a r t l e b y l s p a l e f a c e c l e a r l y i n d i c a t e d t h a t he never drank b e e r

l i k e Turkey, o r t e a and c o f f e e even, l i k e o t h e r men" (p . 7 8 ) . ve

may say a l l of t h e s e examples d i s c l o s e t h a t t h e n a r r a t o r i s a

c r e a t u r e o f h a b i t , who s e e k s t o comprehend t h e e x t r a o r d i n a r y by

o r d i n a r y means, and t h a t h i s a p p e t i t e , c l o s e l y a l l i e d t o money, i s

a k i n t o s p i r i t u a l a v a r i c e . Y e t t h e r e i s a s e n s e , a s w e l l , i n

which t h e food imagery r e v e a l s something more i n t h e n a t u r e of

symbolic t r u t h . B a r t l e b y eats v i r t u a l l y no food, because food i s

i n e x t r i c a b l y a s s o c i a t e d i n t h i s t a l e w i t h t h e o r d i n a r i n e s s of l i f e , . r

i t s maintenance and aggrandizement, For r ea sons o f h i s own,

Ba r t l eby has r e j e c t e d even t h e l j t e r a l forms o f l i f e , s i n c e e a t -

i n g a s w e l l as working l e a d s t o a c o n t i n u a t i o n of t h e p a s t , a

r e p e t i t i o n of s t e r i l i t y , ( n o t t h e c i r c u l a r i t y o f t h e food-driven

impulses of Nippers and Turkey, d e s c r i b e d as s o l a r emblems)

(p. 61-62). H e w i l l do no more copying. The comic dev ice o f

exagge ra t ion has p repa red u s f o r t h e concurrence of n a t u r a l and

symbolic t r u t h s , s i n c e e v e r y t h i n g i n t h e s t o r y now s u g g e s t s more

than i t s m e r e appearance.

A f t e r he has been t a k e n t o p r i s o n , Ba r t l eby r e j e c t s food

a l t o g e t h e r . With r e s p e c t t o food imagery, t h e p r i s o n ep i sode i s

c r u c i a l . I n t h i s h e l l , t h e r e i s even less need t o ea t , fo l lowing

t h e l o g i c of B a r t l e b y ' s r e f u s a l s , y e t t h e grub-man's r o l e i s t o

see t h a t - p r i s o n e r s who have gentleman f r i e n d s pay f o r b e t t e r food..

The f a c t t h a t t h e grub-man i s d e s c r i b e d a s "meat- l ike" (p. 96)

and t h a t h e i s r a t h e r a bu f foon- l ike c h a r a c t e r , s u g g e s t s t h a t h e

has symbolic s i g n i f i c a n c e . 32 H e i s a reminder t h a t even i n t h e

most profound s p i r i t u a l s u f f e r i n g , c a r n a l i t y has an e q u a l vo ice .

The i n t i m a t e d h o r r o r o f B a r t l e b y l s expe r i ence and t h e emptiness

of t h e n a r r a t o r ' s e x i s t e n c e a r e b rough t t o an i r o n i c cl imax i n

t h e Tombs, a s t h e grub-man i s i n t r o d u c e d t o Ba r t l eby . But

~ a r t l e b y i s "unused t o " (p. 9 7 ) d i n i n g ; i ndeed , t h e f a c t t h a t

t h e n a r r a t o r can t h i n k on ly o f food ( e s p e c i a l l y a f t e r Ba r t l eby - has t e l l i n g l y s a i d : "I know where I am1' - ( p . 9 6 ) ) , shows t h e t r u e

e x t e n t of bo th h i s bewilderment i n t h e f a c e of t r agedy and h i s

entrenchment i n h a b i t . But it i s t h e grub-man's p resence t h a t

o f f e r s a comic r e l e a s e on an o t h e r w i s e u n r e l i e v e d l y dark encoun-

ter , f o r o u r a t t e n t i o n i s drawn from t h e p h y s i c a l pa thos t o t h e

metaphys ica l dimensions o f s u f f e r i n g , by t h e s h e e r c o i n c i d e n t a l

i n c r e d i b i l i t y o f what h e i s ( t h e ,grub-man ' s heavy meat - l ike qua-

l i t y c o n t r a s t e d t o B a r t l e b y ' s g inge r -nu t e c c e n t r i c d e l i c a c y i s n o t

t h e least of t h e joke) . Throughout t h e ta le , it has o n l y been t h e presence of

t h e mundane, t h e o r d i n a r y , t h e sometimes p e t t y e lements o f t h e

n a r r a t o r ' s world t h a t h a s made v i s i b l e by c o n t r a s t t h e s p i r i t u a l

d e s p a i r of Ba r t l eby . The l a w y e r ' s o b s e s s i o n w i t h food shows u s

B a r t l e b y ' s d i s i n t e r e s t i n it. Whether w e t a l k of p h y s i c a l o r

s p i r i t u a l n u t r i t i o n , B a r t l e b y cannot p a r t i c i p a t e i n i t s a v a i l a b l e

forms. The v a l u e of t h e grub-man's i n c l u s i o n i n t h e s t o r y i s a l s o

t o emphasize t h e incomprehension of t h e world b e f o r e B a r t l e b y --

t h a t i t i s n o t only t h e p r i v i l e g e d class who are unable t o h e l p

B a r t l e b y b u t t h a t even an i n s t i t u t i o n a l i z e d o u t c a s t l i k e t h e grub-

man cannot comprehend t h e o u t c a s t B a r t l e b y ' s d i s i n t e r e s t i n s u r v i -

val. B a r t l e b y ' s i s o l a t i o n i n t h e e t e r n a l l y - s o u n d i n g s i g n i f i c a n c e

of tlie Tombs i s complete. Thus w e f i n d t ha t t h e s imple mot i f o f

,' food as i n d i v i d u a l and s o c i a l s u r v i v a l h a s been exaggera ted

th roughout t h e t a l e t o i n d i c a t e t h e e x c l u s i v i t y ( i s o l a t i o n and

43

therness? of B a r t l e b y ; f u r t h e h o r e , a s a s u p p o r t i n g l i n e t o t h e

c e n t r a l p a t t e r n of d i s i n t e g r a t i o n , t h e food imagery and t h e e p i -

sode w i t h t h e grub-man i n t e r r u p t t h e n a r r a t i v e f low t o c r e a t e

&her , more de t ached , p e r s p e c t i v e s , which i n themse lves have an

impact .

I f w e now t a k e t h e subs t ance o f t h i s d i s c u s s i o n on food

and relate it t o B a r t l e b y ' s s t a t e m e n t of p r e f e r e n c e , w e f i n d t h a t

t h e a l i e n a t i n g i m p l i c a t i o n s of t h e former are s imi la r t o t h e

engendered by t h e s c r i v e n e r ' s r e p e a t e d "I p r e f e r n o t t o . " . ,

For, wh i l e h i s response i s d e f i a n t l y p e r s o n a l , it i s a l s o ab- =-2_-----.----

s u r d l y impersonal , s i n c e it rejects s h a r i n g , r e l a t i o n s h i p , and

f u r t h e r d i s c l o s u r e . H i s r e sponses are momentari ly funny because

t h e e f f e c t is a jux tapo n sugges t ive -

ness impeccably d e l i v e r e d . t h a t B a r t l e b y i s

as s i l e n t , m o t i o n l e s s , and u n y i e l d i n g a s a w a l l o r as t h e "bus t

of Cicero" ( p , 69) mixes t e r r o r i n t o t h e comedy. Tha t someone - -

should be s o obv ious ly g e n t l e and y e t s o r ecogn izab ly inhuman i s

a mystery t o o invo lved o r t o o a l i e n f o r t h e n a r r a t o r .

The t e x t p r o v i d e s u s w i t h one s u g g e s t i v e c l u e f o r t h e

opaqueness and magnetism of B a r t l e b y l s remarks. When ~ a r t l e b y

f i r s t announces h e would " p r e f e r n o t t o " check c o p i e s , t h e na r r a -

t o r v e n t s h i s d i s b e l i e f by excla iming: " A r e you moon-struck?"

(p. 68) -A w h i l e l a t e r , when B a r t l e b y a g a i n d i s i n c l i n e s t o r e s -

pond . f avourab ly , Ginger Nut s ays : "I t h i n k , s i r , h e ' s a l i t t l e

luny." (p. 7 1 ) . The symbol of t h e moon, w i t h i t s a s s o c i a t i o n s

O f d e a t h and of r e f l e c t i o n r a t h e r t han t r u e c r e a t i o n , a c c u r a t e l y

c h a r a c t e r i z e s one a s p e c t of B a r t l e b y v s behaviour . B a r t l e b y m i m -

ics t h e symbolic r e a l i t y of h i s environment. The n a r r a t o r had

4 4

ailed h i s o f f i c e landscape " d e f i c i e n t i n what l andscape p a i n t e r s

c a l l " l i f e " ," (p. 60) and t o t h i s o f f i c e comes a wcadaverousl l

looking man. B a r t l e b y i s a l s o l i k e t h e w a l l s h e stares a t ; h e

prevents t h e n a r r a t o r from knowing a n y t h i n g more a b o u t him. The

f i r s t ac t when Bar t l eby a r r i v e s i s t o h i d e him behind

a sc reen , as i f h e were a t h i n g , and B a r t l e b y remains h idden , a t

Least s y m b o l i c a l l y , evermore. H e i s h i r e d as a c o p y i s t and he

copies n o t o n l y documents, b u t , i n a s u b t l e r s e n s e , t h e n a r r a t o r ' s

own retreat from l i f e , and i f n o t h i s b e l i e f s t h e n t h o s e of h i s . ,

c l a s s -- i n p o l i t e n e s s , decency, p r o p r i e t y . Indeed , t h e n a r r a t o r

i s c o n f i d e n t t h a t B a r t l e b y i s n o t on ly h o n e s t b u t "an eminent ly

decorous person" (p. 76) who would be t h e " l a s t man t o s i t down

t o h i s desk i n any s t a t e approaching t o nud i ty" (p. 76) . Thi s

r i d i c u l o u s concern f o r B a r t l e b y ' s d r e s s e d appearance on a Sunday

i d e n t i f i e s t h e complete c o n v e n t i o n a l i t y o f t h e - n a r r a t o r as w e l l

as h i s t i m i d i t y a t t r a n s g r e s s i n g such r u l e s o f conduc t . Thus we

have a comic i d e n t i f i c a t i o n between B a r t l e b y and t h e unacknowled-

ged c o n t e n t o f t h e n a r r a t o r ' s l i f e . The d i s t u r b a n c e i n Ba r t l eby

i s i n some way r e l a t e d t o t h e h y p o c r i t i c a l and l i fe less q u a l i t y of

t h e n a r r a t o r ' s world: hence t h e r e p e l l e n t and a t t r a c t i v e n a t u r e of

B a r t l e b y ' s remarks.

Throughout t h e d i s p l a y of comic ex t r avagance and b i z -

a r r e humour, M e l v i l l e p l a c e s s e v e r a l jokes which have t h e e f f e c t

of ex tending t h e n a r r a t i v e through analogy and o f d i s r u p t i n g t h e

impact of p ro fund i ty . C e n t r a l i n t h i s r e s p e c t are t h e many r e f e r -

ences t o w r i t i n g as commercial work, as mere copying, or a s fo r -

gery. 33 P a r t i c u l a r l y when w e l e a r n t h a t ~ a r t l e b y once worked f o r i

t h e Dead Letters O f f i c e t h e t empta t ion t o a l l e g o r i z e t h e t e x t be-

45

comes s t rong. Bar t l eby , a s t h e image of t h e w r i t e r r e f u s i n g t o

work according t o s o c i e t y ' s d i c t a t e s d e s p i t e be ing reduced t o

~ o v e r t y ; Bar t l eby a s t h e w r i t e r who w i l l n o t copy what o t h e r s

have done, who p o l i t e l y b u t f i rmly d e s i s t s from having anything

t o do with t h e phar isee ism and symbolic b l i n d n e s s of m a t e r i a l i s t

c u l t u r e , who i s slowly des t royed both by h i s commitment t o

llimpossible" i d e a l s and by t h e e x i s t e n t i a l t e r r o r s he env i s ions

i n i s o l a t i o n : t h e apparent correspondences between Bar t leby t h e

mysterious s c r i v e n e r and Melv i l l e t h e myster ious a u t h o r a r e many. . .

However, t h e s e correspondences a r e n o t c r u c i a l t o t h e unfolding

of t h e n a r r a t i v e ; they t e l l u s gothing of e i t h e r t h e n a r r a t o r o r

of Bar t l eby ' s s u f f e r i n g , and u l t i m a t e l y would t r i v i a l i z e t h e

s t o r y i n t o mere p r o j e c t i v e f an tasy and s u p e r f i c i a l punning, i f

they were taken a s t h e substance of M e l v i l l e ' s theme. On t h e

o the r hand, a s a n a l o g i e s , t h e metaphors e n r i c h t h e p o s s i b i l i t i e s

of u n i v e r s a l i z i n g t h e n a r r a t o r ' s dilemma and B a r t l e b y ' s su f fe r ing .

When t h e grub-man makes re fe rence t o Monroe Edwards t h e f o r g e r ,

who "died of consumption i n Sing-Sing" (p. 9 8 ) , t h e r e fe rence t o

the neglec ted a r t i s t who f o r g e s a r t o u t of l i f e b u t i s o u t c a s t and

cr iminal ized by s o c i e t y is unmistakable. Furthermore, a l l such

references i n t h e s t o r y work a s jokes which d e l i b e r a t e l y d i s r u p t

and momentarily make s u p e r f i c i a l a s u b t l y p o e t i c n a r r a t i v e . The

joke about Monroe Edwards b r i e f l y suspends gloom and i r o n i c a l l y

makes us a t t e n t i v e t o a s e n t i m e n t a l not ion of t h e f a t e of f o r g e r s

and a r t i s t s a t p r e c i s e l y t h e moment t h a t Bar t leby i s s t a r i n g a t a

"dead-wall" of t h e p r i s o n , wherein, " a l l around, from t h e narrow

s l i t s of t h e j a i l windows," Cp. 9 6 ) a r e "murderers and th ieves" i

(p. 96) pee r ing a t him. Thus t h e hor ro r of B a r t l e b y ' s f a t e i s

balanced .by t h e comedy o f t h e grub-man, which i n c o n t e x t ' c r e a t e s

an ambiguity t h a t t e n d s t o de -pe r sona l i ze an e s s e n t i a l l y abysmal

v i s i o n and l e a v e it i n a s t a t e of e x i s t e n t i a l u n c e r t a i n t y .

i Comedy, i n B a r t l e b y The S c r i v e n e r , a l s o h a s a ph i lo so - - p h i c a l l y s u b v e r s i v e i n f l u e n c e . When B a r t l e b y m a i n t a i n s h i s s t a n c e

of "I p r e f e r n o t t o " h e i s be ing e l i t i s t i n t h e f a c e o f s o c i a l

p o s i t i o n , p r a c t i c e , and t h e p a r t i c u l a r s i t u a t i o n of approved

automaton-l ike work. H i s e x c l u s i v e s t a n c e , p r e s e n t e d as lunacy ,

y e t a l lows t h e r e a d e r t o see t h e u t t e r t r i v i a l i t y , c o n d i t i o n a l i t y ,

and i l l u s o r i n e s s o f everyday l i f e when set a g a i n s t fundamental i

ques t ions of b e i n g and d e a t h , M e l v i l l e ' s w i t e x t e n d s t h e b a s i c

r e v e r s a l of a weak employee c o n t r o l l i n g h i s employer, t o i n c l u d e

t h e over - tu rn ing o f assumptions abou t r e a l i t y . Thus B a r t l e b y ' s

supposed weak e y e s i g h t as no ted by t h e n a r r a t o r :

I looked s t e a d f a s t l y a t him, and pe rce ived t h a t h i s e y e s looked d u l l and g lazed . I n s t a n t l y it occu r red t o m e , t h a t h i s unexampled d i l i g e n c e i n copying by h i s dim window .., might have t e m p o r a r i l y impai red h i s v i s i o n . (p. 82)

i s s e t a g a i n s t B a r t l e b y ' s p r e v i o u s a c c u s a t i o n :

Do you n o t see t h e r e a s o n f o r your- s e l f ? (p. 82)

t o i n d i c a t e t h e complementar i ty o f p h y s i c a l and s p i r i t u a l b l i n d -

ness . / ' - On a more a b s t r u s e l e v e l , t h e s u g g e s t i o n s o f E a r t l e b y as

an a v a t a r o r f i g u r e of h i g h e r consc iousness , (as no ted by Bruce

~ r a n k l i n ~ ~ ) , have t h e e f f e c t o f m y s t i f y i n g o u r t r a d i t i o n a l assump-

t i o n s about t h e appearance and behaviour o f such a personage , and

of u p s e t t i n g b e l i e f s a b o u t e i t h e r t h e immanence o f God o r t h e pos- ' .

s i b l e t ranscendence o f man, However w e want t o p l a y t h e s t a k e s of

47

i n t e r p r e t i n g Bar t leby e i t h e r a s a r e l i g i o u s he ro o r a s a 'god, t h e

undeniable cond i t ion of h i s presence i s h i s unknowable f i g u r e

s t a r i n g a t a w a l l and h i s even tua l unmit igated dea th i n t h e

Tombs. But t h e comic touch, i n t h i s r e s p e c t , i s making t h e conven-

tion-bound lawyer our i n t e r p r e t e r i n metaphysical specu la t ion ,

thereby ensur ing t h a t whatever t h e t r u t h of B a r t l e b y t s i d e n t i t y

we a r e l e f t t o our own imperfec t devices i n d i sc r imina t ion and

imagination and must f i n a l l y accep t t h e n a r r a t o r ' s own descr ip-

t i o n of Bar t leby a s t h e most unusual of "an i n t e r e s t i n g and some-

what s i n g u l a r set of men" (p. 5 9 ) . Such i rony t ranscends what we i

normally mean by t h e t e r m s i n c e it seems c l o s e r t o a k ind of cos-

mic l augh te r a t our i n e f f e c t u a l a t t empts t o know ourse lves and

each o ther . Indeed, t h e p o s i t i o n taken by Melv i l l e seems a n t i -

he ro ic , an unusual s t a n c e cons ide r ing h i s previous work. Yet of

t h e no tab le c h a r a c t e r s mentioned i n t h e s t o r y , a l l a r e dead and i n

some manner debunked. John Jacob Astor i s invoked f o r a charac-

t e r r e fe rence , which, even on i t s own terms of "prudence" and

"method", i s made t o appear suspec t by t h e n a r r a t o r ' s sudden

anger a t t h e l o s s of h i s Chancery revenues. Cicero, representa-

t i v e of t h e n a r r a t o r ' s p r o f e s s i o n , appears twice a s a p las t e r -o f -

p a r i s b u s t , once compared t o Bar t leby i n i t s l i f e l e s s n e s s (p. 69)

and once t o t h e n a r r a t o r himself through an i r o n i c r e v e r s a l

(.p. 80) .- Byron i s invoked a s w e l l (p. 6 7 ) , o s t e n s i b l y f o r t h e

absurd i ty of having him check cop ies wi th Bar t leby , t o demonstrate

t h e t i resome n a t u r e of t h e t a s k ; h i s mention a l s o r e i n f o r c e s t h e

motif of t h e w r i t e r compelled t o be a mere copy i s t .

f The o t h e r h i s t o r i c a l cases a r e those of Co l t shoot ing

' Adams o u t of an aggravated f r u s t r a t i o n (p. ,87) , (and af te rwards

i n g himself i n p r i s o n ) ,35 and o i t h e f o r g e r Monroe ~ d w a i d s ,

even tua l ly dying o f consumption Cp. 98) , Both of t h e s e c a s e s

p r e s e n t extremes o f mi s fo r tune , p robably mentioned by t h e na r r a -

t o r t o show t h e s t r a n g e n e s s o f h i s expe r i ence and how c l o s e he

came t o s o c i a l r u i n ; n e v e r t h e l e s s , t h e i r i n c l u s i o n does more

than he i n t e n d s . The memory o f C o l t acts a s a p r o p h y l a c t i c of

f e a r which r o u s e s t h e n a r r a t o r o u t of t h e contempla t ion o f i r r a -

t i o n a l being; indeed , t h e t e x t s u g g e s t s t h e n a r r a t o r h a s t o o

much f e a r e v e r t o b e caught o u t s i d e t h e c o n f i n e s o f prudence. . -

Even t h e mi ld v i o l e n c e o f t h e f a r c i c a l s cene i n which Turkey

, a t tempts a f i s t - f i g h t w i t h ~ a r t l e b ~ i s q u i c k l y quashed by t h e

n a r r a t o r (p. 7 3 ) . Monroe Edwards i s mentioned by t h e grub-man,

as an unconsc ious ly i r o n i c comparison t o B a r t l e b y , and t h e na r r a -

t o r ' s s t i f f response s u g g e s t s b o t h h i s c o n v e n t i o n a l r e s e r v e on

such t o p i c s and h i s fear o f a n y t h i n g scanda lous (p . 9 8 ) . Y e t

t h i s t a k e s p l a c e i n t h e Tombs!

B a r t l e b y i s d e s c r i b e d as "more a man of p r e f e r e n c e s t h a n

assumptions" (p. 8 5 ) . I n such a manner M e l v i l l e c r y s t a l l i z e s t h e

divergence o f i n t e l l e c t u a l and symbol ic p o s i t i o n s i n t h e s t o r y .

A l l t h e assumptions t h e n a r r a t o r h a s abou t B a r t l e b y -- t h a t h e

w i l l respond t o a n g e r , t h r e a t s , k i n d n e s s , unde r s t and ing , f r a n k

d i s m i s s a l -- correspond t o t h e assumptions t h a t are i m p l i c i t l y

chal lenged by B a r t l e b y ' s behaviour . The eminence of r ea son , t h e

b e l i e f i n u n i v e r s a l j u s t i c e , t h e b e l i e f t h a t goodness e q u a l l y mat-

ched i n s t r e n g t h t o d e s p a i r w i l l overcome it, t h e n o t i o n t h a t

m a t e r i a l p r o g r e s s l e a d s t o happ ines s , t h e r e l i a n c e on food a s a

s p i r i t u a l v i v i f i e r and n o t j u s t a s u s t a i n e r , and f i n a l l y t h e ac- i

ceptance o f , a t one extreme, t h e v a l u e of common s e n s e , and a t

4 9

another extreme, t h e f a i t h i n an i n v i s i b l e and s i l e n t God, a r e a l l

assumptions t h a t a r e t o r n l o o s e from t h e g e n e r a l o r d e r of expe r i -

ence and c o g n i t i o n by t h e still, unrespons ive s u f f e r i n g of

Bart leby and r e l e a s e d t o a n ambigui ty-r idden s t a t u s as i n t a n -

- g i b l e f a c t o r s o f ou r e x i s t e n c e .

Such subve r s ion of r ea son and e x p e r i e n c e , t h e c h a r a c t e r

i r o n i e s t h a t d i s c l o s e a somewhat h y p o c r i t i c a l and f e a r - r i d d e n

p e r s o n a l i t y , and t h e f a r c i c a l humour of t h e s o c i a l re-

l a t i o n s i n t h e l aw-o f f i ce s , combine t o c r ea t e , an u n s e t t l e d mean- , ?

i ng of t h e t e x t . Through such d e v i c e s t h e p r e s e n t a t i o n of t h e

lawyer ' s expe r i ence becomes as much a t o p i c o f t h e s t o r y as t h e

ques t ion of who B a r t l e b y is.

I n P i e r r e , an a l t o g e t h e r d i f f e r e n t work i n theme and

accomplishment, M e l v i l l e u sed a s h i f t i n g t o n e of comedy and t ra-

gedy, of wonder and d i s b e l i e f , s o t h a t f i n a l l y t h e r e a d e r would

have d i f f i c u l t y i d e n t i f y i n g t h e n a r r a t o r , who might be e i t h e r

Me lv i l l e o r P i e r r e , and s o t h a t t h e c o n t e n t o f P i e r r e ' s s e a r c h

became e v e r y t h i n g r e p o r t e d and i n t i m a t e d i n t h e novel . I n t h a t

point-of-view, t h e v i s i o n o f Pierre became t h e trauma and decep-

t i o n s of s e l f - c r e a t i o n , t h e e f f e c t i v e wonder of which i s a l s o t h e

wonder of w r i t i n g a nove l t h a t would m i r r o r t h e u n c e r t a i n t y ,

l a r g e n e s s , comedy and d e s p a i r , and i n c h o a t e n e s s of l i f e i t s e l f .

I t was c l e a r l y an ambi t ious unde r t ak ing t h a t meant, a t t h e end,

popular , i f n o t a r t i s t i c , f a i l u r e . The r e l e v a n t d i s t i n c t i o n h e r e

is t h a t w i t h B a r t l e b y The S c r i v e n e r , M e l v i l l e undertook a s i m i l a r - complexity o f t o n e t o ach ieve t h e d i v e r s e impress ions of expe r i -

ence, b u t succeeded i n t h e popu la r mode of magazine f i c t i o n be-

cause of a r a d i c a l change i n c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n . The t i t l e charac-

50

e r Bar t leby i s t h e magnet ic c e n t r e of t h e s t o r y ' s symbol ic mean-

i ng , which r e s i d e s a lmos t whol ly i n s i l e n c e . The n a r r a t o r , on

t h e o t h e r hand, i s a man o f t h e world who a t t e m p t s t h e s o l u t i o n

of a mystery. But t h e s o l u t i o n i s s o involved w i t h h i s wor ld ly

being, t h a t t h e unworldly B a r t l e b y r e c e d e s from view. When t h e

n a r r a t o r beg ins r e a d i n g Edwards and P r i e s t l e y , i n c o n j u n c t i o n

with h i s rumina t ions , B a r t l e b y seems t o withdraw more i n t o h i s

hermitage and o f f e r s less v i s i b l e p resence i n t h e t e x t , The nar -

r a t o r ' s eulogy o v e r t h e dead Bar t l eby : "With k i n g s and c o u n c i l o r s "

(p. 9 9 ) p u t s B a r t l e b y i n a nob le h i e r a r a h y o f t h e s p i r i t , b u t

because B a r t l e b y h a s been concea led s o w e l l by t h e n a r r a t o r ' s

ignorance and s e l f i s h n e s s , by h i s own s i l e n c e , and by t h e na r r a -

t o r ' s method o f a c h i e v i n g psycho log ica l e q u i l i b r i u m , w e do n o t

know whether t h e eu logy r e p r e s e n t s a moment o f e n l i g h t e n e d per-

cep t ion o r a moment o f romant ic de lus ion .

Th i s comic o b f u s c a t i o n i n t h e t r a n s i t i o n from t e x t t o

symbol i s r e l a t e d t o t h e l a c k of causes and o r i g i n s i n B a r t l e b y ' s

history: We beg in by b e i n g t o l d o f t h e l a c k of a v a i l a b l e h i s t o r -

i c a l sou rces conce rn ing B a r t l e b y and a r e soon invo lved i n t h e

l i t e r a l and symbol ic s e a r c h e s f o r meaning. To a s k who i s

Bar t leby and why h e i s behaving i n such a manner i s t o a s k s i m i -

l a r l y unanswerable q u e s t i o n s about o u r s e l v e s and o u r purpose, v

When t h e n a r r a t o r a s k s B a r t l e b y whether he would l i k e t o t a k e neG i employment and o f f e r s him s e v e r a l examples, one i s s t r u c k w i t h t h e

a b s u r d i t y of a s k i n g any q u e s t i o n s of Ba r t l eby . H i s r e j e c t i o n of

t h e n a r r a t o r ' s i d e a s con f i rms t h a t s o c i e t y h a s . n o t h i n g t o o f f e r /

Bar t l eby , and by such means w e a r e b rought t o t h e p o i n t of contemp-

l a t i n g whether t r u t h i s a r t i c u l a b l e . 1

. Thus, t h e ser io-comic t e x t u r e of expe r i ence compl i ca t e s

t h e problem of r e a d e r a t t i t u d e . W e a r r i v e a t t h e denouement

w i thou t knowing much about Ba r t l eby and wi thou t e a s i l y knowing

what moral s t a n c e towards t h e i s s u e s of s u f f e r i n g and r e spons i -

b i l i t y M e l v i l l e i s t a k i n g . Th i s ve ry complexity i t s e l f , however,

'is demonstrably p a r t o f a l a r g e r t hema t i c p a t t e r n whose v i s i o n

i n c o r p o r a t e s t h e v a r i o u s m y s t e r i e s of be ing from o r d i n a r y r i t u a l

t o e x t r a o r d i n a r y me taphys i ca l imaginat ion.

MYSTERY OF APPEARANCES -

A c r u c i a l problem i n t h e t a l e i s i t s ending. The na r r a -

t o r f i n d s Ba r t l eby dead i n t h e Tombs and u t t e r s t h e p o e t i c : "With

k ings and c o u n c i l o r s " as an eulogy. I n t h e p o s t s c r i p t t h e n a r r a -

t o r t e l l s u s how h e l e a r n e d t h a t Ba r t l eb f once worked i n t h e Dead

L e t t e r s O f f i c e , s o r t i n g m a i l t h a t w a s u n d e l i v e r a b l e and consign-

i n g i t t o be burned. The n a r r a t o r f e e l s t h a t such work has t ened

t h e s c r i v e n e r ' s d e s p a i r :

Dead letters: does it n o t sound . l i k e dead men? Conceive a man by n a t u r e and m i s f o r t u n e prone t o p a l - l i d h o p e l e s s n e s s , can any b u s i n e s s seem more f i t t e d t o h e i g h t e n it t h a n t h a t of c o n t i n u a l l y hand l ing t h e s e dead le t te rs , and a s s o r t i n g them f o r t h e f lames. (p. 9 9 )

These thoughts i n s p i r e t h e n a r r a t o r t o f i n i s h h i s s t o r y by pro-

c la iming "Ah, Bar t leby! Ah, humanity!" (p. 9 9 ) . The c r i t i c a l

problem i s whether w e can be ' l i eve t h a t t h e n a r r a t o r i s capab le

of such p o e t i c p e r c e p t i o n and whether t h e r e i s any ev idence t o

suppor t t h i s .

Sudden conve r s ion would n o t be i n a p p r o p r i a t e i n p r i n c i -

p l e t o M e l v i l l e ' s p h i l o s o p h i c a l a t t i t u d e , s o long as openness of

mind and courage w e r e p r e s e n t i n t h e s eeke r . I n most of h i s work

he a f f i rmed t h e p re sence of mystery as an i n d i s p u t a b l e p a r t of

ex i s tence , L i f e , even i n i t s man i f e s t ed o r d i n a r i n e s s , concea led

a v a s t unknown. The slow decipherment of t h i s vast unknown was

t h e t a s k of any s e e k e r o f t r u t h . I n P i e r r e , w e f i n d t h e fo l lowing

r e a l i z a t i o n of t h e mystery of appearances:

But t h e Vague r e v e l a t i o n was now i n him, t h a t t h e v i s i b l e world , some o f which b e f o r e had seemed b u t t o o common and p r o s a i c t o him; and b u t

t o o i n t e l l i g i b l e ; h e now cague ly f e l t , t h a t a l l t h e world , and e v e r y misconce ived ly common and p r o s a i c t h i n g i n it, w a s s t eeped a m i l l i o n fathoms i n a mys te r iousnes s whol ly - h o p e l e s s o f s o l u t i o n . 3 6

such a r e v e l a t i o n r e t u r n s t h e mind t o t h e wor ld wh i l e a t t h e s a m e '

t ime r ende r ing t h e world suddenly i n t o an unknown p l ace . C e r t i -

tude i s r ep l aced by a c o n v i c t i o n of i l l u s i o n . Ahab t e l l s us :

l l A l l v i s i b l e o b j e c t s , man, a r e b u t as pas t eboa rd masks. w37

Ishmael r e l a t e s metaphys ica l mystery t o t h e enigma o f human coun- . ,

tenance :

Champollion dec iphe red t h e wr ink led g r a n i t e h i e r o g l y p h i c s . But t h e r e i s no Champollion t o d e c i p e r t h e Egypt o f e v e r y man's and e v e r y b e i n g ' s f a c e . Physiognomy, l i k e e v e r y o t h e r human s c i e n c e , i s b u t a p a s s i n g f a b l e . I f t h e n , S i r W i l l i a m Jones , who r e a d i n t h i r t y languages cou ld n o t r e a d t h e s i m p l e s t p e a s a n t ' s f a c e i n i t s profounder and more s u b t l e meanings, how may u n l e t t e r e d Ishmael hope t o r e a d t h e awful j8 Chaldee o f t h e Sperm Whale's brow?

The e f f e c t of such passages i s t o h e i g h t e n t h e mystery o f what w e

c o n s i d e r o r d i n a r y and comprehensible , f o r t h e appearances o f a

phenomenon do n o t n e c e s s a r i l y r e v e a l t h e i r i n t e r n a l r e a l i t y .

I n B a r t l e b y The S c r i v e n e r , w e do n o t even have t h e

forms u s u a l l y a s s o c i a t e d w i t h t h e d i s c l o s u r e o f marvels . W e have

no voyag-e, no e x o t i c s e t t i n g , no a t t e m p t t o a r t i c u l a t e o r c a p t u r e

an i d e a l . W e a r e con f ron ted w i t h t h e f a m i l i a r sur roundings of t h e

mundane, commercial world. Y e t as t h e s t o r y shows, t h e appearan-

c e s o f t h i s world ma in t a in t h e i r s i g n i f i c a n c e . t o t h e human drama

a s c l o s e l y a s t h e s e a o f f e r e d an i d e a l symbol ic s e t t i n g f o r Moby

Dick. Moreover, Ba r t l eby i s , i n t h e f i r s t i n s t a n c e , a ve ry ord in- -

be ing , it must come modulated by t h e e x a c t p r o p o r t i o n s and l i m i -

t a t i o n s o f h i s c h a r a c t e r .

W e have a l r e a d y l e a r n e d how B a r t l e b y remains incompre-

h e n s i b l e t o u s , and how t h e n a r r a t o r ' s i gno rance and se l f - s eek ing

compl ica tes and v i r t u a l l y changes t h e p o t e n t i a l i t y of understand-

i n g t h e meaning o f h i s exper ience . But r a t h e r t h a n c e a s i n g in -

q u i r y a t t h i s p o i n t and proposing symbol ic c o n d i t i o n s f o r t h e

s t o r y ' s enigmas from such a c r i t i c a l d i s t a n c e , it i s p o s s i b l e t o . ,

c o n t i n u e t h e s e a r c h by u s i n g t h e v e r y f a c t s of persona , conceal-

ment, and complexi ty a s metaphors f o r t h e r e a l i t y w i t h i n t h e

s t o r y . Through t h e p roces s o f uncover ing what t h e n a r r a t o r i s

say ing i n t e n t i o n a l l y and u n i n t e n t i o n a l l y , w e l e a r n t h a t t h e

app rehens ib l e c o n d i t i o n of r e a l i t y i s ambigui ty . Thus, b e f o r e - w e can a p p r e c i a t e what occu r s i n t h e s t o r y ' s end ing , w e must t r y

t o g r a s p t h e c o n d i t i o n of appearances t h a t l e a d up t o it.

A t t h e f i r s t l e v e l of r e v e l a t i o n , w e have t o d e a l w i th

persona. Persona , once w e have e s t a b l i s h e d t h e degree of i t s

c r e d i b i l i t y , e s t a b l i s h e s a comfor tab le r e l a t i o n s h i p between t h e

r e a d e r and t h e f a c t s o f t h e s t o r y . However i n "Bar t leby" t h e

n a r r a t o r u se s h i s p o s i t i o n t o r a t i o n a l i z e h i s involvement w i th

h i s s c r i v e n e r , t o such an e x t e n t , t h a t t h e r a t i o n a l i z a t i o n s make

up a r h & t o r i c a l r e a l i t y -- an appearance. T h i s r h e t o r i c a l r e a l -

i t y works i n two ways. F i r s t of a l l , because it i s composed of

u n i n t e n t i o n a l i r o n i e s -- what I have c a l l e d t h e sub - t ex t -- t h i s

r h e t o r i c a l appearance never a l l ows u s t o m a k e ' a n ~ s u b s t a n t i v e 6

c l a i m about e i t h e r t h e n a r r a t o r o r B a r t l e b y b u t does a l l ow f o r

t h e p roces s of i n t e r r o g a t i o n and f o r p r o p o s i t i o n a l meaning.

~ e c o n d l y , , t h e me taphor i ca l i m p l i c a t i o n s of t h i s r h e t o r i c a l appear-

ance sugges t t h e symbolic u s e of law a s a means o f d e s c r i b i n g

r e a l i t y . Law i s n o t on ly a metaphor f o r t h e a r b i t r a r y s o c i a l

c o n t r o l of behav iou r and, by e x t e n s i o n , of t h e s t a t u s quo; l a w

can a l s o b e s een as a symbol f o r t h e u n i v e r s a l n a t u r a l l a w s t h a t

c o n t r o l b e i n g and t h e r e l i g i o u s laws t h a t p u r p o r t e d l y c i v i l i z e

man and o f f e r him e t e r n a l ~ a l v a t i o n . ~ ' I n t h i s s e n s e t h e na r r a -

t o r ' s language l i m i t s and c o n c e a l s what can b e known o f Ba r t l eby ,

confirms B a r t l e b y i n h i s s t r a n g e n e s s as a . v i c t i m , and i s con- . ?

f irmed i n i t s own i n h i b i t i o n s by B a r t l e b y ' s p r e f e r e n c e s . The

law o f f i c e s w i t h t h e i r v iew of blank w a l l s become e v e r y p l a c e -- a symbolic c o n d i t i o n t h a t shows man i s s p i r i t u a l l y nowhere b u t

under t h e c o n t r o l of Law which de t e rmines t h e i m i t a t i v e n e s s and

unceasing r e p e t i t i v e n e s s of e x i s t e n c e . The ev idence f o r t h i s i s

t h e symbolic equ iva l ence o f eve ry l o c a l i t y i n t h e s t o r y th rough

t h e u se of " w a l l s " , and by t h e s imple f a c t t h a t B a r t l e b y ' s compel-

l i n g r e f u s a l s t o copy law documents and h i s s t e a d f a s t s t a r i n g a t

w a l l s of i t s e l f i n d i c a t e s a symbolic and me taphys i ca l c o n d i t i o n .

B a r t l e b y ' s a r r i v a l d i s r u p t s t h e p a t t e r n and i n t r o d u c e s hazard -- i n d e f i n a b l e and u n c o n t r o l l e d -- and haza rd i s n o t something t h e

lawyer i s p repa red t o a c c e p t . Such a v i s i o n d e c l a r e s a ph i loso-

p h i c a l ambigui ty: n a t u r a l and s p i r i t u a l l a w s p r o t e c t man somewhat

from haza rd and y e t t h e s e same l a w s a r e shown t o be b a r r i e r s t o

freedom.

Another level of appearance, which w e might c a l l a deg-

r e e o? l i t e r a r y complex i ty , i s c r e a t e d th rough t h e u s e o f a l l u -

s i o n s . I n t e r s p e r s e d w i t h i n t h e r h e t o r i c a l movement o f t h e lawyer ' s

n a r r a t i o n , t h e a l l u s i o n s f u n c t i o n t o e scape from t h e f i x e d t i m e -

and-space. coord ina tes of t h e law-of f i c e s and t h e r e f o r e have a

~ o n t r a r y and u n s e t t l i n g e f f e c t t o any r h e t o r i c a l i n t e n t i o n s .

Some a l l u s i o n s a r e t h e n a r r a t o r ' s own, such as h i s mention of

t h e following: P e t r a (p. 7 7 ) , Marius and t h e r u i n s of Carthage

(p. 7 7 ) , Byron (p. 6 7 ) , Col t and Adams (p. 87), t h e phi losophers

~ d w a r d s and P r i e s t l e y (p. 8 8 ) , t h e r e f e r e n c e t o Job i n t h e narra-

t o r ' s eulogy (p. 9 9 ) . I n each case , t h e i n t e n t i o n a l and unin-

t e n t i o n a l c o n t e n t of t h e r e fe rence widens t h e a r e a of meaning and

m u l t i p l i e s t h e number of p o s s i b l e r o u t e s t o t h e enigma of . P

Bart leby wi thout e v e r proposing a s o l u t i o n o r an o v e r a l l symbolic

un i ty t o exper ience . Other a l l u s i o n s a r e s t r i c t l y M e l v i l l e ' s ,

such a s t h e many jokes about fo rge ry and copying and t h e b i b l i c a l

re ferences t o Bar t l eby a s a p o s s i b l e a v a t a r . These c r e a t e a sym-

b o l i c depth b u t a l s o a p a t t e r n of i r o n i c doubt. Is Bar t leby a

p a t h e t i c v i c t i m c a p t i v a t e d by d e s p a i r o r a C h r i s t f i g u r e aban-

doned by t h e narrator-god? 40 Is t h e n a r r a t o r a beleaguered and

i n e f f e c t u a l p h i l a n t h r o p i s t o r a symbolic f i l i c i d e ? 41 such meta-

phor ica l q u e s t i o n s a r e n o t capable of r e s o l u t i o n and furthermore

emphasize t h e s e p a r a t i o n between t h e d i s c u r s i v e mind and t h e

p o e t i c imaginat ion, which d e s c r i b e s r a t h e r t h a n polemicizes .

Such p a t t e r n s of a l l u s i o n complicate t h e s t o r y ' s deeper ranges of

meaning and a f f i r m r e l a t i v i t y and t r a n s i e n c e a s t h e prominent sym-

b o l i c t r u t h s .

Metaphor ica l ly , t h e va r ious appearances i n t h e s t o r y

revea l c o n t r a d i c t i o n s . The n a r r a t o r ' s p e r s i s t e n t i n t e r r o g a t i o n

of B a r t l e b y t s demeanor f a i l s t o provide him w i t h knowledge o r

s a t i s f a c t i o n . A s i n I shmael ' s hampo poll ion" quote , t h e n a r r a t o r

i s stymied by t h e lack of any dramat ic o r obvious c h a r a c t e r indi -

57

c a t i o n s i n Bar t l eby ' s f a c e . he i n i t i a l diagnoses o f ' p a l l i d l y

n e a t , p i t i a b l y r e s p e c t a b l e , incurah ly f o r l o r n , " i s i n s u f f i c i e n t

a s c h a r a c t e r r e fe rence s i n c e t h e n a r r a t o r does h i r e Bar t leby ,

which, i n h i n d s i g h t , he would n o t have done. I n f a c t , he fol lows

t h i s b r i e f d e s c r i p t i o n by p ro fess ing g ladness a t having an emp-

loyee of s o " s i n g u l a r l y seda te an aspect1' (p. 66) . .Af te r

Bart leby suddenly announces he "would p r e f e r n o t t o " check cop-

i e s , t h e n a r r a t o r p a c i f i e s h i s confused r e a c t i o n s by examining

Bar t l eby ' s appearance: . .

I looked a t him s t e a d f a s t l y . H i s f a c e was l e a n l y composed; h i s gray eye dimly calm, Not a wr inkle of a g i t a t i o n r i p p l e d him. Had t h e r e been t h e l e a s t uneas iness , anger , impat ience, o r impert inence i n h i s manner; i n o t h e r words, had t h e r e been anything o r d i n a r i l y human about him doub t l e s s I should have v i o l e n t - l y dismissed him from t h e premises. But as it was, I should have a s soon thought of t u r n i n g my p a l e p l a s t e r - o f - p a r i s b u s t of Cicero o u t of doors , (p. 68)

Physiognomy d i s c l o s e s t h a t Bar t leby has noth ing " o r d i n a r i l y human"

about him, b u t any t r anscenden ta l p o s s i b i l i t y i s debunked by t h e

n a r r a t o r ' s analogy by t h e Cicero b u s t . Bar t l eby i s l a t e r des-

c r ibed a s a " l e a n , p e n n i l e s s wight" (p. 73) dur ing a moment of

aggravat ion, combining t h e cond i t ion of m a t e r i a l i t y wi th g h o s t l i -

ness . T h i s c o n t r a d i c t i o n i s made more i r o n i c by t h e n a r r a t o r ' s . -

penchant f o r d e s c r i b i n g h i s s c r i v e n e r i n terms of p r a i s e t h a t y e t

deny h i s humanity:

H i s s t e a d i n e s s , h i s freedom from d i s - s i p a t i o n , h i s i n c e s s a n t i n d u s t r y (except when h e chose t o throw him- s e l f i n t o a s t and ing reve ry behind h i s s c r e e n ) , h i s g r e a t s t i l l n e s s , h i s u n a l t e r a b l e n e s s of demeanor un-

dek a l l c i r cums tances , nade him a v a l u a b l e a c q u i s i t i o n . (p. 75)

va lu ing Bar t l ehy f o r h i s t r u s t w o r t h i n e s s , t h e lawyer a l s o speaks

of him a s an "acqu i s i t i on1 ' . One c r i t i c a l problem i s i n knowing

t o what e x t e n t t h e n a r r a t o r ' s own m a t e r i a l i s m h a s d i s t o r t e d

~ a r t l e b y ' s appearance i n t h e t e x t . Moreover, even i f w e a c c e p t

t h e lawyer ' s d e s c r i p t i o n as a c c u r a t e , w e s t i l l have t o f a c e t h e

d i f f i c u l t y of how t h e " g r e a t s t i l l n e s s " of B a r t l e b y can on t h e

one hand b e i n t e r p r e t e d as o b j e c t - l i k e and on t h e o t h e r hand have

such a profound emascu la t ing e f f e c t on t h e n a r r a t o r . H e d e s c r i - -

bes himself as b e i n g "unmanned" by t h e "wonderful mi ldness" of

t h e s c r i v e n e r , b u t even t h i s moral q u a l i t y of mi ldnes s must b e

seen i n c o n t e x t t o a number of o t h e r va ry ing p e r c e p t i o n s .

Bar t leby i s seen a t d i f f e r e n t t i m e s as: a man o f "cadaverous ly

gentlemanly nonchalance" (p , 76) , "a s o r t o f i nnocen t and t r a n s -

formed Marius" (p. 77) , " a p e r p e t u a l s e n t r y " (p . 71) , a f i g u r e o f

" p a l l i d haught iness" (p . 78) , as something t h a t " n o i s e l e s s l y s l i d

i n t o view" (p . 8 0 ) , "a m i l l s t o n e " (p . 8 3 ) , " u s e l e s s as a necklace"

(p. 83) , " b i t o f wreck i n t h e mid-At lan t ic" ( p , 8 3 ) , " l a s t column

of some ru ined temple" (p. 84 ) , " i n t o l e r a b l e incubus" (p . 9 0 ) . Such d e s c r i p t i o n s s u g g e s t n o t o n l y t h e n a r r a t o r ' s con fus ion b u t a

c o n t r a d i c t i o n i n t h e s ta te o f appearances as p e r c e i v e d by a man

of supposedly normal d i s p o s i t i o n . - -

I n Pierre, t h e t i t l e c h a r a c t e r h a s a moment o f he igh ten-

ed pe rcep t ion i n which h e s p e c u l a t e s on t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f t h e

marvellous hidden w i t h i n t h e o r d i n a r y :

Is it p o s s i b l e t h e n , t hough t P i e r r e , t h a t t h e r e l i v e s a human c r e a t u r e i n t h i s common world of everydays , whose whole h i s t o r y may b e t o l d i n

5 9 r

l i t t l e l e s s than two s c o r e words, and y e t embody i n t h a t smallness a fathomless foun ta in of ever- we l l ing mystery? Is it p o s s i b l e , a f t e r a l l , t h a t s p i t e of b r i c k s and shaven f a c e s , t h i s world w e l i v e i n i s brimmed wi th wonders, and I and a l l mankind, beneath our garbs of comonplaceness , conceal enigmas t h a t t h e stars themselves, and perhaps t h e h i g h e s t seraphim can n o t r e so lve?42

Does t h i s n o t sound, d e s p i t e t h e d i f f e r e n c e i n c o n t e x t s , l i k e

Bar t leby , e s p e c i a l l y cons ide r ing t h e commonplace s e t t i n g and h i s . ?

l ack of personal h i s t o r y ? But t h e ques t ion t h a t P i e r r e poses i s

answered i r o n i c a l l y in BartTeby' Th,e 'Sc'r'ive'n'er , f o r t h e marvellous - i s both th rea tened and t h r e a t e n i n g i n t h e n a r r a t o r ' s world and

t h e mystery of Bar t l eby a t o r t u o u s enigma. Moreover t h e s t r u g g l e

between t h e lawyer and Bar t l eby i s of despera te s i g n i f i c a n c e t o

t h e lawyer, however absurd it seems i n t h e framework of usual

s o c i a l r e l a t i o n s , f o r t h e lawyer ' s peace of mind and l i v e l i h o o d

depend on i t s outcome. On a symbolic l e v e l , i t i s a c o n f l i c t

between Wall S t r e e t c u l t u r e and B a r t l e b y ' s world-denying presence,

and everyth ing t h a t Bar t leby f a i l s t o do t h r e a t e n s t h e ve ry f a i t h

t h e n a r r a t o r has i n t h e known appearances of h i s world. Thus w e

s e e t h e n a r r a t o r i n h i s "despondency" t r y i n g t o understand

Bar t leby on t h e most fundamental and o rd ina ry b a s i s of appearance

and a c t i v i t y , f o r it i s appearances t h a t f r i g h t e n him and no t f o r

t h e most p a r t a symbolic cond i t ion . I t d i s t u r b s t h e n a r r a t o r t h a t

Bart leby never d r i n k s " t e a and c o f f e e even, l i k e o t h e r men" (p. 7 8 ) ,

t h a t t h e s c r i v e n e r "never went ou t f o r a walk". (p. 7 8 ) , t h a t

"though s o t h i n and p a l e , he never complained of i l l - h e a l t h " (p.

78) . The n a r r a t o r ' s a t t e n t i v e n e s s t o p a r t i c u l a r s of phys ica l

appearance i s .no tewor thy f o r t h e same reasons , a s i s ev iden t i n

t h e d e l i b e r a t e slow rhythm of a d j e c t i v a l word-choice i n < h i s pas-

sage:

"What i s your answer, Bart leby?" s a i d X , a f t e r w a i t i n g a consider- a b l e t ine f o r a r e p l y , dur ing which h i s countenance remained immovable, only t h e r e was t h e f a i n t e s t con- c e i v a b l e tremor of t h e white a t t enu- a t e d mouth. (p. 80)

I f Bar t leby can be s a i d t o r e p r e s e n t anything, it i s t h e

incomprehensible and unremediable q u a l i t i e s of l i f e . H i s a r r i v a l ,

h i s presence, h i s very e x i s t e n c e a r e tenuous. I n a passage which*

combines t h e n a r r a t o r ' s s t r u g g l e wi th confidence i n t h e e f f e c t i v e

processes of reason, t o g e t h e r wi th an absurd impression of a man

unable t o a c t from n a t u r a l assumptions, w e a l s o g e t a c l e a r rep-

r e s e n t a t i o n of t h e tenuousness t h a t pervades t h e s t o r y :

What was t o be done? o r , i f nothing could be done, was t h e r e anything f u r t h e r t h a t I could assume i n t h e ma t t e r? Y e s , a s before I had pros- p e c t i v e l y assumed t h a t Bar t leby would d e p a r t , s o now I might re - t r o s p e c t i v e l y assume t h a t depar ted h e was. I n t h e l e g i t i m a t e car ry- i n g o u t o f t h i s assumption, I might e n t e r my o f f i c e i n a g r e a t hur ry , and p re tend ing n o t t o see Bar t leby a t a l l , walk s t r a i g h t a g a i n s t him a s i f he w e r e a i r . Such a proceeding would i n a s i n g u l a r degree have t h e appearance of a home t h r u s t . I t was h a r d l y p o s s i b l e t h a t Bar t leby could wi ths tand such an a p p l i c a t i o n of t h e d o c t r i n e of assumptions. But . upon second thoughts t h e success of t h i s p l a n seemed r a t h e r dubious. (p. 86)

Yet t h i s and o t h e r examples o f tenuousness and t r a n s i e n c e

a r e countered by images of immobili ty, i r r e v e r s i b i -

l i t y . Bar t l eby ' s dec i s ions a r e i r r e v e r s i b l e , he is always t h e r e

' i n h i s hermitage l o s t i n dead-wall r e v e r i e s , h e does n o t seem t o

move un less summoned, h i s v isage i s cadaverous. The mixture of

s tone- l ike q u a l i t i e s wi th an a i r y i n s u b s t a n t i a l i t y confuses and

f r i g h t e n s t h e lawyer:

... t h e u t t e r l y unsurmised appear- ance of B a r t l e b y t t enan t ing my law- chambers of a Sunday morning, wi th h i s cadaverously gentlemanly non- - chalance, y e t w i t h a l f i rm and s e l f - possessed, had such a s t r a n g e e f f e c t upon m e , t h a t i n c o n t i n e n t l y I s lunk away from my own door. (p. 76)

When we examine t h e s t o r y ' s s e t t i n g we f i n d a s t a t e of . ,-

c o n t r a d i c t i o n a s we l l . The va r ious d e s c r i p t i o n s of t h e o f f i c e

and t h e c i t y have t h e e f f e c t of depersona l i z ing ambiguity and

showing t h a t ambiguity i s equa l ly an a s p e c t of t h e environment

a s it i s a problem of consciousness. The n a r r a t o r ' s e a r l y des-

c r i p t i o n of h i s o f f i c e demonstrates t h i s q u a l i t y :

A t one end, they looked upon t h e white w a l l of t h e i n t e r i o r of a spac ious s k y - l i g h t s h a f t , . p e n e - t r a t i n g t h e b u i l d i n g from t o p t o bottom. Th i s view might have been cons idered r a t h e r tame than o therwise , d e f i c i e n t i n what land- scape p a i n t e r s c a l l " l i f e " . But, i f s o , t h e view from t h e o t h e r end of my chambers o f f e r e d , a t l e a s t , a c o n t r a s t , i f noth ing more. I n t h a t d i r e c t i o n , my windows cornmand- ed an unobs t ruc ted view of a l o f t y b r i c k w a l l b l ack by age and ever- l a s t i n g shade; which w a l l r equ i red no spy-glass t o b r i n g o u t i t s lurk: i n g b e a u t i e s , b u t , f o r t h e b e n e f i t of a l l near -s ighted s p e c t a t o r s , was pushed up t o w i t h i n t e n f e e t of my window panes. Owing t o t h e g r e a t h e i g h t of t h e surrounding b u i l d i n g s , and my chambers be ing on t h e second f l o o r , t h e i n t e r v a l between t h i s w a l l and mine n o t a l i t t l e resembled a huge square c i s t e r n . (p. 60-61).

This depress ing landscape i s recognized a s . "de f i c i en t " , b u t t h e

~ u s l y , no r , does h e b e l i e v e t h a t it p o i n t s t o a more s e r i o u s l y

d e f i c i e n t symbol ic c o n d i t i o n . Indeed, he goes s o f a r a s t o o f f e r

a wry comment on t h e " l u r k i n g b e a u t i e s " of t h e b r i c k w a l l f a c i n g

h i s windows. But t h e passage does more t h a n i d e n t i f y an u t i l i -

t a r i a n v i s i o n . I t i n t r o d u c e s t h e s e t t i n g o f t h e s t o r y and pre-

pa re s t h e symbol ic s t a g e f o r t h e a c t o r s . Me taphor i ca l ly , it i s

a p p r o p r i a t e t o have a s e t t i n g t h a t h i n d e r s v i s i o n c a r e f u l l y des-

c r i b e d f o r u s b e f o r e t h e commencement of a.drama some of whose . r

s i g n i f i c a n t f e a t u r e s a r e : a c o p y i s t who h a s f a i l i n g e y e s i g h t and

whose v i s i o n of t h e world i s a l i e n t o t h e o t h e r c h a r a c t e r s ; t h e

c o n t i n u a l a t t e m p t s by t h e lawyer t o p e r c e i v e s i g n s o f comprehen-

s i o n s , agreement, compromise i n Ba r t l eby . Fur thermore , a s e v e n t s

s h o r t l y d i s c l o s e , t h e landscape o p e r a t e s as a symbol ic emptiness

-- a "Petra" o f t h e imagina t ion . A sugges t ion of t h i s emptiness

occurs i n t h e d e s c r i p t i o n of t h e space between one o f t h e windows

and t h e f a c i n g w a l l as " a huge square c i s t e r n . " The r e f e r e n c e s

i n Moby Dick and P i e r r e t o t h e Egypt ian pyramids, and t h e f i n a l -- r e s t i n g p l a c e i n t h i s s t o r y w i t h i n t h e Tombs, s e e m t o sugges t

t h a t we should c o n s i d e r t h e analagous v a s t n e s s and t e r r o r of cos-

m i s s o l i t u d e th rough t h e image of a d rab and ominously comic c i s -

t e r n . The e n t i r e s t o r y b e a r s w i t n e s s t o t h e f a c t t h a t t h e nar ra -

t o r i s unaware o f t h e s p i r i t u a l empt iness of h i s world. The ex-

t e r i o r i z i n g of t h i s empt iness s u g g e s t s t h a t w e are t o look a t a

Condi t ion g r e a t e r t h a n t h e hab i t - r i dden o r d i n a r i n e s s o f t h e nar-

r a t o r ; t h a t t h e r e a l i t y o f t h e d i s t u r b i n g c i s t e r n image embraces

n o t on ly t h e c o l l e c t i v e consc iousness of men b u t t h e b e i n g of

phenomena o u t s i d e men. T h i s impor t an t q u a l i f i c a t i o n would sug-

g e s t an e x p l a n a t i o n f o r B a r t l e b y ' s a f f i l i a t i o n w i t h o b j e c t s and

w a l l s : an e x p l a n a t i o n o t h e r t han s e e i n g B a r t l e h y ' s consc iousness

a s slowly p e t r i f y i n g . Fo r i f B a r t l e b y e x i s t s a t an extreme of

human consc iousness , a lmos t beyond c o n t a c t w i t h men, t h e n h e i s

t h e l i k e l i e s t w i t n e s s t o a mode of be ing t h a t i s a-human and in -

a r t i c u l a b l e . I n Moby Dick Ahab s t r a i n s h i s v e r y humanity t o -- know t h e whale; i n P i e r r e t h e t i t l e c h a r a c t e r u n r a v e l s h i s mor-

t a l i d e n t i t y w i t h a k i n d of misan th rop ic e x a l t a t i o n t o become

t h e c h t h o n i c a l l y immorta l Enceladus. ~ 0 t h are symbol ic e x p r e s - . . s i o n s of a deep d i s s a t i s f a c t i o n w i t h t h e accep ted l i m i t s o f

humanity. I n B a r t l e b y The S c r i v e n e r M e l v i l l e c o n t i n u e s h i s

p h i l o s o p h i c a l i n v e s t i g a t i o n , b u t w i t h i n t h e f a m i l i a r c o n f i n e s o f

urban c u l t u r e , pe rhaps t o see what forms t h e e x t r a o r d i n a r y cou ld

t a k e wi thou t f o r s a k i n g a p p a r e n t realism and o r d i n a r y minds.

F u r t h e r examining t h e n a r r a t o r ' s d e s c r i p t i o n o f h i s

o f f i c e s w e f i n d t h e ment ion of t h e s u g g e s t i v e "b l ack w a l l " and

through t h e o p p o s i t e window t h e f a c i n g "whi te w a l l " . I n a s t o r y

which d e a l s a t s o m e l e n g t h w i t h assumed concep t s o f r i g h t and

wrong, and which s i l e n t l y v o i c e s a cr i t ic ism o f t h e n a r r a t o r ' s

d u a l i s t Pu r i t an i sm, t h e appearance of wh i t e and b l a c k s u g g e s t s a

, p a r t i c u l a r l y i r o n i c s i g n i f i c a n c e , cap tu red i n s p i r i t by Ba r t l eby

who i s t r a p p e d by t h e symbol ic w a l l s of dual ism. Y e t t h e w a l l s

might a l s o s u g g e s t symbol ic l i m i t s t o consc iousness , o u t s i d e of

any p a r t i c u l a r mora l d e f i n i t i o n , and a p receden t f o r such a

v i s i o n can be found i n Moby Dick.

I n one o f h i s le t ters , M e l v i l l e had w r i t t e n t h a t h e

loved a l l men who dove. 4 3

A s t h e s p e c u l a t i v e image o f d i v i n g

sugges t s t h e r e can be no foreknowledge of what i s t o b e found i n

a realm o u t s i d e

v i s i o n M e l v i l l e

The Sc r ivene r ; 7

o u r o r d i n a r y , earth-bound consc iousness . The

ach ieved i n Moby Dick cannot be found i n B a r t l e b y - however, t h e r e are symbolic cor respondences b e t -

ween t h e two works d e s p i t e t h e f a c t t h a t t h e former p r e s e n t e d

c e r t a i n t r u t h s abou t t h e world of Nature w h i l e t h e l a t t e r d e a l s

e x c l u s i v e l y w i t h t h e world of man. Both works, f o r example,

s h a r e i n g e n e r a l a commitment t o metaphys ica l i n q u i r y . The s p i r i t

of metaphys ica l i n q u i r y w a s a l s o a p a r t of t h e t r a n s c e n d e n t a l i s m

of Emerson and Thoreau, b u t f o r M e l v i l l e t h e i r v i s i o n s w e r e un-

accep tab le because t h e y assumed t h e p e r f e c t a b i l i t y o f man and

d i d n o t account f o r t h e t e r r o r s o f Nature. True i n q u i r y , as

Melv i l l e had l e a r n e d from Shakespeare , f aced n a t u r a l and moral

c o n t r a d i c t i o n s w i t h o u t p r e j u d i c e and w i t h o u t p r e d i s p o s i n g a spe-

c i f i c conc lus ion . 4 4 T h i s would r e q u i r e , a cco rd ing t o M e l v i l l e ,

a good d e a l o f mora l courage; such men of courage are sove re ign

n a t u r e s "amid t h e powers of heaven, h e l l , and e a r t h . It 45

If w e look a t "The Whiteness of t h e Whale" chape r i n

Moby Dick, w e f i n d M e l v i l l e ' s u se of me taphys i ca l i n t e r r o g a t i o n -- a t i t s b e s t as w e l l as a n example o f moral courage such a p r o c e s s

demands. The c h a p t e r i s an examinat ion of t h e symbol ic e s sence

of whi teness and i t s e f f e c t s on consc iousness . H i s u s e o f p a r t i -

c u l a r r e f e r e n c e and o b s e r v a t i o n , of bo th h i s t o r y and f o l k l o r e , i s

an attempt t o create u n i v e r s a l v a l i d i t y , t h a t w i l l c u t a c r o s s

c u l t u r a l and d o c t r i n a l boundar ies . I t becomes c l e a r i n t h e cou r se

of t h e c h a p t e r t h a t n o t on ly t h e phenomenon of wh i t enes s i s be ing

d i scussed b u t t h a t t h e problem of c e r t i t u d e i n a l a r g e l y unknown

world i s a l s o a t s t a k e .

Before embarking on h is e v a l u a t i o n , Ishmael t e l l s u s

6 5

& a t has - insp i red him t o o f f e r us t h i s r e p o r t . He obser;es t h a t

~ i n c e t h e whale i s both m a t e r i a l and s p i r i t u a l phenomenon, i t s

e f f e c t i s concre te and "myst ica l and w e l l nigh i n e f f a b l e . ~ 4 6 It

i s t h e white whale 's appearance t h a t prompts I shmael ' s e f f o r t .

H i s i n t e r r o g a t i o n of whiteness inc ludes r e l i g i o u s symbols, an i -

mals, phantoms, s u p e r s t i t i o n s , atmospheric phenomena, and f i n a l l y

becomes an i n t e r r o g a t i o n of appearance and r e a l i t y .

Throughout t h e process t h e r e i s a r ecogn i t ion of t h e

d i f f i c u l t y of d i sc r imina t ing between s u b j e c t i v e b i a s and objec- ,

t i v e f a c t :

... symbolize whatever grand o r gra- c i o u s t h i n g he w i l l by whiteness , no man can deny t h a t i n i t s i d e a l - i z e d s i g n i f i c a n c e it c a l l s up a p e c u l i a r a p p a r i t i o n t o t h e soul . But though wi thout d i s s e n t t h i s p o i n t can be f i x e d , how i s mor ta l man t o account f o r i t ? Can we, then , by t h e c i t a t i o n of some of t h e s e i n s t a n c e s wherein t h i s t h i n g of whiteness -- though f o r t h e t ime e i t h e r wholly o r i n g r e a t p a r t s t r i p p e d of a l l d i r e c t a s s o c i a t i o n s c a l c u l a t e d t o impart t o i t aught f e a r f u l , b u t , n e v e r t h e l e s s , i s found t o e x e r t over u s t h e s a m e so rce ry , however modified; -- can w e t h u s hope t o l i g h t upon some chance c l u e t o conduct u s t o t h e hidden cause we seek?4g

What one begins t o d i s c e r n i n t h i s and o t h e r passages i s

t h e consciousness of method. The d i s c r i m i n a t i v e i n t e l l i g e n c e is'

opera t ive a t every t u r n of image and phrase , q u a l i f y i n g specula-

t i o n s , a n t i c i p a t i n g o b j e c t i o n s , l ead ing t h e r e a d e r ' s mind e x a c t l y

where it i s wanted. The repea ted ques t ions a r e a l s o nore than a

r h e t o r i c a l device , f o r they r e p r e s e n t a s t a n c e towards r e a l i t y ,

wherein t h e q u e s t d i s c l o s e s g r e a t e r v i s i o n r a t h e r than any u l t i -

6 6

mate answer. W e a r e meant t o b e r e a d i n g t h e appearance of t h e

wor ld i n t h i s c h a p t e r and by i t s end a r e b rought t o e x i s t e n t i a l

urgency. W e should a l s o remember i n t h i s r e s p e c t I s h m a e l ' s i n i -

t i a l promise of p u t t i n g t h e " i n e f f a b l e " i n t o "comprehensible

and h i s f e a r : "how can I hope t o e x p l a i n myself h e r e ;

and y e t , ... e x p l a i n myself I must. ' 4 9 L a t e r on, t h e r e i s a

r e f e r e n c e t o t h e "man of u n t u t o r e d i d e a l i t y , lf50 as a warning

a g a i n s t s u p e r s t i t i o u s a s s o c i a t i o n s .

W e can a l r e a d y d i s c e r n , i n an i n c i d e n t a l manner, some

r e l a t i o n s h i p s t o B a r t l e b y - The S c r i v e n e r . The n a r r a t o r i s , des-

p i t e h i s p r o f e s s i o n , a "man of u n t u t o r e d i d e a l i t y , " i f w e remem-

b e r h i s v a i n optimism, h i s s u p e r s t i t i o u s d read of B a r t l e b y , and

t h e a t t e m p t s t o i d e a l i z e t h e i r r e l a t i o n s h i p s a long t h e l i n e s of

p re -de te rmina t ion and c h a r i t y . There i s no g r e a t e r q u e s t t o d i s -

cover god- l ike t r u t h s , b u t t h e r e i s a lesser q u e s t i n t h e l awyer ' s

a t t empt t o come t o an unde r s t and ing o f Ba r t l eby . More import-

a n t l y , t h e r e i s a sha red consc iousness o f method between I s h a e l ' s

c h a p t e r and t h e n a r r a t o r ' s t a l e , a l t h o u g h t h e n a r r a t o r i n

"Bar t leby" d i s t o r t s method t o s e r v e h i s own s e l f - v i n d i c a t i o n . To

l e a r n more about t h e correspondence o f method between t h e two

works we must f i r s t s e e what s p e c i f i c a l l y happens t o I shmae l ' s

ques to r .

- I shmae l ' s thorough i n t e r r o g a t i o n of appearances f i n a l l y .

l e a d s him t o propose an l f i n s t i n c t i v e knowledge o f t h e demonism i n

t h e worldqf51 as be ing t h e "hidden causeq15* f o r o u r m y s t i c a l d read

of whi teness . Th i s u n s e t t l i n g d i s c o v e r y i s proposed on ly as a

p o s s i b i l i t y b u t which n e v e r t h e l e s s a l l o w s t h e o b s e r v e r freedom of

choice . Amid t h e wonders and terrors o f e x i s t e n c e , consc ious of

the fullness of choices, Ishmael remains unchoosing. In'dedica-

tion to truth, however, the demonic hypothesis is argued to its

conclusion and brings about a state of existential unease. This

state, following the disclosure of inherent ambiguity in appear-

ances, is in evidence throughout Moby Ditk and as will soon be -1

shown, is also present in Bartleby. The Scrivener.

Ishmael articulates his unease as a metaphysical gener-

alization: "Though in many of its aspects this visible world

seems formed in love, the invisible spheres were formed in . ?

fright. " 5 3 This generalization implies a tragic separation with-

in the soul and furthermore activates a crisis of confidence. If

the world of nature or the world of men discloses contradictory

appearances how is the questor to act? The pursuit of this ques-

tion takes the questor into the realm of cosmic abstractions: in

Ishmael's chapter, questions of time and space, of cosmogony,

evolution, ultimate significance; in the Wall Street memoir,

the lawyer reads "Edwards on The Will" and Priestley on Necessity"

and considers first the saving grace of charity and finally the

universal significance of Bartleby. Ishmael ends his ruminations

by asking whether "by its indefiniteness (whiteness) shadows forth

,the heartless voids and immensities of the universe, and thus

stabs us from behind with the thought of annihilation. "54 In

~artleby The Scrivener we likewise end with a contemplation of - death as the final mystery.

To return to "Bartleby", we find that the narrator's

law offices represent the symbolic spiritual condition of mid

19th century ~rnerica. The walls seen from the law offices have

in this respect a number of different meanings. They suggest

6 8

t h a t , r a t h e r t h a n simply an opporkuni ty t o l i v e communa l l~ , a /-

c i t y i s a l s o i t s w a l l s , i t s formal ized s e p a r a t i o n s . Wall S t r e e t ,

eminent i n i t s r e p u t a t i o n f o r commercial power, i s shown t o be

c u t o f f from t h e n a t u r a l sou rces of l i f e by " w a l l s " of s e l f -

i n t e r e s t , avarice, s p i r i t u a l b l i n d n e s s . But as "b lack" and

"white" t h e w a l l s a r e a l s o t h e symbolic l i m i t s t o t h e spectrum

of o r d i n a r y expe r i ence . White r e p e l s l i g h t w h i l e b l a c k absorbs

it; i n e i t h e r case we are d e a l i n g w i t h b o t h t o t a l i t y and vo id ,

t o which s e v e r a l meanings can b e a t t a c h e d , . ( a s Ishmael demon-

s t r a t e d i n h i s m e d i t a t i o n on w h i t e n e s s ) , w i t h o u t e s s e n t i a l change

t o i t s appearance. White and b l a c k each a l l o w f o r c o n t r a r i e s o f

expe r i ence , t hough t , and metaphor w i t h i n t h e i r own i d e n t i t i e s ;

i n o p p o s i t i o n t o each o t h e r t h e y can s t i l l m a i n t a i n equiva lence .

Thus i n moral t e r m s , t h e "whi te" s i d e t o t h e n a r r a t o r ' s world

i s r e s p e c t a b i l i t y and j u s t i c e which p rov ide m o r a l o r d e r ; nega-

t i v e l y , r e s p e c t a b i l i t y i s h o r r i f i e d by B a r t l e b y ' s behaviour and

s u f f e r i n g , and j u s t i c e i s unable t o assist B a r t l e b y and ul t ima-

t e l y condemns him. The "b lack s i d e " t o t h e n a r r a t o r ' s world i s

t h e n i g h t s i d e : t h e r e j e c t e d , unknown h a l f o f r e a l i t y which con-

t a i n s v i o l e n c e , d e r e l i c t i o n , s t e r i l i t y , empt ines s , b u t which a l s o

has t h e e l emen t s of dream and poe t ry . The n a r r a t o r ' s contempla-

t i o n of t h e b a r r e n s p e c t a c l e o f Sundays on W a l l S t r e e t , o f

Ba r t l eby l - s a lmos t unimaginable e x i s t e n c e i n t h e o f f i c e s , h i s f ea r '

of becoming a suddenly v i o l e n t Co l t : a l l a r e moments o f " i r r a -

t i o n a l " poe t ry . I n terms o f appearance, b o t h "whi te" and "black"

s i d e s a r e q u i t e d i f f e r e n t ; i n terms of e f f e c t , b o t h a r e "wal l s"

which s e p a r a t e Ba r t l eby from l i f e w i t h i n h i s own l i m i t a t i o n s , and

b o t h a r e shown t o have, i n t h e p rope r c i r cums tances , d e s t r u c t i v e

and death-like qualities. These contradictions in the appearance

of reality are beyond the understanding of the lawver, but even

such intimations that he does receive are enough to debilitate

his morale.

The narrator's crisis of confidence occurs when he vis-

its his offices on a Sunday and discovers that Bartleby has been

living there. Till then Bartleby's unreasonableness in office

responsibilities has been noted as "strange peculiarities, pri-

vileges, and unheard-of exemptions" (p. 7 5 ) . But the breach in . F

convention caused by Bartleby's habitation of the offices is a

rude awakening for the lawyer. He learns of his scrivener's

true poverty, of the loneliness of such an existence, and for the

first time suspects that Bartleby's behaviour might be something

more than a temporary aberration. The "certain hopelessness of

remedying excessive and organic ill" (p. 79) is, of course, un-

bearable to the narrator, for he realizes that both he "... and Bartleby were sons of Adam" (p. 77). He has an intimation of

death: "The scrivener's pale form appeared to me laid out, among

uncaring strangers, in its shivering winding-sheet" (p. 7 8 ) . The

narrator's confidence in the familiarty and goodness of appear-

ances has broken down, and just as in Ishmael's interrogation of

whiteness, (though we must be mindful of the differences in aware-

ness), the process of discovery leads to a memento mori.

Death has an unusual presence in the story. Its literal

manifestation is only an instance of a much wider influence. In

its most subtle f o m , death is presaged by uncertainty and hazard,

as if uncertainty and hazard were its continual reminders. When

the narrator ponders anxiously what Bartleby will do next, the

7 0

seems sur rounded by a d e a t h - l i k e s i l e n c e . H a z a r d ' i s man-

i f e s t e d through a number of images which occu r as sudden t r a n s -

formation. When B a r t l e b y r e f u s e s t o check c o p i e s , t h e n a r r a t o r

i s a t one t i m e momentar i ly " tu rned i n t o a p i l l a r o f sal t ," (p.

69). The r e f e r e n c e t o L o t ' s w i f e deepens t h e mys te ry o f t h e

image wi thout c l a r i f y i n g it, b u t what i s unmis t ab l e i s t h e

ease of passage from l i f e t o n o n - l i f e .

~ a r t l e b y i n h i s o f f i c e s on t h e Sunday,

formed Marius b rooding among t h e r u i n s

cap tu r ing a moment o f d e r e l i c t i o n ' t h a t

l i f e nor i n d e a t h . F ind ing B a r t l e b y a

When t h e n a r r a t o r f i n d s

he sees him as a " t r a n s -

of Car thage" (p . 7 7 ) , . ,

seems n e i t h e r q u i t e i n

second t i m e i n t h e o f f i c -

e s , d e s p i t e hav ing d i s m i s s e d him, he i s s t r u c k by l i g h t n i n g :

For an i n s t a n t I s t o o d l i k e t h e man who, p i p e i n mouth, w a s k i l l e d one c l o u d l e s s a f t e r n o o n long ago i n V i r g i n i a , by summer l i g h t n i n g ; a t h i s own w a r m open window h e w a s k i l l e d , and remained l e a n i n g o u t t h e r e upon t h e dreamy a f t e r n o o n , till someone touched him, when h e f e l l . (p . 86 )

This s t r i k i n g image of i n s t a n t a n e o u s d e a t h on an o t h e r w i s e peace-

f u l day seems t o p o i n t t o t h e " i n v i s i b l e s p h e r e s f o r m e d . i n

f r i g h t " of I s h m a e l ' s m e d i t a t i o n s , which i n t h i s case m a n i f e s t

themselves n o t i n some s t r a n g e and dangerous area of expe r i ence

b u t i n t h e most o r d i n a r y of s e t t i n g s , a t home s o t o speak , i n -- what w e might a lmos t c a l l on one l e v e l a domes t ic squabble .

The c l imax of the ' s t o r y -- t h e , n a r r a t o r V s sudden recog-

n i t i o n i n t h e Tombs -- f u l f i l l s an a c c e s s i o n of awareness t h a t

has been s t e a d i l y b u i l t up th roughout t h e s t o r y . W e c anno t know

t h e degree o f t h e n a r r a t o r ' s awareness, a l t h o u g h t h e s e v e r a l

i r o n i e s s u g g e s t h e i s o n l y i m p e r f e c t l y aware o f what h a s happened.

everth he less, t h e p r o c e s s o f r e v e l a t i o n i s t h e r e f o r t h e ' r e a d e r

t o acknowledge: t h a t appearances d i s c l o s e c o n t r a d i c t o r y ev idence

about t h e n a t u r e o f r e a l i t y ; t h a t such a p e r c e p t i o n h a s mora l

s i g n i f i c a n c e s i n c e it i n v o l v e s t h e admiss ion of human weakness

and f a i l u r e , of s e l f - d e c e p t i o n , and of e a c h o t h e r ' s u l t i m a t e

i n s c r u t a b i l i t y ; and t h a t f i n a l l y d e a t h h a s an ambiguous p re s -

ence even i n t h e most i n n o c e n t of c i rcumstances . Death i s t h e

f i n a l l a y e r of appearance t h a t c o n c e a l s t h e e v e r - e l u s i v e n a t u r e

of Bar t leby . The v a r i o u s images t h e n a r r a t o r u s e s i n speaking . P

of Ba r t l eby a r e l aden w i t h d e a t h . B a r t l e b y i s a " b u s t o f

Cicero" (p , 69) , "a p e n n i l e s s wight" (p , 73) , " l i k e a v e r y

ghost" (p. 7 4 ) , a f i g u r e o f " g r e a t s t i l l n e s s " (p . 74-75), o f

"una l t e r ab l enes s of demeanor" (p . 75) , of a l l cadaverous ly g e n t l e -

manly nonchalance" (p. 7 6 ) ' a " l a s t column o f some r u i n e d temple"

(p. 84) , he g i v e s a "mi ld ly cadaverous r e p l y " (p. 81) and i s

thought t o have a "cadaverous tr iumph" (p. 86) , i s an " i n t o l e r -

a b l e incubus" (p . 9 0 ) . The n a r r a t o r ' s world i t s e l f h a s been a

k ind o f s p i r i t u a l d e a t h , devo id of real consc iousness and f e e l -

i n g , w i th i t s b l e a k o f f i c e s and a " w a l l b l a c k by age and eve r -

l a s t i n g shade" (p . 6 0 ) .

However, such consc iousness o f d e a t h i s made more com-

p l e x by t h e i r o n i c f a c t t h a t it h a s been B a r t l e b y ' s d e g e n e r a t i o n

which has awakened t h e n a r r a t o r ' s consc ience , even t o a s m a l l deg- 4

r e e , and it i s t h e d e a t h o f B a r t l e b y which momentari ly e n l i v e n s

t h e n a r r a t o r ' s imag ina t ion . Thus w e g e t a complex me taphys i ca l

thought of l i f e and d e a t h f e e d i n g o f f each o t h e r i n a t r a n s p e r -

s o n a l p rocess , wh i l e what remains unanswered i s t h e t e r r i b l e s i m -

p l i c i t y of human l o s s . The p o s t s c r i p t e d s p e c u l a t i o n on B a r t l e b y ' s

Dead l e t t e r s ! does it n o t sound l i k e dead men? Conceive a man by n a t u r e and misfor tune prone t o a p a l l i d hopelessness , can any bus i - ness seem more f i t t e d t o he ighten it than t h a t of c o n t i n u a l l y hand- l i n g t h e s e dead l e t t e r s , and a s s o r t - i n g them f o r t h e flames? For by t h e car t - load they a r e annual ly burned. Sometimes from o u t t h e fo lded paper t h e p a l e c l e r k t a k e s a r i n g -- t h e f i n g e r it was meant f o r , perhaps, moulders i n t h e grave; a bank-note s e n t i n s w i f t e s t char- i t y -- he whom it would r e l i e v e , nor e a t s nor hungers any more; pardon f o r those who d ied despa i r - ing; hope f o r those who d i e d unhoping; good t i d i n g s f o r those who d ied s t i f l e d by unre l ieved ca la- m i t i e s . On e r r a n d s of l i f e , t h e s e l e t t e r s speed t o death.

Ah, Bart leby! Ah, humanity! (p. 9 9 )

I have quoted t h e f i n a l passage a t length t o i n d i c a t e

t h e q u a l i t y of t h e change i n t h e n a r r a t o r ' s a t t i t u d e t o l i f e .

Some c r i t i c s have seen t h e p o s t s c r i p t as a modified cont inuat ion

of t h e s t o r y ' s i r o n i c method, debunking t h e supposed change of

h e a r t . 55 Other c r i t i c s have seen it a s an a r t i s t i c mistake,

s p o i l i n g t h e i r o n i c s u b t l e t i e s of t h e s t o r y f o r ' a n o v e r t , s e n t i -

mental s ta tement of theme. 5 6 I n t h e view of t h i s t h e s i s , both

p o s i t i o n s s u b t l y m i s s t h e po in t . I t i s d i f f i c u l t t o deny t h e

comparatively sen t imen ta l nuance of t h e language, e s p e c i a l l y s i n c e

we know t h e n a r r a t o r i s capable of o f t e n pompous and s e l f - r i g h t e -

ous tone. However, t h e t r u e test of a change of a t t i t u d e i s t o

examine t h e degree t o which t h e n a r r a t o r i s a b l e t o f o r g e t h i s

own i n t e r e s t s i n h i s pe rcep t ion of experience. These f i n a l words

a r e , f o r t h e n a r r a t o r , unusual ly s e l f l e s s , and they a t tempt a co- d

h e r e n t i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of an exper ience t h a t cannot be of any com-

7 3

f o r t t o h imse l f . I n t h i s s e n s e , t h e n a r r a t o r has changed; t h e

awakening may have been modest and t r a n s i e n t b u t it shou ld n o t b e

judged. Furthermore, i f we a r e a s s e s s i n g t h e a r t i s t i c q u a l i t y o f

t h i s end ing , w e should remember M e l v i l l e t s a b i l i t y i n Moby Dick - and P i e r r e t o r e l a t e c o n t r a d i c t o r y and ambiguous material from an

uncommitted s t a n c e . When Ishmael speaks of t h e " h e a r t l e s s vo ids"

behind appearances , h e speaks from a r e v e l a t o r y s t a n c e t h a t ne-

v e r t h e l e s s keeps him f r e e of any i m p l i c a t i o n o f n e g a t i v i t y o r

d e s p a i r , and w e are n o t bo the red by t h e f a c t t h a t h e speaks w i t h . P

~ e l v i l l e ' s a u t h o r i t y . I n Pi'eZrre ,. t h e problem i s more complex

because t h e t i t l e c h a r a c t e r i s b o t h a dupe o f t h e n a r r a t i v e

method and a sympa the t i c v i c t i m o f s o c i e t y ' s c o n t r a d i c t i o n s , as

w e l l as a t t i m e s t h e i n s t r u m e n t f o r M e l v i l l e ' s i r o n i c observa-

t i o n s on t h e f a t e o f t h o s e who q u e s t f o r t r u t h . The f i n a l e f f e c t

i n b o t h books o f such complexi ty of t o n e , metaphor, and e v e n t , i s

t o r ende r expe r i ence as i n e x t r i c a b l y ambiguous. S i m i l a r l y , i n

B a r t l e b y The S c r i v e n e r , t h e r e i s n o t h i n g t o i n d i c a t e t h a t t h e nar-

r a t o r w i l l become o t h e r t h a n what h e h a s a lways been -- caught

i n o r d i n a r i n e s s and f e a r of t h e i r r a t i o n a l -- and y e t w e can say

t h a t h e h a s had a gl impse o f t h e t r a g i c mode o f expe r i ence inhab i -

t e d by B a r t l e b y and by t h e n i g h t - s i d e o t h e r h a l f o f r e a l i t y . Thus

t h e f i n a l : "Ah, Bar t leby! A h , humanity?' i s m u l t i v a l e n t : i n d i c a t -

i n g t h e n a r r a t o r ' s awareness o f t r a g i c expe r i ence n o t a s an eccen-

t r i c b u t a s a common human expe r i ence ; implying, o u t s i d e t h e

n a r r a t o r ' s awareness , t h e n a r r a t o r ' s s e n t i m e n t a l i t y i n t o o e a s i l y

t rans•’orming s u f f e r i n g i n t o l i t e r a r y e x p r e s s i o n ; and f u r t h e r i m -

p l y i n g t h a t B a r t l e b y ' s expe r i ence i s u l t i m a t e l y o u t s i d e t h e range

o f e x p l a n a t i o n , and can o n l y b e a l l u d e d t o .through t h e means of

c*i

p o e t i c u t t e rance .

Metaphorical ly , t h e r e i s o t h e r evidence t o suppor t t h e

n a r r a t o r ' s sudden change of a t t i t u d e . A t t h e Tombs Bar t l eby ' s

death i s accompanied by n a t u r a l s i l e n c e . The d e s c r i p t i o n of t h e

s i l e n c e i s s t r i k i n g f o r i t s sugges t ion of a u n i v e r s a l response

t o Bar t l eby ' s death:

The yard w a s e n t i r e l y q u i e t . I t was n o t a c c e s s i b l e t o t h e common p r i s o n e r s . The surrounding wa l l s , of amazing t h i c k n e s s , kep t o f f a l l sounds behind them. The Egyptian c h a r a c t e r o f t h e masonry weighed upon m e w i t h i t s gloom. But a s o f t imprisoned t u r f grew under f o o t . The h e a r t of t h e e t e r n a l pyramids, it seemed, wherein, by some s t r a n g e magic, through t h e c l e f t s , grass-seed , dropped by b i r d s , had sprung. (p. 98 )

This renewal of Nature, s o i r o n i c a l l y p laced a t a scene of waste

and d e s p a i r , i s sensed and repor ted by t h e n a r r a t o r . Yet t h a t

very f a c t shows a s e n s i t i v i t y which had been previously. lacking.

H i s i n i t i a l comments on h i s o f f i c e s demonstrated an unconcern f o r

a e s t h e t i c q u a l i t i e s i n landscape. This i s perhaps t h e f i r s t in-

s t ance i n t h e n a r r a t i v e t h a t t h e lawyer has shown s e n s i t i v i t y t o

a l t e r n a t i o n s of atmosphere -- a q u a l i t y of imaginat ion -- r a t h e r

than simply a s u b j e c t i v e response, a s i n h i s o f f i c e s on t h e Sun-

day walk, t o drabness and s t e r i l i t y .

The lawyer 's world, it i s f a i r t o say , has been a "pe t ra"

of t h e imagination. Since Bar t leby i s brought t o t h e "Tombs" we

must inc lude i n t h a t world a l l of s o c i e t y . The p e t r i f a c t i o n of

l i f e i s n o t , t h e s t o r y shows, a p e c u l a r i t y o f ' t h e n a r r a t o r a lone ,

b u t t h e very cond i t ion of t h e ord inary world, l ack ing v i t a l i t y ,

s e n s i t i v i t y , moral s e n s i b i l i t y . The coinc idence of Bar t l eby ' s

i n . t h e n a r r a t o r ' s l i f e i s a l e s s o n t h e n a r r a t o r t ; ies

r epea t ed ly t o d e c i p h e r -- perhaps t o t h e e x t e n t o f w r i t i n g t h i s

memoir. There i s an unreachable q u a l i t y i n B a r t l e b y t h a t touches

t h e f e e l i n g s of t h e n a r r a t o r and m y s t e r i o u s l y commands h i s res-

pec t , a q u a l i t y t h e n a r r a t o r t r ies t o e x p r e s s i n h i s comment

"With k ings and c o u n c i l o r s . " A t t h a t moment o f d i s c o v e r i n g

~ a r t l e b y ' s d e a t h , and w i t h o r w i thou t t h e n a r r a t o r ' s awareness,

t h e symbolic f o r c e of B a r t l e b y ' s l i f e i s man i f e s t ed . The ph rase ,

taken from t h e Book o f ~ o b , ~ ~ s u g g e s t s t h a t ambigui ty i s of t h e . ,

very o r d e r of t h e u n i v e r s e , and i s t h u s m i r r o r e d i n t h e en igmat ic

u t t e r ance . J o b i s d e l i v e r e d i n t o t h e d e v i l ' s power on account of

a wager t o t e s t h i s f a i t h and c h a r a c t e r . The t e r r i b l e s u f f e r i n g s

t h a t Job i n c u r s are neve r s a t i s f y i n g l y e x p l a i n e d i n t h e b i b l i c a l

t e x t ; symbo l i ca l ly t h e i m p l i c a t i o n i s t h e c o n t r o l o f t h e world

by demonic a g e n c i e s and t h e i r r a t i o n a l i t y o f God's purpose.

Something o f t h e p o e t i c f o r c e of t h e Book of Job can be f e l t i n

t h e p e t r i f a c t i o n of t h e imag ina t ive l i f e d e s c r i b e d i n Ba r t l eby

The Sc r ivene r . A s i n t h e Book of Job , t h e r e can be no s a t i s f y - - --- i n g answer t o B a r t l e b y ' s s u f f e r i n g .

The n a r r a t o r , s e n t i m e n t a l and s e l f - p i t y i n g , t r a n s m i t s

t h e on ly t r u t h h e i s c a p a b l e of unders tanding from h i s memory of

Bar t leby . H e h a s undeniab ly s u f f e r e d a l o s s and had a t r a g i c

exper ience . B a r t l e b y The - S c r i v e n e r i s , symbo l i ca l ly , an implo-

s i o n of v i o l e n c e t h a t i n c l u d e s a l l t h e f a l s e n e s s , a l i e n a t i o n , and

deadness of t h a t wor ld , t h a t r eaches stasis o n l y i n t h e h e a r t of

t h e Tonibs, symbo l i cq l ly t h e h e a r t of t h e s t o r y ; even a s it is ,

p a r a d o x i c a l l y , i t s denouement. The p u r s u i t by t h e n a r r a t o r of

B a r t l e b y ' s s i g n i f i c a n c e h a s i n a s ense c r e a t e d t h e t a l e , f o r

76

without his introspective search there is only disjointed experi-

ence. The creation of the story has been, to some degree, a pro-

cess of symbolization, in the sense that the felt tragedy of

~artleby's suffering is understood only to the degree that the

narrator manages to remember his own experience. Thus, given

the narrator's limitations, incompleteness must be the final con-

dition of Bartleby's story, and incompleteness is as well the

appropriate analogy for the foms of knowledge available to men.

COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO! --

Published s h o r t l y a f t e r Bar t l eby The Scr ivener , i n - ~ecember 1853, Cock-A-Dood-le-Doo! -- 58 p r e s e n t s an i n t e r e s t i n g con- - t r a s t t o it. Both s t o r i e s d e a l i n some measure wi th ex t raord in -

a ry men wi th in o rd ina ry appearances and f a m i l i a r s e t t i n g s . How-

ever , when we look a t t h e s p e c i f i c performance of t h e s t o r i e s ,

such s i m i l a r i t i e s l o s e p a r t i c u l a r va lue . S e t t i n g has changed

from t h e Wall S t r e e t of New York Ci ty t o t h e N e w England country-

s i d e ; t h e cons idered premise of a world of comfort , p rogress ,

and m a t e r i a l well-being i n "Bart leby" has become h e r e a world of

hazard, d i s e a s e , and susp ic ion of t echno log ica l change; from a

prosperous lawyer s p e c i a l i s i n g i n mortgages we a r e moved t o t h e

s i g h t of an i n d o l e n t farmer complaining of poverty, who has t o

r a i s e a second mortgage on h i s proper ty . Furthermore, a l though

both s t o r i e s a r e t o l d from t h e f i r s t - p e r s o n point-of-view, t h e

d i f fe rences i n n a r r a t i v e form a r e s u b s t a n t i a l . I n "Bar t leby" ,

t h e n a r r a t o r tries t o t e l l a s t o r y , whose development and i n t e r e s t

depend on t h e n a r r a t o r ' s understanding of t h e s t o r y ' s c e n t r a l ,

mysterious f i g u r e and of h i s experience with him. I n Cock-A- -- ,Doodle-Doo!, t h e n a r r a t i v e development depends n e i t h e r on reco l -

l e c t i o n nor on understanding b u t on t h e n a r r a t o r ' s a b i l i t y t o com-

municate a change-of-being, a conversion from f a t a l i s m t o optimism,

and both 14errymusk and h i s remarkable r o o s t e r have a suppor t ive

r a t h e r t.han dominant r o l e i n t h e accomplishment.

Perhaps because of i t s use of an ext ravagant and jocu la r

conce i t l i k e t h e crowing of a cock t o achi'eve complex a r t i s t i c '

purposes, t h e s t o r y has had a d i f f i c u l t t ime wi th .its c r i t i c s . I t

2 - s u f f e r s i n comparison w i t h B a r t l e b y - The S c r i v e n e r ,

Beni t0 Cereno, and B i l l y Budd, which have a t r a g i c d i g n i t y t o - - *ffset i r o n i c humour. Because o f i t s l a c k o f i n c i d e n t a l develop-

ment, s t r o n g c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n , and symbolic resonance , t h e cri-

t ics have e i t h e r t ended t o see it as a n embar rass ing f a i l u r e or

a s a s p e c i f i c sa t i re on one o r a n o t h e r set o f f i g u r e s . Thus,

f o r example, L e w i s urnf ford^' and Newton Zirvin60 , w e r e among t h e

e a r l i e s t of t h e n o t a b l e modern c r i t ics t o d i s m i s s it o u t of hand;

W i l l i a m Bysshe S t e i n , among o t h e r s , h a s seen t h e s t o r y as an . F

a t t a c k on ~ r a n s c e n d e n t a l i s m , ~ ~ w h i l e Leon Howard h a s i n t e r p r e t e d

it a s a parody of Wordsworth's Reso lu t ion and Independence. 62 - Recent ly , W i l l i a m Di l l ingham h a s argued w e l l t h a t t h e s t o r y i s a

symbolic r e n d e r i n g and a n a l y s i s o f t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p between sexu-

a l i t y and p o e t i c gen ius , 63 However, most c r i t ic i sm h a s had d i f -

f i c u l t y s e e i n g t h e s t o r y as an accomplished p i e c e and h a s t r e a t e d

it a s an amalgam, o r s i n g u l a r development, of sa t i re , s e x u a l

comedy, and e c s t a t i c f e r v o u r . Y e t what i s p r e c i s e l y memorable

about t h e s t o r y i s , a s t h e t i t l e s u g g e s t s , i t s vo ice . I f w e are

t o a s s e s s t h e s t o r y p r o p e r l y w e shou ld c o n s i d e r how e v e n t , meta-

phor, and v o i c e work t o g e t h e r t o produce meaning.

Even a b r i e f , s u p e r f i c i a l look a t t h e s t o r y shows t h a t

appearances a r e d i scon t inuous . The n a r r a t i v e i s i n t e r s p e r s e d

wi th r e a c t i o n and commentary t o an e x t e n t t h a t t h e s e e a s i l y out-

weigh what l i t t l e p l o t - l i n e t h e r e is. Yet i f w e are t o ana lyze

such e v e n t s a s t h e crowing of t h e cock and t h e v i s i t o f t h e dun

w e must have some means o f i n d i c q t i n g t h e d i f f e x e n c e i n deg ree

between t h e s e e v e n t s ; moreover, i f because of d i s c o n t i n u i t y w e

cannot proceed l i n e a r l y w i t h p l o t a n a l y s i s t h e n t h e q u a l i t y o f

events can be our access t o understanding repor ted experience.

The q u a l i t y of even t s can be d i sce rned by d i s c r i m i n a t i n g between

what we can c a l l h igh even t and low even t . A s w i l l soon be - shown, high even t i s meant t o i n d i c a t e unusual experience, of

s p e c i a l , imaginat ive s i g n i f i c a n c e t o t h e n a r r a t o r , and which has

corresponding appropr ia t eness t o t h e a c t i v i t y of metaphor and

i rony. Low event d e s c r i b e s t h e occurrences of t h e everyday,

ord inary world, which t end t o promote r e p e t i t i v e n e s s , d u l l n e s s ,

and f a t a l i s m . . ?

High even t i n t h e s t o r y i s l i m i t e d t o hear ing t h e crow-

i n g of t h e cock, t o d i scover ing i t s whereabouts, and t o witness-

i n g t h e dea ths of Merrymusk and h i s family. I f we examine t h e s e

events c l o s e l y , however, w e f i n d t h a t t h e i r s i g n i f i c a n t f e a t u r e s

happen almost s o l e l y w i t h i n t h e n a r r a t o r ' s consciousness . The

a c t u a l , concre te even t s i n t h i s q u a l i f i c a t i o n , a r e , paradoxica l ly ,

impalpable and t r a n s i t o r y occurrences. Low even t s , on .the o t h e r

hand, desc r ibe t h e n a r r a t o r ' s bus iness , p a r t i c u l a r l y h i s dea l ings

wi th t h e dun. The n a r r a t o r ' s f i r s t a u d i t o r y encounter wi th t h e

cock, a s a high even t , i s desc r ibed i n t h i s way:

"Hark! By Jone, what 's t h a t ? See! t h e very ha i r - t runks p r i c k t h e i r e a r s a t it, and s t a n d and gaze away down i n t o t h e r o l l i n g country yon- de r . Hark again ; How c lea r ! how musical! how prolonged! What a - t r iumphant thanksgiv ing of a cock- crow! "Glory b e t o ~ o d i n t h e high- ------ est!" I t s a y s those very words a s p l a i n a s e v e r cock d i d i n t h i s world. Why, why, I begin t o f e e l a l i t t l e i n s o r t s . again. I t a i n ' t s o very mis ty , a f t e r a l l . The sun yonder i s beginning t o show himself : I f e e l warmer. Cp. 1061

There is no a t tempt t o o b j e c t i f y t h e e p i s o d e thr-ough - impar t i a l

8 0

desc r ip t ion . What we have, i n s t e a d , i s a sudden change i n mood

from melancholia t o exuberance, The cock l s song i s experienced

as enl ivening Nature i t s e l f ; t h e sun s h i n e s through t h e m i s t and

the ca lves , soon af te rwards , show more a c t i v i t y than they had

done f o r s i x months. Never the less , what has changed f o r t h i s

farmer i s somewhat unc lea r i f we look f o r i n d i c a t i o n s e x t e r n a l l y .

Before t h e song, he had a r i s e n from bed, " t o o f u l l of hypos t o

s l eep" Cp. 103) , and had gone f o r a walk on h i s " h i l l s i d e pas tu re"

(p. 103) . He was despondent about "d readfu l c a s u a l t i e s " (p. 103)

both l o c a l l y and worldwide and a l l of Nature seemed t o evince a

kind of dyspepsia , looking "underdone, i t s raw j u i c e s s q u i r t i n g

a l l round" (p. 103) . But t h e c r u c i a l p o i n t of t h e s e d e s c r i p t i o n s

I i s t h a t t h e n a r r a t o r i s n o t only our i n t e r p r e t e r of even t s , b u t ,

a s t h e anthropomorphized d e s c r i p t i o n s of melancholic Nature

imply, t h a t h i s changing consciousness i s t h e only i n t e l l i g i b l e

evidence of what i s happening. H i s consciousness i s t h e mi r ro r

i n t o which we must look f o r s i g n s of s i g n i f i c a n t a c t i v i t y i n t h e

world. Now t h i s i s a l t o g e t h e r d i f f e r e n t from fo l lowing t h e d i s -

course of a f i r s t - p e r s o n n a r r a t o r i n a s t o r y l i k e Bar t leby The - Scr ivener , where e x t e r n a l e v e n t s a r e c l e a r l y desc r ibed and only

t h e a t t i t u d e t o them i s suspec t , p e r m i t t i n g t h e r e a d e r t o d i s -

t i n g u i s h between n a r r a t i v e development and i n t e r n a l commentary.

Here t h e s i g n i f i c a n t even t of t h e crowing cock i s r e l a t e d conver-

s a t i o n a l l y . The cock i t s e l f i s i n v i s i b l e and w e have no indica-

t i o n s t h a t it e x i s t s o t h e r than t h e n a r r a t o r ' s r e a c t i o n s .

This nethod of d i s c l o s u r e c r e a t e s , a s has been mentioned,

an impa lpab i l i ty and t r a n s i e n c e o f exper ience t h a t i t s e l f sugges ts

t h e n a t u r e of appearances. Suddenness, s u r p r i s e , a sense of t h e

myster iousness o f l i f e , are a l l e lements o f t h e marvel lo;^ beyond

appearances , and a r e man i f e s t ed i n v a r i o u s ways th rough t h e sym-

b o l of t h e cock, whose crowing t e l l s t h e n a r r a t o r "Never say

die!" (p. 1 0 7 ) . The n a r r a t o r ' s con t inued exposure t o t h e crowing - i n v i g o r a t e s him, e x a l t s h i s imag ina t ive a p p r e c i a t i o n of l i f e , b u t

f o r most o f t h e s t o r y i s n o t d e s c r i b e d i n t e r m s o t h e r t han sub-

j e c t i v e . I n speak ing of t h e cock, h i s words o n l y f i n d exp res s ion

i n t h e s u p e r l a t i v e range o f meaning: " so s e l f - p o s s e s s e d i n i t s

ve ry r a p t u r e o f e x a l t a t i o n -- s o v a s t , mounting, s w e l l i n g , soar -

i n g , a s i f s p u r t e d o u t from a golden t h r o a t , thrown f a r back"

(p. 110) , " l i k e Xerxes from t h e E a s t " (p. ill), "my i m p e r i a l

Shanghai! my b i r d o f t h e Emperor of China! B r o t h e r o f t h e Sun!"

(p. 1 1 2 1 , " l i k e a j o l l y b o l t of thunder w i t h b e l l s t o it" (p.

1 1 7 ) . I n t h i s way, t h e h i g h e v e n t of such e x p e r i e n c e s i s shown

t o b e an i n t e r n a l a p p r e c i a t i o n and expans ion o f meaning r a t h e r

t han an occur rence s e p a r a b l e and d i s t i n c t i n t h e n a t u r a l s e t t i n g

from e lements o f n a r r a t i v e v o i c e and p l o t , even though t h e t one

i s i n p a r t i r o n i c and mocking.

When w e compare t h e n a r r a t o r ' s e x p e r i e n c e of t h e roos-

ter w i t h t h e v i s i t o f t h e dun, t h e d i f f e r e n c e s i n t r e a t m e n t a r e

immediately e v i d e n t . High e v e n t becomes low even t :

I f e l t i n rare s p i r i t s t h e whole morning. The dun c a l l e d about e l even . I had t h e boy J a k e send t h e dun up. I w a s r e a d i n g T r i s t r a m Shandy, and cou ld n o t go down under t h e c i r cums tances . The l e a n rascal (a l e a n f a rmer , t o o -- t h i n k of t h a t ! 1 e n t e r e d , . and found m e s e a t e d i n an a rmcha i r , w i t h my f e e t on t h e table , and t h e second b o t t l e of brown-stout handy, and t h e book under eye. (p. 108-109)

The commonplace circumstances -- t h e s e r v i n g of a b i l l -I t h e

jocular tone and broad humour of t h i s and t h e rest of t h e epi -

sode, i n which t h e n a r r a t o r t r i e s t o engage t h e dun i n hear ing

a sexual joke about "Uncle Toby and t h e Widow Waxman" (p. l o g ) ,

and t h e more o r l e s s r e a l i s t i c approach t o r e l a t i n g t h e episode,

a l l serve t o i d e n t i f y t h e o r d i n a r i n e s s of t h e event . What has

changed, of course , i s t h e n a r r a t o r ' s a t t i t u d e i n d e a l i n g with t h e

problem of unpaid deb t s . Thanks t o h i s new found v igour and o p t i -

m i s m , he i s r i d of t h e dun e a s i l y . The e n t i r e e v e n t i s somewhat

f a r c i c a l , b u t what i s r e l e v a n t i n terms of t h i s d i s c u s s i o n i s

i t s c l e a r e x p o s i t i o n and i t s f a m i l i a r , e a r t h y , b a n t e r i n g manner.

We a r e n o t i n t h e presence of highmindedness nor amidst impalpa-

b i l i t y , t r a n s i e n c e , and mystery.

I n t r i g u e d by t h e repeated song, t h e n a r r a t o r f e e l s he

must l e a r n who owns t h e marvellous b i r d . H e undertakes a jour-

ney, " resolved t o walk t h e e n t i r e country" (p. 113) t o . learn

which r i c h farmer owns such a c r e a t u r e . He v i s i t s s e v e r a l farms

bu t does n o t d i scover t h e b i r d . However, t h e journey i t s e l f i s

f a n t a s t i c a l , a mixture of "high" and "low" i n t e n t i o n s . On t h e

one hand, we have t h e c a u s t i c humour of t h e episode wi th t h e dun

repeated i n t h e n a r r a t o r ' s encounters wi th two o l d farmers . The

f i r s t i s unable t o t e l l him anything u s e f u l f o r he has never

heard t h e "Emperor of China's chant ic leer1 ' (p. 113) . The mention

of "V7idow Crowfoot" and "Squire Squaretoes" e x h i b i t s M e l v i l l e ' s

humour i n i t s s a t i r i c and f a r c i c a l ve in , a s t h e names a r e sugges-

t i v e b f Tr i s t r am Shandy i n i t s sexual joking64 and of a kind of

nonsensical debunking of t h e conversa t iona l a b i l i t y of farmers.

The o the r o l d man, "mending a tumble-down o l d r a i l - f e n c e " (p. 113)

83

with r o t t e n timbers, i s a p i c t u r e of " id iocy" (p. 1 1 4 ) aid of t h e

absurd, mindless a g r a r i a n r o u t i n e t h a t o f t e n l e a d s t o it, The

n a r r a t o r a l s o v i s i t s a weal thy farmer who shows him t e n Shanghai

r o o s t e r s , b u t t h e s i g h t of t h e t e n "car ro t -coloured monsters,

without t h e s m a l l e s t p r e t e n s i o n t o e f fu lgence of plumage" (p.

115) i s enough t o i n d i c a t e t h a t t h e n a r r a t o r ' s noble r o o s t e r can-

n o t be one of t h e s e . Indeed, t h e t h r e e episodes on t h e journey

demonstrate t h a t t h e n a r r a t o r i s t h e only being t h u s f a r t o have

heard t h e remarkable r o o s t e r . Once a g a i n , ' t h e homely, p e d e s t r i a n ,

impression of t h e even t s impl ie s t h e low s c a l e of meaning; t h e

s p e c i f i c i r o n i e s concerning t h e i n t e l l e c t u a l c a p a c i t y of some

farmers and t h e doubles e n t e n d r e s r e i n f o r c e t h e debunking a t t i -

tude.

The journey i s a l s o , on t h e o t h e r hand, a metaphor f o r

t h e p i l g r i m ' s p rogress . The urge t o f i n d t h e t r anscenden ta l b i r d

is , i n t h i s view, t h e u rge f o r s a l v a t i o n on t h i s e a r t h . . The high

tone of such an analogy is, of course , immediately d e f l a t e d by

t h e encounter wi th t h e t h r e e farmers , who have only i d l e c h a t ,

i d iocy , and mere m a t e r i a l a c q u i s i t i o n s t o o f f e r . H e must proceed

on f a i t h a lone , f o r t h e o n l y evidence of t h e b i r d ' s e x i s t e n c e ,

I . ( t h e alchemical go ld of s e l f - r e a l i z a t i o n ) , i s h i s own experience

and invigora ted s p i r i t s .

The journey o p e r a t e s , i n a sense , a s a synechdoche f o r

t h e whole s t o r y . The n a r r a t o r begins alone and ends a lone , He i s

a s impoverished a s e v e r a t t h e s t o r y ' s c l o s e b u t he has won f a i t h

i n t h e p o s s i b i l i t y of s p i r i t u a l regenera t ion through his encounter

wi th Merrymusk and t h e b i r d . He has learned how t o be h e r o i c

amidst t h e ca tas t rophes ' of t h e world. The e a r l y des ' c r ip t ion of t h e

8 4

h a t e d t r a i n a s an " o l d dragonPg Cp. 105) and i t s i d e n t i f i d a t i o n

theme of t h e mythic b a t t l e w i t h t h e dragon. Graced by t h e c o c k ' s

crowing, t h e n a r r a t o r t e m p o r a r i l y wins a r e p r i e v e from t h e dun, a

momentary v i c t o r y . But m a t e r i a l n e c e s s i t y f i n a l l y i n t r u d e s and a

second mortgage i s t aken o u t on t h e farm, The n a r r a t o r c o n t i n u e s

o p t i m i s t i c a l l y b u t t h e c o n t r a d i c t i o n s o f m a i n t a i n i n g hope and joy

i n a world o f " d r e a d f u l c a s u a l t i e s " and m a t e r i a l u n c e r t a i n t y are

n o t reso lved . The c r u c i a l p o i n t i n t h i s development i s t h e credi:

b i l i t y of f a i t h . Is t h e r e enough ev idence t o s u p p o r t i r r a t i o n a l

b e l i e f ? A s i n t h e journey t o f i n d t h e cock, what i s d i s c l o s e d

i s t h e e x t e r n a l r e a l i t y o f p o v e r t y , d i s e a s e , tedium, and t h e

i n t e r n a l r e a l i t y of c o n v i c t i o n based on r a p t u r e . A s a n a t t a c k

on Transcendental ism, t h e c o n t r a d i c t i o n s a l r e a d y mentioned are

enough t o convince a r e a d e r o f t h e s t o r y ' s r e b u t t a l of -- f o r

example -- Thoreau ' s a t t e m p t t o f i n d p r e l a p s a r i a n innocence a t

Walden Pond. 65 However, such a s a t i r i c p o r t r a y a l i s on ly i n c i -

d e n t a l and n o t t h e measure o f t h e s t o r y ' s achievement. To f i n d

t h e evidence f o r t h i s view, w e have on ly t o re-examine how t h e

s t o r y uses c o n t r a d i c t i o n t o create a suspens ion of judgment.

I have used t h e h y p o t h e t i c a l t e r m s "h igh e v e n t " and "low

even t " no t t o impose a s t r u c t u r e b u t t o a t t e m p t t o show t h e d i s - -

appearance of s t r u c t u r e . Transcendence, q u e s t , f a i t h -- a l l of

h i g h tone -- have i n themse lves no s u r e b a s i s i n t h e n a r r a t i v e .

W e have a l r e a d y seen how t h e t r a n s c e n d e n t song o f t h e r o o s t e r sug-

g e s t s an e v o l v i n g p a t t e r n of e x p e r i e n c e and meaning, y e t u n t i l h e

d i s c o v e r s t h a t Merrymusk i s t h e owner o f t h e b i r d t h e n a r r a t o r i s

a l o n e i n a p p r e c i a t i n g i t s beauty . Indeed , t h e r e a d e r i s k e p t from

85

t h e experience a s w e l l , f o r i t i s repor ted and n o t rende;ed u n t i l

t h e c l o s i n g scenes. F a i t h i s shown t o be i r r a t i o n a l , and t h e

sheer weight of f a r c e , i r o n y , and s a t i r i c humour s o i s o l a t e s it

from an accep tab le v i s i o n of r e a l i t y t h a t it remains p r i v a t e and

' incomunicable . The n a r r a t o r ' s journey, of noble purpose, sug-

g e s t s a s p i r i t u a l q u e s t , b u t what he f i n d s i s mundane and r i d i -

culous, and noth ing on t h e q u e s t even i n d i c a t e s t h e ex i s t ence of

such a b i r d of marvels. The v i s i o n a r y s t a n c e i s introduced wi th

w i t and enthusiasm and then debunked, a n d ' y e t t h e v i s i o n a r y pur- . *

pose cont inues d e s p i t e ca lami ty and dea th , i n t h e f a c e of pov-

e r t y , t o f i n i s h wi th a r e -a f f i rma t ion of "crowing" i n a l l c i r -

cumstances (p. 128) . Noble purpose and broad humour, sublime

thought and mundane compl ica t ions , t h e forward-reaching, formative

power of t r anscenden ta l exper ience and t h e r e g r e s s i v e , f a l l i n g -

into-formlessness of tedium and d e b i l i t y , a l l come t o g e t h e r t o

c r e a t e an ambiguous f l u x of exper ience t h a t cannot e a s i l y be

c h a r a c t e r i s e d a s one o r another i r o n i c s t r u c t u r e .

A comparison of two passages w i l l make t h i s iconoclas-

t i c tendency more c l e a r . I n an e a r l y s e c t i o n of t h e s t o r y , t h e

n a r r a t o r v e n t s h i s anger a t t h e r a i l r o a d s f o r d i s t u r b i n g r u r a l

peace and being s u b j e c t t o h o r r i f i c acc iden t s :

Great improvements of t h e age! What! t o c a l l t h e f a c i l i t a t i o n . of dea th and murder an improve- ment! Who wants t o t r a v e l s o f a s t ? My grandfa the r d i d n o t , and he was no f o o l . Hark! here comes t h a t o l d dragon again -- t h a t g i g a n t i c gadf ly of a Moloch -- snor t ! puff! scream! -- h e r e 'he comes s t r a i g h t - b e n t through t h e s e v e r n a l ' woods, l i k e t h e A s i a t i c cho le ra c a n t e r i n g on a camel. Stand as ide! h e r e he comes, t h e c h a r t e r e d murderer! t h e

death monopolizer! judge, jury , and hangman a l l t o g e t h e r , whose v i c t i m s d i e always wi thout b e n e f i t of c l e rgy . For two hundred and f i f t y mi les t h a t i r o n f i e n d goes y e l l i n g through t h e land, c ry ing "more! more! more!" Would t h a t f i f t y c o n s p i r i n g mountains would f a l l a t o p of him! And, while they were about it, would they would a l s o f a l l a t o p of t h a t sma l l e r dunning f i e n d , my c r e d i t o r ,.. (p. 1051

The passage i s an e f f e c t i v e p i e c e of d i a t r i b e . But t h e i n t e n s i t y

of f e e l i n g and t h e ou t l and i sh imagery ( " g i g a n t i c gadf ly of a . P

~ o l o c h " , "cholera c a n t e r i n g on a camel") , c a l l a t t e n t i o n t o them-

s e l v e s r a t h e r than t o t h e a l l e g e d i n j u s t i c e s o f t h e r a i l r o a d s .

When t h e n a r r a t o r changes i n mid-stream t o an a t t a c k on h i s c re-

d i t o r , t h e c r i t i c i s m i s more i n t e r e s t i n g f o r i t s express iveness

than f o r i t s con ten t . When t h e n a r r a t o r r e l i e s on t h e k i n e t i c

a b i l i t y of h i s language t o r e - c r e a t e t h e f i r g h t f u l power of t h e

t r a i n moving through t h e count rys ide a t t h a t moment, t h e r e s u l t

i s a d i s l o c a t i o n , f o r we a r e f u r t h e r d i s t a n c e d from a v a i l a b l e

r e a l i t y , i r o n i c a l l y i n t h e mids t of an a t t a c k on t h e a l l - too-

r e a l cond i t ions of mechanical s l a v e r y and s u f f e r i n g . Th i s d i s -

l o c a t i o n , both i n e f f e c t and i n t e n s i t y , i s s i m i l a r t o t h e d i s l o -

c a t i o n t h a t occurs i n t h e n a r r a t o r ' s en t ranced exper ience i n hear-

i n g t h e "noble cock", s i n c e , i n t h a t case t o o , t h e e x t e r n a l world

d isappears i n favour of an i n t e n s e , i n t e r n a l experience.

These d i s l o c a t i o n s occur throughout t h e t e x t , confound-

i n g our sense of e x t e r n a l appearances and i n c r e a s i n g our a t t e n -

t i o n ' t o and r e l i a n c e on t h e v a r i a t i o n s of mood and consciousness

i n t h e n a r r a t o r , The f i r s t f i v e paragraphs p l a c e us i n t h e s e t -

t i n g ; t h e n e x t dozen o r s o paragraphs d i s l o c a t e u s from t h e s e t -

a u d i t i o n of t h e r o o s t e r ' s song; t h e r e a f t e r , w i t h t h e v i s i t of

t h e dun and t h e s e a r c h f o r t h e r o o s t e r ' s home, w e are moved i n

and o u t of t h e n a t u r a l s e t t i n g by r e p e a t e d a u d i t i o n s and d i g r e s -

s i o n s on t h e s u p e r l a t i v e q u a l i t i e s of t h e cock. The e f f e c t o f

such d i s l o c a t i o n s i s t o sugges t i l l u s o r i n e s s o f appearances and

t h e u n r e a l i t y of s t r u c t u r e s .

The second o f t h e passages worth l o o k i n g a t from t h e

point-of-view o f i c o n o c l a s t i c tendency o c c u r s when t h e n a r r a t o r . ,

i s se rved w i t h a w r i t d u r i n g lunch a t a pub:

When I u n r o l l e d t h e c i g a r , I unro l - l e d t h e c i v i l - p r o c e s s , and t h e con- s t a b l e s t a n d i n g by r o l l e d o u t , w i th a t h i c k tongue , "Take no t ice !" and added, i n a wh i spe r , "Pu t t h a t i n your p i p e and smoke it:"

I t u r n e d s h o r t round upon t h e gen- t lemen t h e n and t h e r e p r e s e n t i n t h a t bar-room. S a i d I , "Gentlemen, i s t h i s an honourab le -- nay, i s t h i s a l a w f u l way o f s e r v i n g a c i v i l p r o c e s s ? Behold!"

One and a l l t h e y w e r e of op in ion , t h a t it w a s a h i g h l y i n e l e g a n t act i n t h e c o n s t a b l e t o t a k e advantage o f a gen t leman ' s l unch ing on cheese and p o r t e r , t o b e s o u n c i v i l a s t o s l i p a c i v i l - p r o c e s s i n t o h i s h a t . I t was ungenerous; it was c r u e l ; f o r t h e sudden shock of t h e t h i n g coming i n s t a n t e r upon t h e lunch, would i m p a i r t h e p r o p e r d i g e s t i o n o f t h e cheese , which i s p r o v e r b i a l l y n o t s o e a s y o f d i g e s t i o n as blanc- nange. Cp. 116-1171

A t f i r s t g l ance , t h i s ep i sode r e a d s a s a f a i r l y r e a l i s t i c po r t r ay -

a l , wikh sone humour, of a s imple m i s f o r t u n e . .It i s t h e k i n d of

low e v e n t , a l r e a d y d i s c u s s e d , t h a t d i s r u p t s t h e n a r r a t o r ' s high-

minded i n t e r e s t i n s e a r c h i n g f o r t h e s o u r c e o f h i s t r a n s c e n d e n t a l

8 8

exper iences . Moreover, it i s r e l a t e d i n an i r o n i c f a s h i o n t o t h e i

f i r s t of t h e s e two pas sages by i n d i c a t i n g t h e v i c t o r y of t h e mat-

e r i a l i s t i c dragon f o r c e s , ( h e r e i n t h e shape of a d u n ' s c i v i l

w r i t ) , and t h u s imply ing t h e i m p r o b a b i l i t y of s u c c e s s f u l q u e s t i n g

i n such an u n c e r t a i n world. However, a c l o s e r look c a s t s doubt

on t h e a p p r o p r i a t e n e s s o f a r e a l i s t i c r ead ing . What a r e we t o

make of t h e n a r r a t o r ' s a t t i t u d e t o h i s m i s f o r t u n e ? He has been

se rved wi th a summons f o r a b i l l t h a t he canno t pay. I t w i l l

mean a second mortgage on h i s p r o p e r t y , Y e t p e rhaps because of ,

t h e combination o f a new-found optimism and p o r t e r , a l l t h a t stri-

kes him a s worthy of comment i s t h e i n c i v i l i t y o f b e i n g n o t i f i e d

i n such a manner. The n a r r a t o r ' s g l i b n e s s s e e m s p u z z l i n g u n l e s s

w e r ead t h e e n t i r e s cene as a f a r c i c a l ep i sode . The t h r e e e l e -

ments of t h e e p i s o d e -- f i n d i n g t h e w r i t wrapped around t h e

c i g a r i n f r o n t o f t h e w i s e a c r i n g c o n s t a b l e , t h e n a r r a t o r t u r n i n g

i n a c a v a l i e r manner t o add res s t h e o t h e r d r i n k e r s i and t h e un-

animously f a v o u r a b l e response of t h e d r i n k e r s t o t h e n a r r a t o r -- a r e a wonder fu l ly improbable and comic t r e a t m e n t of what i s ,

f i n a l l y , a mundane i s s u e . What w e a r e made t o w i t n e s s i s t h e

c r e a t i o n of sudden comedy f o r no o t h e r purpose t h a n i r r e v e r e n c e . 66

Momentarily, w e l o s e s i g h t of noble i d e a l s as w e respond t o t h e

absurd p i c t u r e of a c i v i l - p r o c e s s impa i r ing " t h e d i g e s t i o n of

t h e cheese , which i s p r o v e r b i a l l y n o t s o e a s y of d i g e s t i o n a s

blancmange." Such i r r e v e r e n c e i s v e r y d i f f i c u l t t o c l a s s i f y ,

( s i n c e i t would denounce classification^, and t h u s a c t s a s a

d i s l o c ' a t i n g f a c t o r i n t h e c o n t i n u i t y of t one . 'Of c o u r s e , con t in -

u i t y of tone i s a h o p e l e s s term f o r such a s t o r y , s i n c e , a s we

s h a l l s e e l a t e r , t o n e h a s a v a r i e t y of d i f f e r i n g m a n i f e s t a t i o n s

What i s important f o r us t o cons ider a t t h i s p o i n t i s

t h e ambiguous r o l e o f i r r e v e r e n c e i n t h e l a t t e r passage. I f we

a r e t o say t h a t it simply has t h e func t ion of showing t h e nar ra-

t o r t o be a c h e e r f u l f o o l , w i l l i n g t o ignore m a t e r i a l f a c t s i n

p r s u i t of h i s noble aims, then how a r e we t o i n t e r p r e t t h e d e l i -

c a t e r e l a t i o n s h i p between t h e n a r r a t o r a s c h a r a c t e r and t h e nar ra-

t o r a s c r e a t o r of t h e comedy? I f t h e n a r r a t o r i s M e l v i l l e ' s

dupe, then w e must f a c e t h e c o n t r a d i c t i o n of t h e n a r r a t o r ' s a- .

wareness i n t h e e v i d e n t l y comic tone of h i s i n t r o s p e c t i o n s :

"But, my dea r and g l o r i o u s cock," mused I , upon second thought , "one c a n ' t s o e a s i l y send t h i s world t o po t ; one c a n ' t s o e a s i l y be j o l l y wi th c i v i l - p r o c e s s e s i n h i s h a t o r hand." (p. 117)

This i s only one of many examples of h i s o f t e n ex t ravagan t humour,

b u t it serves t o i n d i c a t e t h a t we cannot e a s i l y d i smiss t h e narra-

t o r a s a naive i d e a l i s t o r misled s t o i c . The paragraphs immedi-

a t e l y fol lowing t h e t a v e r n episode show a s e r i e s of d i s l o c a t i o n s

of a t t i t u d e and tone. The ad jo in ing paragraph d i s c l o s e s t h e mel-

ancholy and s e l f - p i t y w e might have expected i n t h e t a v e r n , b u t it

does s o with a k i n d of pos tu r ing t h a t conceals t h e "abused", .

"unappreciated", "miserable" f e e l i n g s of t h e n a r r a t o r (p. 117).

In t h e next , t h e n a r r a t o r suddenly h e a r s t h e " a l l - g l o r i o u s and -

d e f i a n t crow" (p. 117) of t h e cock which once more u p l i f t s him.

Then we a r e moved i n t h e succeeding paragraphs i n t o an in t rospec -

t i v e d.ebate, conducted humourously b u t wi th t h e Se r ious aim of

r e so lv ing an a t t i t u d e towards m a t e r i a l hardship. Ne i the r by point-

of-view nor by d e s c r i p t i o n , n e i t h e r by a t t i t u d e nor by analogy, i s

it e a s y ' t o make t h e t r a n s i t i o n i n t h e s e

n a l r e a l i t y . If t h e t o n e i s humourous,

90

few pa rag raphs t o e x t e r -

i r o n i c a l , or f a r c i c a l ,

and t h e c o n t e n t i s i n t r o s p e c t i v e , t h e n w e have no s u r e b a s i s f o r

a s s e s s i n g e v e n t s o t h e r t h a n t h e v a r i a t i o n s o f consc iousness .

~ o c a t i o n i s i n t e r n a l i z e d , and as such , can d i s a p p e a r o r re-

c r e a t e i t s e l f t o s u i t t h e p a r t i c u l a r i n t e n t i o n s o f f e e l i n g i n

t h e moment.

W e shou ld a l s o beware o f f a l l i n g back on t h e view of a

d i a l e c t i c a l s t r u c t u r e , a l b e i t p h i l o s o p h i c a l r a t h e r t h a n experien-, ,

t i a l . There i s no ev idence t o suppose t h a t M e l v i l l e i s propos ing

an examinat ion o f t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p s between immediacy and t h e

uncond i t i ona l n e c e s s i t y o f n a t u r a l laws, as p e r t a i n i n g t o a

s ta te -of -be ing . I f , th roughout t h e s t o r y , t o n e is changing and

l o c a t i o n i s c o n t i n u a l l y u n s e t t l e d , t hen c o n s i s t e n c y o f argument

i s a l s o s u s p e c t . The n a r r a t o r does respond t o an a f f i r m a t i v e

ca l l d e s p i t e b e i n g aware of t h e eve rp re sence o f h a r d s h i p and

s u f f e r i n g , and h e makes no s e r i o u s a t t e m p t t o r e s o l v e such a d i s -

crepancy. Thus, an i r o n i c p o r t r a y a l o f Transcendenta l i sm o r an

examination o f t h e d e s t r u c t i v e a s p e c t s of s e x u a l i t y , as p o s s i b l e

themes of t h e s t o r y , shou ld b e s een as e lements r a t h e r t h a n d e t e r -

minants of t h e n a r r a t i v e .

The n a r r a t o r ' s meet ing w i t h Kerrymusk c l a r i f i e s t h e

deeper ranges of meaning. There i s a c o n c r e t e and homely q u a l i t y

i n t h e d e s c r i p t i o n o f Merrymusk sawing l o g s i n t h e snow, and a sob-

r i e t y t h a t h a s been mis s ing from t h e n a r r a t i v e . The low t o n e of

t h e a d t i v i t y i s mediated by t h e h igh t o n e o f a . m y s t e r i o u s p re sence

i n t h e sawyer -- " a c e r t a i n s i n g u l a r man" (p. 118) who h a s a

" l a t e n t l y joyous eye" (p . 118 ) . Merrymusk i s a former s a i l o r -

9 1

u e s t o r , who h a s g iven up t h e world and now c o n t e n t s h imself w i t h

i n l a n d e x i s t e n c e - H i s l i f e h a s been h a r d s h i p and s u f f e r i n g , and

he can b a r e l y m e e t t h e needs of h i s i n v a l i d w i f e and f o u r s i c k l y

& i l d r e n . Y e t d e s p i t e such m i s f o r t u n e , he h a s a r e s i l i e n c e i n

h i s c h a r a c t e r t h a t a l l ows him t o c o n t i n u e ~ u n c o m p l a i n i n g and t o

work wi th "wondrous i n t e n s i t y of a p p l i c a t i o n " p . 8 ) H e i s a

s i l e n t man and h i s s i l e n c e i s such t h a t it s t r i k e s t h e n a r r a t o r

a s "of t h e mind o f Solomon" p 1 9 . Y e t Merrymusk remains a n

ambiguous f i g u r e , f o r a l t hough he i n s p i r e s ' r e s p e c t , t h e n a r r a t o r .

i s a l s o a p p a l l e d by Merrymusk's "views o f t h i n g s " (p . 126) con-

c e r n i n g t h e s t o i c a l accep tance o f misery and dea th . Merrymusk's

s i l e n c e i s n o t e a s i l y i n t e r p r e t e d , a l t hough it s u r e l y s i g n i f i e s

a c e r t a i n p r o f u n d i t y of be ing . How w e can accommodate t h i s new

s e r i o u s n e s s w i t h t h e g e n e r a l i r r e v e r e n c e t h a t h a s preceded it i s

n o t a t first clear. But i f w e recal l M e l v i l l e ' s t r e a t m e n t o f s i l -

ence i n p rev ious works we do g e t t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f a new per-

s p e c t i v e .

S i l e n c e , f o r M e l v i l l e , u s u a l l y connotes t h e e x t r a o r d i n -

a r y , whether i n n a t u r a l o r s a c r e d forms. I n Moby Dick, t h e r e i s - t h e s i l e n c e o f t h e P a c i f i c , as l a r g e , as mys te r ious , as numinous

.as L i f e i t s e l f ; t h e r e are a l s o t h e brooding s i l e n c e s of Ahab,

t h e sagac ious s i l e n c e of Bulk ing ton , t h e daimonic s i l e n c e s o f . -

Queequeg, Tashtego, Daggoo. I n each o f t h e men, s i l e n c e s i g n i f i e s ,

a s w e l l a s c o n c e a l s , an i n n e r l i f e of t h e mind and s p i r i t , t h a t

i s ambivalent i n i t s p o t e n t i a l m a n i f e s t a t i o n s . 67 T h i s k i n d o f

human s i l e n c e i s n e i t h e r o f good nor o f e v i l though it can l end

i t se l f t o bo th . I n P i e r r e , M e l v i l l e t e l l s us :

9 2

A l l profound t h i n g s , and emotions of t h i n g s a r e preceded and a t tended by S i l ence . What a s i l e n c e is t h a t wi th which t h e p a l e b r i d e precedes t h e respons ive I w i l l ... Si lence i s t h e genera l consec ra t ion of t h e universe . S i l e n c e i s t h e i n v i s i b l e l ay ing on of t h e Divine P o n t i f f ' s

, hands upon t h e world. S i l ence i s a t once t h e most harmless and t h e most awful t h i n g i n a l l na ture . I t speaks of t h e r e se rved f o r c e s of Fa te . S i l e n c e i s t h e only Voice of our God.

Nor i s t h i s s o augus t S i l ence con- f i n e d t o t h i n g s simply touching o r . * grand. Like t h e a i r , S i l e n c e per- meates a l l t h i n g s

" '68

~f s i l e n c e i s u n i v e r s a l and profound, con ta in ing a l l t h i n g s w i t h i n

it, then any va lue can be a t t a c h e d t o it a t a p a r t i c u l a r i n s t a n t

of t ime i n t h e absence of d e f i n i t i v e i n d i c a t i o n s . B a r t l e b y ' s s i l -

ence i s a t d i f f e r e n t t imes and cumula t ive ly , p a t h e t i c , f r i g h t e n i n g ,

touching and profound. I n - - Cock-A-Doodle-Dool, Merrymusk's s i l e n c e

i s a s n a t u r a l a s t h e i n c l i n a t i o n t o se l f -possess ion and a s prob-

lemat ic a s t h e marvellous crowing of t h e r o o s t e r . H i s s i l e n c e

cannot be reduced t o a t h e o r e t i c a l b a s i s , by t h e simple f a c t t h a t

it precedes and supercedes language. Thus, t h e j o l l y and loqua-

cous n a r r a t o r cannot poss ib ly understand t h e s i l e n c e of ~ e r r y m u s k .

The n a r r a t o r con jec tu res t h a t Merrymusk i s "of t h e mind of

Solomon" (p. 1 1 9 ) , b u t fo l lows t h a t by supposing j o c u l a r l y t h a t

Merrymusk might make an " e x c e l l e n t man f o r P r e s i d e n t of t h e un i t ed

S t a t e s " (.p. 119) .

The s i l e n c e of Merrymusk presages t h e g r e a t e r s i l e n c e

of dea th encompassing t h e apoca lyp t i c b l a s t of t h e cock a t t h e

end of t h e s t o r y . I t s ambivalence corresponds t o o t h e r , moral

ambivalencies i n t h e s t o r y , a t which we s h a l l have a c l o s e look

r

93

l a t e r . Fur thermore, i t s p r e c i s e p l a c e i n t h e n a r r a t i v e , fol low-

i n g t h e n a r r a t o r ' s s u s p i c i o n t h a t h i s h e a r i n g o f t h e c o c k ' s song .

may be a d e c e p t i o n , is a s i g n i f i c a n t t u r n i n g - p o i n t towards t h e

r e v e l a t i o n s o f t h e ending. The n a r r a t o r ' s remembrance of Merry-

s i l e n t l a b o u r s , i t s e l f t ouch ing upon t h e n o t i o n of t h e

e x t r a o r d i n a r y r e s i d i n g w i t h i n t h e o r d i n a r y , i s a l s o noteworthy

because it c r e a t e s a human mystery o u t o f what has been on ly a

n a t u r a l mystery. I n t h i s way, t h e moral c o n s i d e r a t i o n s of res-

p o n s i b i l i t y , beau ty a t t h e expense of v i t a l i t y , t h e c r e d i b i l i t y . *

of f a i t h , and t h e p l a u s i b i l i t y of s u r v i v a l a f t e r d e a t h are exer-

c i s e d wi thou t s p o i l i n g t h e comic i r r e v e r e n c e o f t h e n a r r a t o r . H e

becomes aware o f t h e deeper range o f s i g n i f i c a n c e o f h i s expe r i -

ences i n r e l a t i o n s h i p t o Merrymusk, and t h u s i s compelled, a t

least momentari ly, t o d rop h i s i r r e v e r e n t t o n e .

A t Merrymusk's, t h e n a r r a t o r f i n a l l y sees h i s marvel-

lous cock: " t h e most r e s p l e n d e n t c r e a t u r e t h a t e v e r b l e s s e d t h e

s i g h t of man." To d e s c r i b e t h e cock, t h e n a r r a t o r can only t h i n k

of mythic h e r o e s , as i f t h e r a p t u r e of s e e i n g t h e cock w e r e be-

yond t h e normal r e a c h e s of language. Rapture changes t o misgiv-

i n g as t h e n a r r a t o r sees t h e a i l i n g fami ly . Y e t t h e c a r e f u l l y

d e s c r i b e d d e t a i l of t h e r o o s t e r ' s g l o r i f y i n g crow s u g g e s t s an

ambiguity i n t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p between beau ty and s u f f e r i n g :

I looked a t t h e cock ... There was ^

a s t r a n g e s u p e r n a t u r a l look o f con- t r a s t abou t him. H e i r r a d i a t e d t h e shan ty ; h e g l o r i f i e d i t s meanness. H e g l o r i f i e d t h e b a t t e r e d c h e s t , and t a t t e r e d g ray c o a t , and t h e bunged h a t . He g l o r i f i e d t h e ve ry v o i c e s which came i n a i l i n g t o n e s from behind t h e s c r e e n . Cp. 123-1241

The f a c t t h a t t h e ve ry o b j e c t s i n t h e shan ty s e e m g l o r i f i e d i s

,

ndeniab le ; on t h e o t h e r hand, when t h e i n t e n s i t y passes ; t h e

~ o v e r t y and s u f f e r i n g remain, and what is more d i s t u r b i n g , s e l f -

de lus ion i s a r i s k under t h e enchantment o f t h e b i r d . Merrymusk

i s n o t bo the red by any such r i s k . H e b e a r s t h e outward marks of

d e n i a l and t h e inward l i g h t o f joy. Embodied as it is , t h e con-

t r a d i c t i o n canno t r e s o l v e i t s e l f u n t i l t h e d e a t h o f t h e body.

The n a r r a t o r responds t o t h e ev idence o f h a r d s h i p by say ing :

I t must be a d o l e f u l l i f e , t h e n , f o r a l l concerned, T h i s l o n e l y s o l i t u d e -- t h i s s h a n t y -- h a r d work -- ha rd t i m e s . (p. 125) . P

But Merrymusk answers:

Haven ' t I Trumpet? H e ' s t h e cheer- er. H e crows th rough a l l ; crows a t t h e d a r k e s t ; Glory t o God i n t h e h i g h e s t : c o n t i n u a l l y h e crows it. (p . 125)

T h i s penu l t ima te ' ep i sode i n t h e s t o r y r e v e a l s a cr is is

of conf idence i n t h e n a r r a t o r . H e must a c q u i e s c e when Merrymusk

speaks of t h e c h e e r i n g p r o p e r t i e s o f Trumpet; b u t it is. t h e

t h r e a t of " t h e d a r k e s t " (p . 125) t h a t f r i g h t e n s him. The n a r r a t o r

does n o t s h a r e Merlymusk's f a i t h . When he t e l l s us : "The cock

f r i g h t e n e d m e , l i k e some overpowering a n g e l i n t h e Apocalypse"

(p. 124) , t h e s u g g e s t i o n seems t o be t h a t t h e ,marvel lous crowing

'may a l s o b e a b r i n g e r of dea th . The t enuousness o f ~ e r r y m u s k ' s

ho ld on l i f e i s n o t something t h e n a r r a t o r c o u l d e a s i l y a s c r i b e

t o . H e l e a v e s f o r home " i n a deep mood" Cp. 1251. However, t h e

Power of t h e d e a t h of t h e Merrymusks i s s o compel l ing t h a t o rd in-

a r y f e a r s seem h a r d l y t o p e r t a i n :

The p a l l o r of t h e c h i l d r e n changed t o r ad i ance . T h e i r f a c e s shone c e l e s t i a l l y t h rough grime and d i r t . They seemed c h i l d r e n o f emperors

and k i n g s , d i s g u i s e d . The Cock sprang upon t h e i r bed , shook him- s e l f , and crowed, and crowed aga in , and s t i l l and s t i l l aga in . He seemed b e n t upon crowing t h e s o u l s of t h e c h i l d r e n o u t o f t h e i r was- t e d bodies . H e seemed b e n t upon r e j o i c i n g i n s t a n t e r t h i s whole f ami ly i n t h e upper a i r . The c h i l d r e n seemed t o second h i s endeavours. F a r , deep , i n t e n s e longings f o r release t r a n s f i g u r e d them i n t o s p i r i t s b e f o r e my eyes.. I s a w a n g e l s where t h e y l a y . (p . 127)

The joy and s u f f e r i n g , t h e beau ty and t e r r o r o f l i f e seem t r a n s - . *

f i x e d i n t h i s t r a n s c e n d e n t a l expe r i ence . One h a r d l y remembers

t h a t d e a t h i s b e i n g d e s c r i b e d . Y e t w i t h t h e demise o f t h e cock,

a grimmer r e a l i t y reasserts i t s e l f . The n a r r a t o r h a s been w i t n e s s

t o a t r a n s i e n t moment o f g r e a t beau ty and t e r r o r , y e t what he

l e a r n s from it i s ambiguous. There i s no c o n v i c t i o n of an a f t e r -

l i f e and t h e p r e s e n t l i f e i s u n a l t e r e d i n i t s p r e c a r i o u s n e s s .

I r o n i c a l l y , t h e Merrymusksf g raves a r e l o c a t e d "n igh t h e r a i l -

road t r a c k " (p. 1 2 8 ) , imply ing t h e unchanging c o n d i t i o n s o f

dea th-dea l ing "improvements o f t h e age" (p . 105) . How w e a r e t o i n t e r p r e t t h e n a r r a t o r ' s change-of-being,

h i s new-found f o r t i t u d e , i s a problem t h a t canno t b e so lved by

comparing how h e i s a f t e r h e h a s hea rd S ignor Beneventano w i t h

how he was a t t h e beg inn ing , d u r i n g h i s " d o l e f u l dumps" (p. 128) .

To do t h a t would mean t h a t w e were a s c r i b i n g t o a c e r t a i n h i s t o r 2

i c a l r e a l i s m , even w i t h i n t h e l i m i t s o f t h e n a r r a t o r ' s awareness ,

and t h e ev idence o f t h e s t o r y p o i n t s o the rwi se . The n a r r a t o r ' s

h e a r i n g of t h e wonder fu l crowing, h i s meet ing w i t h Merrymusk, and

h i s w i t n e s s i n g o f t h e d e a t h o f t h e Merrymusks, a r e d e s c r i b e d i n a

manner t h a t i s c l o s e r t o reverie t h a t it i s t o b i o g r a p h i c a l ske tch .

9 6 TO understand t h i s d i s t i n c t i o n proper ly , we should now lodk more

c lose ly a t t h e n a r r a t o r ' s r o l e .

Nar ra to r : Folk-Poet and Ambivalent Witness -

W e have seen how 'Cock-A-Boodle-Boo: moves e a s i l y from -- e x t e r n a l even t t o i n t e r n a l e x p e r i e n c e , ( d i s l o c a t i n g o u r s e n s e o f

t i m e and p l a c e ) , from i r r e v e r e n c e t o f e r v o u r , ( c r e a t i n g un re so l -

ved problems of t o n e ) , from l i f e - enhanc ing cock-crowing t o an

impl ied death- inducing cock-crowing, and a l l of t h e s e p o l a r i t i e s

are conta ined , and f i n d t h e i r be ing i n , t h e n a r r a t o r ' s manner o f

r e l a t i n g h i s expe r i ence . Who i s t h e n a r r a t o r ? W e know t h a t he

i s a b'achelor fa rmer , p rone t o melanchol ia , ' w i t h an a v i d d i s l i k e

o f i n d u s t r i a l p r o g r e s s . H e i s a compara t ive ly poor man, compel-

l e d t o farm f o r a l i v i n g and y e t who h a s a dim view of t h e i n t e l -

l i g e n c e of fa rmers . H e r e s p e c t s h a r d work and h a s t h e t i m e and

i n c l i n a t i o n t o r e a d Wordsworth, S t e r n e , Burton, and Solomon o f

t h e B ib l e . H e v i s i t s t h e ope ra , l o v e s j o l l i n e s s , and y e t u n t i l

h e encounte rs t h e p r e t e r n a t u r a l crowing of t h e cock, s e e m s mired

i n d e j e c t i o n . The c o n t r a d i c t i o n s o f h i s p e r s o n a l i t y a r e . s u c h

t h a t we can make no s e n s e o f them i f w e adhere t o t h e l i t e r a l

t r u t h of a gentleman f a rmer who happens t o b e wel l - read .

The n a r r a t o r i s a comic b o a s t e r , a t e l l e r o f t a l l t a l e s

who i s e n t e r t a i n i n g u s w i t h h i s most remarkable expe r i ence . A s

Dan ie l Hoffman h a s shown i n a s t u d y of t h e fab le - forms i n American

I , i t e r a t u r e r 6 ' e a r l y America had a s t r o n g t r a d i t i o n o f t h e wonder-

t a l e a n d - t h e t r i c k s t e r h e r o . Many wonder- ta les concerned them-

s e l v e s w i th t h e c u r i o u s forms o f N a t u r e ' s l a r g e s s e : uncanny and

over -s ized animals , huge v e g e t a b l e s and f r u i t s , t h e e x p l o i t s o f

frontTersmen. 70 Others w e r e concerned w i t h s u p e r n a t u r a l i n f l u -

e n c e s , e s p e c i a l l y t h o s e of w i t c h c r a f t . 71 The t y p i c a l f r o n t i e r

h e r o w a s o f t e n c h a r a c t e r i z e d as a n a i v e b a c h e l o r and f o r t u n e -

9 8

seeker. H i s p r i n c i p a l mode of express ion , a f t e r s u i t a b l e exper i -

ence, was t h e t a l l - t a l e , whose func t ion "is o f t e n t o se rve a s an

i n i t i a t o r y r i t e " 7 2 f o r o u t s i d e r s wishing t o become p a r t of t h e

community. The n a r r a t o r i s n o t a f ront ie rsman b u t h i s very

wor ld l iness does f i t t h e r o l e of t h e t r a v e l l e d pundi t who was

o f t e n a "confidence-man". He i s n o t a confidence-man i n i t s

immoral connotat ion b u t simply i n t h e sense of being a b o a s t e r

and hoaxer, a t e l l e r of t a l l t a l e s .

How c l o s e l y does cock-A-Doodle-DOO! f i t t h i s f o l k l o r i c -- antecedent? I ts very t i t l e sugges ts t h e no te of high bravura,

and thereby an a t tempt t o achieve i t s a r t i s t i c ends by ind i rec -

t i o n and through en te r t a inment . The f i g u r e of t h e marvellous

cock matches, i n one sense , t h e n a t u r a l wonder-tale, and i n

another sense , t h e s u p e r n a t u r a l mystery wi th dark under-tones.

The s t o r y i s a l s o an a t tempt t o i n i t i a t e t h e r eader i n t o t h e mys-

teries of r a p t u r e and s p i r i t u a l f o r t i t u d e , whi l e t h e sexua l mot-

i f s t h a t run through t h e t a l e a c t a s i r r e v e r e n t reminders t h a t

what is va luab le about inc reased v i t a l i t y i s i t s a b i l i t y t o enjoy

t h e world r a t h e r than t o leave it. The i r r e v e r e n t tone of much of

t h e n a r r a t i v e and t h e easy s h i f t s from i rony t o r a p t u r e suggest

t h e non-representa t ional and a-moral f e a t u r e s of t h e f o l k - t a l e .

The n a r r a t o r ' s f a n c i f u l language and easy use of s u p e r l a t i v e s cor- . -

respond t o t h e manner of h e r o i c , mock-heroic, and ext ravagant

f e a t u r e s of t h e f o l k - t a l e .

AS a te l ler of t a l l t a l e s , t h e n a r r a t o r has t h e freedom

t o c r e a t e a complex web of en ter ta inment . He i s n o t bound by t h e

ord inary l i m i t s of v e r i s i m i l i t u d e nor by t h e r i g i d forms of par-

a b l e and f a b l e . H i s iconoclasm, r e l a t e d t o . a l l forms of d r e a r i -

,

9 9

n e s s from.dangerous mechanizat ion t o t h e impoverishment of farm-

i n g , i s a c t e d o u t i n t h e freedom of s t y l e . Le t u s , i n p a s s i n g ,

m e r e l y n o t e t h e command over rhythm and s e n t e n c e v a r i e t y , t h e

range of d i c t i o n from educa ted poesy t o v e r n a c u l a r , t h e f a c i l e

t r a n s i t i o n s from humour t o sudden i n v i g o r a t i o n , i n t h e fo l lowing

passage :

Hark! t h e r e again! Whose cock i s t h a t ? Who i n t h i s r e g i o n can a f f o r d t o buy such an e x t r a o r d i n a r y Shanghia? B l e s s m e -- it makes my b lood bound -- I f e e l wi ld . What? . ,-

jumping on t h i s r o t t e n o l d l o g h e r e , t o f l a p my elbows and crow t o o ? And j u s t now i n t h e d o l e f u l dumps. And a l l t h i s from t h e s i m - p l e crow o f a cock. Marvel lous cock: But s o f t -- t h i s f e l l o w now crows more l u s t i l y ; b u t i t ' s on ly morning; l e t ' s see how h e ' l l crow abou t noon, and toward n i g h t f a l l . Come t o t h i n k o f it, cocks crow mos t ly i n t h e beg inn ing o f t h e day. T h e i r p luck a i n ' t l a s t i n g , a f t e r a l l . Y e s , y e s ; even cocks have t o succumb t o t h e u n i v e r s a l s p e l l ,of t r i b u l a t i o n : j u b i l a n t i n t h e begin- n i n g , b u t down i n t h e mouth a t t h e end. (p . 107)

One i s tempted t o wonder whether t h o s e c r i t i c s who have d i smissed

t h i s t a l e o u t of hand have n o t been mesmerized by t h e s t a t e l y

s e r i o u s n e s s of themes i n M e l v i l l e ' s ear l ie r works. S u r e l y t h e

above passage i s a l s o ev idence of more t h a n s e x u a l punning, f o r

t h e ve ry energy of t h e w r i t i n g i s a comic energy , e n j o y i n g i t s

b r e a d t h of l i c e n c e , e x p r e s s i o n , and analogy. 73 The s e r i o u s import

o f t h e passage i s masked h e r e , as e l sewhere , and may be formula ted

as an unde rcu r r en t of f a t a l i t y and o f a s e n s e of t h e ambigui ty of

pagan f e e l i n g -- t h e sudden t r a n s f o r m a t i o n of p h y s i c a l energy i n t o

non-human, and consequent ly , p r e c a r i o u s forms.

r

100 T h i s passage immediately precedes a quo ta t ion from

wordsworth s Resolut ion and independence7 4 , i n d i c a t i n g a movement

t o a s ta tement of theme, which might be p u t a s t h e l o s s of c r e a t -

i v e potency a f t e r ma tu r i ty , un less -- and t h i s t h e s t o r y conjec-

t u r e s -- t h e r e i s a means of c o n t i n u a l r @ v i t a l i z a t i o n . Yet even

t h i s formulat ion of s e r i o u s i n t e n t i o n can be seen a s a comic gam-

b i t . For i n t h i s s t o r y a l l high purposes a r e reduced t o t h e

e x e r c i s e s of s u r v i v a l , complicat ing b u t n o t a n n i h i l a t i n g t h e high

s c a l e ' o f meaning. The n a r r a t o r uses h i s new-found inv igora t ion , . .

fol lowing t h e Wordsworth quote , t o h e l p himself t o a meal of

"brown-stout and a beef-s teak" (p. 108) . La te r , when t h e dun

comes v i s i t i n g , t h e n a r r a t o r promises t o show him " s t o u t of super-

i o r brand t o Barclay and Perkins" (p. l o g ) , combining food and

d r i n k , sex, bravado, and commerce i n a c o n c e i t of phys ica l and

s p i r i t u a l s u r v i v a l i n a h o s t i l e world. Merrymusk, p r ivy t o t h e

s e c r e t s of t h e marvellous r o o s t e r , y e t has r i c k e t y c h i l d r e n and

an i n v a l i d wife , i r o n i c a l l y sugges t ing t h e l ack of substance i n

h i s v i s ion . The n a r r a t o r i s served wi th a w r i t j u s t a f t e r a din-

n e r of cheese and p o r t e r . The a t t e n t i o n pa id t o t h e enjoyment of

food o r t o t h e s c a r c i t y of it, emphasizes a t one and t h e same

time, t h e cond i t ion ing of thought through man's necess i tous r e l a -

t i o n s h i p t o food, and t h a t , i n t h e f i n a l a n a l y s i s , man's h ighes t

a s p i r a t i o n s and exper iences can be e f f e c t i v e l y expressed by food

i n i t s n u t r i t i o n a l and c e l e b r a t o r y aspec t s .

The n a r r a t o r , i t should be made c l e a r , i s n o t t h e t r a d i -

t i o n a l t a l e - t e l l e r j u s t as t h e s t o r y i s n o t t h e t r a d i t i o n a l folk-

t a l e . Melvi l le has used t h e f o l k - l o r e t r a d i t i o n f o r i t s comic pos-

s i b i l i t i e s and f o r i t s r i c h d i v e r s i t y of mythic and superna tu ra l

1 0 1

themes. Probably modelled on t h e t r a d i t i o n a l t e l l e r of t a l l

t a l e s , M e l v i l l e ' s n a r r a t o r i s a l s o a r e - c r e a t e d f i g u r e , one who

can e x p r e s s t h e v i t a l i t y , humour, and bawdiness of t h e o l d form

wi th t h e s o p h i s t i c a t e d w i t , a n t i q u a r i a n l e a r n i n g , and l i n g u i s t i c

o f t h e man-of - le t te r s . The n a r r a t o r i s a fo lk -poe t --- .

one who i s c o n s c i o u s l y p a r t o f a community w h i l e y e t s t a n d i n g

a lone . The s y n t h e s i s of o l d and new does n o t o b v i a t e any o f t h e

moral i s s u e s of t h e s t o r y , no r does it c o n c e a l t h e d u p l i c i t o u s

n a t u r e of t h e n a r r a t o r , who i s now p e r m i t t e d an e x t r a o r d i n a r y . ,

range f o r h i s powers. H e i s a new brand o f h e r o , a f t e r t h e f a i l e d

q u e s t s of Moby Dick and P i e r r e , one who s p i n s y a r n s f o r s o c i a l -- and metaphys ica l enjoyment, b u t who w i l l n o t a c h i e v e wide recog-

n i t i o n f o r p r e c i s e l y t h e r ea son t h a t h e w i l l n o t b e be l i eved . 75

For h e i s a j o k e s t e r , who behind h i s mask h a s r e a l i z e d t h e t r u t h

o f l i m i t a t i o n s : t h e Orphic v o i c e must pay t h e p e n a l t y f o r i t s

gen ius . 7 6

I f such i s t h e i d e a l form o f t h e n a r r a t o r - f i g u r e , what

i s h i s s p e c i f i c appearance i n t h e t e x t ? T e x t u a l l y , an immediate

problem i s c r e a t e d by t r y i n g t o a s c e r t a i n t h e e x t e n t of h i s l i m i -

t a t i o n s . How much does M e l v i l l e assume h i s n a r r a t o r ' s mask?

,There a r e o c c a s i o n s i n t h e s t o r y when it might s e e m v a l u a b l e t o

speak of two n a r r a t o r s : t h e n a r r a t o r as fa rmer and as a concealed

a c t o r who can f e i g n f u l l awareness of t h e performance. However,

such s e p a r a t i o n o f n a r r a t i v e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y i s ponderous and d i f -

f i c u l t t o prove. I t i s more s a t i s f a c t o r y t o speak of one na r r a -

t o r , b u t t o d i s t i n g u i s h d i f f e r e n t v o i c e s i n t h e t e x t . Th i s would

mean, i n p r i n c i p l e , an i n t r i n s i c a l l y s p l i t persona , each w i t h an

a n t i t h e t i c a l awareness. On t h e one hand, w e can e a s i l y i n t e r p r e t

102

he n a r r a t o r as a reasonably wor ld ly and well-read man, b u t w i t h

a fundamental ly n a i v e and s u g g e s t i b l e n a t u r e -- a man o f "un tu t -

ored i d e a l i t y " t o u s e I shmae l ' s ph ra se . Such a view would pro-

mote t h e n o t i o n t h a t , f o r example, t h e n a r r a t o r ' s e n r a p t u r e d

acceptance o f t h e c o c k ' s crowing, t o t h e e x t e n t t h a t h e t a k e s o u t

a second mortgage and promises a t t h e s t o r y ' s end t o "under a l l

c i rcumstances crow la te and e a r l y w i t h a c o n t i n u a l crow", i s an

escape from r e a l i t y and i t s r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s . On t h e o t h e r hand,

we can a c c e p t t h e n a r r a t o r ' s f o l k l o r i c r o o t s , and see h i s s t o r y . P

as an a f f i r m a t i o n o f h i s expe r i ence , d e s p i t e h i s a p p a r e n t and

hidden f o l l i e s . Any n a i v e t e would s imply b e t h e f i rs t l e v e l of

persona , a p a r t o f t h e t o t a l p e r s o n a l i t y o f t h e t e x t .

When w e examine t h e s t o r y , w e f i n d a good deal o f e v i -

dence t o s u p p o r t t h e t h e o r y of complex p e r s o n a l i t y . The d i s l o c a -

t i o n s i n t h e s t o r y , w e have a l r e a d y seen , create a s e n s e of i n -

t e r n a l r e a l i t y and an ambiguous tone ; w e may a l s o s a y t h a t t h e

d i s l o c a t i o n s create a cont inuous p r e s e n t , by which w e can i d e n t i f y

t h e presence o f a n a r r a t o r i n an ambiguous way s e p a r a t e from h i s

s t o r y . The s t r o n g correspondence between t h e t r a d i t i o n o f t h e

t a l l t a le , w i t h i t s t r i c k s t e r s t o r y t e l l e r , and Cock-A-Doodle-Dool, -- w i t h i t s p o s t u r i n g , w i seac r ing , i r r e v e r e n c e and bawdy humour, a l s o

s u g g e s t s something of a d u p l i c i t o u s n a r r a t o r . Another k ind o f ev i -

dence i s t o b e found i n t h e way t h e s t o r y m a n i p u l a t e s t i m e .

The s t o r y opens by a t t e m p t i n g t o p l a c e u s s e c u r e l y i n a

s e t t i n g (however f a n c i f u l l y t rans formed by me lancho l i c p ro j ec -

t i o n ) . ' If w e examine t h e f i r s t few pa rag raphs , by r e p r e s e n t i n g

them w i t h t h e i r f i rs t sen tences , w e f i n d a t r a d i t i o n a l p a t t e r n

o f remin iscence and commentary p r o p e r l y r e n d e r e d i n t h e p a s t t e n s e :

103 . (1) :In all parts of the world many high-spirited revolts

from rascally despotisms had of late been knocked on the head; Cp. 103)

(2):It was a cool and misty, damp, disagreeable air. (p. 103)

(3):All round me were tokens of a divided empire. (p. 103)

(4):I sat down for a moment on a great rotting log nigh the top of the hill ... (p. 103)

(5):My eye ranged over the capacious rolling country . .. (p. 104) Through this simple device of narrative time, we are placed in the?

past and proceed to attempt an understanding of the narrator's

experience as it happened then. However, suddenly in the fifth

paragraph, the narrator switches tense and begins addressing us

directly: "Yet what's the use of complaining? What justice of

the peace will right this matter?" (p. 104) Lest we think this

is simply narrative licence, the next few paragraphs continue the

address in the present tense:

(6):A miserable world! Who would take the trouble to make a fortune in it ,.. (p. 105)

(7):Great improvements of the age! What! to call the facilitation of death and murder an improvement! (p. 105)

(8) :I can't pay this horrid man; (p. 105)

(9) :"Hallo: here come the calves . , . (p. 106) - (10) :"Hark: By Jove, what's that? (p. 106)

This transition of tense is a subtle indication of the pr'esenc.e of

the narrator. It is difficult to find any other explanation for

the change from past to present tense, when the significant exper-

ience being reported is certainly in the Past. This indication is

strengthened by the fact that upon the dun's visit, the present

1 0 4

rise i s dropped, and t h e r e a f t e r t h e p a s t t e n s e i s g e n e r a i l y used

repor t thoughts and events . There a r e , however, some excep-

t ions . Af ter t h e dun ' s v i s i t , t h e n a r r a t o r h e a r s t h e cock once

more :

Hark: t h e r e goes t h e cock! How s h a l l I d e s c r i b e t h e crow of t h e Shanghai a t noon-tide? H i s sun- r i s e crow was a whisper t o it. I t was t h e loudes t , l o n g e s t , and most s t r a n g e l y musical crow t h a t e v e r amazed mor ta l man. (p. 110)

The t r a n s i t i o n from p r e s e n t t o p a s t , i n t h e t ime of a b r e a t h , t e l l s

us once more t h a t t h i s n a r r a t o r i s more than a dev ice , t h a t he has

a p resen t l i f e of mind and memory, humour and f e e l i n g , and t h a t

these f a c u l t i e s j u s t mentioned a r e n o t j u s t t o be d i s t i n g u i s h e d

by t h e i r q u a l i t y i n t h e P a s t b u t by t h e f a c t t h a t they r e - c r e a t e

t h e Pas t . The n a r r a t o r once heard a marvellous r o o s t e r . He

s t i l l hears it as h e i s t e l l i n g us of it, and it i s noteworthy,

by way of d i g r e s s i o n , t o mention t h e hyperbo l i c tone of t h e remi-

niscence -- i t s e l f a f e a t u r e of s o many f o l k - t a l e s .

There a r e o t h e r such i n s t a n c e s of n a r r a t i v e i n t r u s i o n ,

some extremely b r i e f : "Now t h i s was t h e way . . . I 1 (p. 8 7 ) , "He was

a s i n g u l a r man, I say" (p. 118) , "Now, as I s a i d be fo re . . ." (p.

120) . Each reminds u s of a r t i f i c e , ( t h e a c t i v e c r e a t i o n of a

s t o r y ) , of a p r e s e n t n a r r a t o r , and of t h e f a c t t h a t we a r e being

e n t e r t a i n e d (on h igh and low s c a l e s ) . When t h e s t o r y i s a t an

end, t h e n a r r a t o r addresses u s i n t h e tone of a c o n d i t i o n a l f u t -

ure: " I f now you v i s i t t h a t h i l l y r eg ion , you w i l l s e e .. ." (p.

128) . ' T h i s , i f noth ing else does, confirms t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p be t -

ween n a r r a t o r and r e a d e r , f o r t h e r e i s a promise of shared exper-

ience a s w e l l a s a shared l i n k t o t h e 'Past .

105 W e must s t i l l s e e , however, how t h i s complex pe'rsona r e -

li

l a t e s t o t h e t r e a t m e n t of themes i n t h e s t o r y . Of t h e s e we may

say t h a t t h e t h r e e p r i n c i p a l themes are s e x u a l i t y , t ranscend-

ence , and t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p between c r e a t i v i t y and dea th . The

f i r s t two have been wide ly commented upon by c r i t ics , b u t t h e r e

h a s been compara t ive ly l i t t l e t r e a t m e n t o f t h e i r r e l a t i o n s h i p t o

t h e problem o f t h e n a r r a t o r . 77

S e x u a l i t y seems t o sound a g r e a t laudamus i n t h e s t o r y .

Given t h e h y p e r b o l i c t e n d e n c i e s of t h e n a r r a t o r t h i s i s h a r d l y . ?

s u r p r i s i n g . A t t h e beg inn ing of t h e t a l e h e i s d i s p i r i t e d ; h i s

h a t r e d of technology may b e a f e a r t h a t mechanical c o n t r i v a n c e s

rob man of h i s v i r i l i t y and independence. Then t h e crowing of

t h e marvel lous r o o s t e r i s in t roduced and suddenly t h e t r a i n no

longe r p e r t u r b s him: "How c h e e r f u l l y t h e steam-pipe chirps,!"

(p . 109) . Symbol ica l ly t h e n a r r a t o r d i s c o v e r s t h e r e v i t a l i z i n g

p r o p e r t i e s of s e x u a l i t y and seemingly answers Wordsworth's f e a r

t h a t c r e a t i v i t y must e v e n t u a l l y end i n "despondency" and "mad-

ness" . D e s c r i p t i o n s such a s t h e fo l lowing s e e m n o t f a r removed

from p h a l l i c worship:

I had hea rd p l e n t y o f cock-crows b e f o r e , and many f i n e ones; -- b u t t h i s one! s o smooth and f l u t e - l i k e , i n i t s v e r y clamor -- SO

s e l f - p o s s e s s e d i n i t s v e r y r a p t u r e o f e x u l t a t i o n -- s o v a s t , mounting, s w e l l i n g , s o a r i n g , a s i f s p u r t e d o u t from a golden t h r o a t , thrown f a r back. (p. 110)

The equa t ion of song w i t h semina l d i s c h a r g e a c c e n t u a t e s t h e na tu r -

a l and p h y s i c a l b a s i s of c r e a t i v i t y , t h a t c r e a t i o n i s a s much a

phenomenon o f t h e body and i t s chemis t ry a s it i s s p i r i t u a l i n

e s sence . Thus t h e l o s s of c r e a t i v i t y would i n d i c a t e fundamental

impotence;

A s e lements o f t h e t a l l t a l e , po tency , f e r t i l i t y , and

s e x u a l prowess are r i t u a l l y impor t an t f o r accep tance i n t o male

s o c i e t y . 7 8 I t i s t h e s e n s e of power and dominance ove r Nature

t h a t i s impor tan t i n t h e sha red f a n t a s y o f t h e e x p l o i t . However,

i n -- Cock-A-Doodle-Doo!, t h e c h o i c e o f imagery emphasizes man's

dependence on Nature; t h e cock, i f a v e r n a c u l a r word f o r man's

p r i d e i n h i s prowess, i s a l s o a n a t u r a l emblem o f c r e a t i v e energy

t h a t remains u n c o n t r o l l e d by man, S i g n o r Beneventano sounds h i s

c a l l and men respond, j u s t as t h e rest o f Na tu re responds , The

c o n t i n u a l s e x u a l punning is, i n t h i s r e s p e c t , an e q u i v a l e n t t o

t h e s e x u a l theme o f t r a n s f o r m a t i v e ene rgy -- f i r s t by e x h i b i t i n g

a P ro t ean c h a n g e a b i l i t y and t h e consequent s e n s e o f c o n s t a n t sur -

p r i s e , and secondly by demons t r a t i ng t h e p l e a s u r e o f performance.

Y e t t h i s i s on ly one s i d e o f it -- an unmediated p o s i t i v e s i d e .

The e n t r y of Merrymusk i n t o t h e t a l e demons t r a t e s a problemat ic

a r t i c u l a t i o n of s e x u a l i t y . One would e x p e c t t h a t Merrymusk, a s

owner o f t h e marve l lous cock, would more t h a n anyone else be a

l i v i n g example of c r e a t i v i t y and power. But even h i s name, which

i s s u g g e s t i v e of music, s e x u a l i t y , and f r e n z y , seems u n f i t t i n g

f o r s o " u n j o l l y a wight" (p . 1 1 9 ) . Merrymusk i s a s i l e n t man,

when from t h e n a r r a t o r ' s own example, one would expec t p o e t r y ,

song, o r a t l e a s t a p l e a s u r e i n language, H e i s a poor man, sur -

rounded by i l l - h e a l t h , when it would s e e m more f i t t i n g t h a t he

would have a bounty o f wel l -being. H e and h i s f ami ly d i e when it

would .be r ea sonab le t o assume con t inued v i t a l i t y . To such para-

doxes, t h e n a r r a t o r i s an u n w i l l i n g w i t n e s s . The f i n a l song of

t h e cock t e r r i f i e s ' as w e l l a s . a w e s him; t h e minor d e a t h 'of org-

asm becomes t h e l i t e r a l a c t i n g o u t of t h e one a b s o l u t e dea th .

Through t h e u se of i t s s e x u a l imagery t h e s t o r y imp l i e s

t h a t s e x u a l i t y and dea th a r e mys te r ious ly connec ted , n o t merely

i n t h e p o e t i c s e n s e of a l o s s of s e l f th rough l o v e b u t i n t h e

v i t a l s e n s e t h a t t h e p l e a s u r e of s ex may b e N a t u r e ' s l u r e t o en-

s u r e i t s c o n t i n u a t i o n whatever t h e i n d i v i d u a l c o s t , and t h a t man's

c a p t i v a t i o n by s e x i s bo th a l o s s of freedom and t h e i n a b i l i t y t o

see t h e o f t - t i m e s d e p l o r a b l e n a t u r e of c o n d i t i o n s around him.

Hence, s e x u a l i t y i s n o t e x c l u s i v e l y and i n t r i n s i c a l l y an oppos i t e . phenomenon t o d e a t h , b u t a c t i v e l y p a r t i c i p a t e s w i t h it i n c r ea -

t i o n .

To t h e deg ree o f h i s awareness , t h e n a r r a t o r i s n o t

on ly an ambiva len t w i t n e s s because he i s u n w i l l i n g b u t because

he appea r s t o i g n o r e t h e ev idence of h i s own p h y s i c a l and i n t u i -

t i v e s enses . I n t h e f i n a l paragraph, he t e l l s u s t h a t h e has

b u r i e d t h e Merrymusks and t h e r o o s t e r , and y e t p roceeds t o a f f i r m

t h e n a t u r e o f h i s expe r i ence . The legend t h a t h e i n s c r i b e s on

t h e i r tomb:

0 d e a t h , where i s t h y s t i n g ? - -- 0 grave , where i s t h y v i c t x r y ? - -- (p . 128)

, i s a message of hope and de f i ance . A f t e r t h e i r o n i c sugges t ive-

n e s s of t h e Merrymusks' d e a t h , and p a r t i c u l a r l y t h e d e a t h o f t h e

cock i t s e l f -- an in s t rumen t of power and t r a n s f o r m a t i o n -- t h e

n a r r a t o r ' s a t t i t u d e i s n o t e a s i l y unders tood. However, w e should

n o t immediately assume t h a t h i s f i n a l words a r e an example of

i r o n i c ignorance . at her, it i s p o s s i b l e t o p r e s e r v e t h e i r o n y

and b e l i e v e i n t h e n a r r a t o r ' s change-of-being a t t h e same t i m e .

The n a r r a t o r ' s f i n a l u t t e r a n c e :' " Cock-A-Doodle-Doo! -- oo! -- oo!

108

I -- oo!'! (p. 128) i s a complex symbol ic ac t o f i n t r i n s i c a l l y

meanings. He cannot deny m o r t a l i t y and y e t h e

remains d e f i a n t l y free of i t s menta l i n f l u e n c e ; h e r ecogn izes

t h e t r a n s i e n c e o f s e x u a l i t y , and indeed o f c r e a t i v i t y , b u t t o

p re se rve h i s own humanity, a f f i r m s s e x u a l i t y and c r e a t i v i t y a s

t h e on ly i m p e r f e c t , b u t p a s s i n g l y s p l e n d i d , means o f s e l f -

express ion . The cont inuance o f t h e crowing sound ("00: -- 00:")

a l s o s u g g e s t s t h e w i l l i n g accep tance o f f o l l y as t h e on ly a v a i l -

a b l e means of keep ing e q u i l i b r i u m i n an arnl5iguous u n i v e r s e .

That such an exc l ama t ion comes p e r i l o u s l y c l o s e t o Wordsworth's

n o t i o n of "madness" af ter t h e l o s s o f e f f e c t i v e c r e a t i v i t y , does

no t countermand a more p o s i t i v e r e a d i n g , s i n c e t h e c o c k ' s crowing

has been a l l a l o n g a k ind of madness o f d e f i a n t s e l f - e x p r e s s i o n .

~ l l t h a t i s a f f r o n t e d by t h e i n c l u s i o n o f madness i n t h e g r e a t

o rgan ic plenum o f n a t u r a l and s u p r a s e n s i b l e e x p e r i e n c e i s " rea-

son", and r ea son h a s a ve ry s m a l l p l a c e i n t h e s t o r y . The choi -

c e s seem t o b e r a t h e r among t h e madness of me lancho l i a , t h e mad-

nes s o f u n b r i d l e d mechan i s t i c p r o g r e s s (Reason ' s c h i l d ) , t h e mad-

n e s s o f smallminded commerce ( t h e dun) t h a t i s s y m b o l i c a l l y equa-

t e d wi th t h e r e l e n t l e s s , dea th -dea l ing r a i l w a y s , t h e madness o f

a g r a r i a n i d i o c y , and t h e madness of crowing. I f a l l i s madness

and f o l l y , t h e n t h e more c r e a t i v e l y v a l u a b l e forms would s e e m t o

be a k ind o f wisdom.

However, t h i s i n t e r p r e t a t i o n i s n o t meant t o p a s s

l i g h t l y over what i s an e x p e r i e n t i a l mystery . The ambigui ty o f

t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p s between s e x u a l i t y and d e a t h i s expres sed i n t h e

problem of s u r v i v a l . I t is , a f t e r a l l , t h e q u a l i t y o f s u r v i v a l

t h a t m a t t e r s and t h i s remains -an i n t e n s e l y p e r s o n a l expe r i ence .

1 0 9

~ h u s i n a t tempt ing t o t r ansmi t t i e experience of what it has

meant t o be onese l f i n t h e f a c e of t h e c o n t r a d i c t o r y and ambigu-

ous fo rces of t h e world, t h e uses of c l a r i t y and s t r a i g h t f o r -

wardness seem a r b i t r a r i l y l i m i t i n g , and t h e n a r r a t o r must a t

t imes r e s o r t t o t h e fabulous t o preserve t h e ord inary .

Transcendence fol lows a fabulous p a t t e r n s i m i l a r t o

t h e theme of s e x u a l i t y . Indeed, Melv i l l e shows t h e organic form

of transcendence -- i t s indebtedness t o s e x u a l i t y -- i n h i s

t reatment of t r a n s p e r s o n a l joy and beauty. ' Since t h e s t o r y does . -

not i n d i c a t e one way o r another t h e p r o b a b i l i t i e s of s u r v i v a l

a f t e r dea th , t h e only observable a c t i v i t y of t ranscendence is i n

i t s momentary mastery over m a t e r i a l form, and i n t h i s r e s p e c t ,

freedom i s a key no t ion . 79

The world of Cock-A-Doodle-Doo! i s on one l e v e l a s f i x e d

a s t h e h ie ra rchy of Wall S t r e e t i n Bar t leby The Scr ivener . The - sodden, depress ing landscape of t h e opening pages, t h e n a r r a t o r ' s

musings on t h e "many d r e a d f u l c a s u a l t i e s " (p. 103) worldwide, a

kind of e x i s t e n t i a l nausea t h a t t h e n a r r a t o r s e e s about him with

"fever-and-agueish" (p. 104) r i v e r , "chimney smoke ... t o o heavy

and l i f e l e s s t o mount of i t s e l f " (p. 104) , and 'I.. . h i d i n g many

a man with t h e mumps, and many a queasy c h i l d " (p. 104) -- a l l

these a r e sugges t ive of an immutable condi t ion . Freedom has no

r e a l i t y i n such a world; f a t a l i t y seems dominant. The n a r r a t o r ' s

climbing of a h i l l s h o r t l y a f t e r making h i s f i r s t morning obser-

va t ions i s an i r o n i c a scen t t o t ranscendent percept ion:

I ... bent my b l u e form t o t h e s t e e p ascen t of t h e h i l l . This t o i l i n g pos ture brought my head p r e t t y we l l earthward, a s i f I were i n t h e a c t of b u t t i n g it a g a i n s t t h e world. (p. 103)

1 1 0

H i s i r o n i c t r a n s c e n d e n t p e r c e p t i o n s a r e t h e v e r y o b s e r v a t i o n s of

d i s e a s e and l i f e l e s s n e s s t h a t h e ' d observed upon f i r s t waking

below. L i f e s een from above i s l i t t l e d i f f e r e n t from l i f e ex-

per ienced below.

When t h e cock r e g e n e r a t e s t h e n a r r a t o r , and seemingly

a l l of Nature around him, t h e n a r r a t o r f i n d s a new sense . of

freedom. H e r e g a i n s h i s a p p e t i t e , f i n d s new p l e a s u r e i n r e a d i n g ,

d e a l s e a s i l y w i t h h i s dun, and r e s o l v e s t o q u e s t f o r t h e sou rce

of t h i s mystery. Y e t t h e n a r r a t o r ' s f a i l u r e t o i n c l u d e h i s obser-

v a t i o n s on t h e i d i o t fa rmer and h i s r e j e c t i o n of mater ia l respon-

s ib i l i t i e s w i t h i n h i s v i s i o n of optimism s u g g e s t s t h a t t h i s f r e e -

dom i s a t b e s t t r a n s i e n t and a t wor s t a t o t a l i l l u s i o n o f s e l f -

suggest ion. The p o v e r t y o f t h e Merrymusk f a m i l y , and t h e i r even-

t u a l dea th , con f i rms t h a t freedom i s only a c o n d i t i o n a l e lement

i n t h e n a t u r a l c y c l e of b i r t h , s u f f e r i n g , and dea th .

The n a r r a t o r chooses t o i g n o r e t h i s ev idence , as i f

subl imely f r e e o f i t s r e s p o n s i b i l i t y . Y e t , as h a s been seen from

t h e a n a l y s i s of pe r sona man ipu la t ions , t h i s ignorance can on ly be

one s i d e of t h e complex n a r r a t o r ' s being. Such s u b l i m i t y i s a l s o

a comic r u s e , p l a u s i b l y meant t o i n d i c a t e bo th t h e i n v i n c i b l e

q u a l i t y of t h e jester w h i l e i n h i s r o l e and a t t h e same t i m e an

acceptance of f o l l y . Such comic s u b l i m i t y , f o r example, a l l ows

S t e r n e i n T r i s t r a m Shandy, i n t h e r o l e of n a r r a t o r , t o speak of

e v e n t s be fo re h i s own b i r t h , indeed t o speak o f h i s own concep-

t i o n . Ordinary laws o f t i m e , space , and c a u s a l i t y can be i n t e r -

r u p t e a wi thout j u s t i f i c a t i o n when t h e a u t h o r t a k e s on t h e r o l e of

a god i n h i s own c r e a t i o n .

The l i t e r a l t r a n s f o r m a t i o n of t h e Merrymusks from m a t t e r

111

i n t o s p i r i t s u g g e s t s a d a r k e r t r u t h t han comedy can a p p r o p r i a t e .

For what i s p r e c i s e l y d i s t u r b i n g i n t h e i r g l o r i f i e d p a s s i n g , i s

t h e f o r c e o f t h a t pas s ing . From an i n a r t i c u l a b l e range o f mean-

i n g , t h e i r d e a t h s sugges t t h e merciless presence of f a t a l i t y and

t h e u t t e r l y p r e c a r i o u s p o s i t i o n o f man, who seemingly i n h i s

moment of power and g l o r y , can b e i n s t a n t a n e o u s l y plucked by

dea th .

Such an awareness of d e a t h can r i g h t l y command a w e and

s i l e n c e , s i m i l a r t o t h e c o n d i t i o n of t h e n a r r a t o r i n B a r t l e b y The - .. Scr ivene r a t B a r t l e b y ' s dea th . The crowing which ends t h e t a l e i s

a l s o , f i n a l l y and ambiguously, t h e crowing o f d e a t h -- t h e

memento mori.

r

The Celebra t ion - of Performance

I f t h e s t o r y is a r e - c r e a t i o n of c e r t a i n sexual and

t r anscenden ta l experiences i n t h e l i f e of a man and a l s o an

example of comic bravura and fabulous t a l e - t e l l i n g , then one

means of see ing i t s accomplishment i s by looking a t t h e s t o r y

a s an imaginat ive e x e r c i s e . The s t o r y ' s indebtedness t o t h e

t r a d i t i o n a l t a l l t a l e , i t s manipula t ions of n a r r a t i v e persona

t o suggest a sense of n a r r a t i v e presence and c o n t i n u a l c r e a t i o n ,

p o i n t t o a r e n d i t i o n of t h e p o e t ' s imaginat ion experienced a s .

performance. The t r a n s i t i o n s of t e n s e i n t h e n a r r a t i v e , t h e many

d i g r e s s i o n s and jokes, a r e a r e v e r i e - l i k e i n d i c a t i o n t h a t t h e a c t

of c r e a t i o n and t h e a c t of performing t h e c r e a t i o n be fo re a

r eadersh ip a r e myster ious ly s i m i l a r . C e r t a i n l y , Cock-A-Doodle- -- Dool's f o l k l o r i c r o o t s p o i n t t o an o r a l t r a d i t i o n . We a l s o know - from b iograph ica l sources t h a t M e l v i l l e enjoyed reading aloud

some of h i s s t o r i e s and indeed wrote them wi th t h e i r o r a l poss i -

b i l i t i e s i n mind. 80 I n a s t o r y e n t i t l e d by t h e song of a roos-

t e r , enhanced by t h e a u t h o r ' s j e s t i n g p layfu lness with sexual

puns and t ransformat ive e n e r g i e s , it i s n o t f a n c i f u l t o suppose

t h a t performance i s t h e primary exper ience and f i n a l accomplish-

'ment. To t h e degree t h a t performance extends t h e p r e s e n t moment,

t h a t it t ranscends t h e o rd ina ry , t h a t it re -c rea tes t h e p a s t and

amuses i t s audience, t h a t it remains self-aware i n t h e presence

of f i n a l i t y and dea th , t o such a degree i s performance t h e accom-

plishment of con ten t i n -- Cock-A-;Doodle'-Doe! -

BENITO CERENO

I t i s perhaps one i n d i c a t i o n of t h e d i f f i c u l t y of

p l e l v i l l e ' s a r t t h a t s o much of h i s work has been i n t e r p r e t e d i n

d ive rgen t fashion . The complexity of Moby Dick and P i e r r e i s

due n o t only t o complexity of thought and symbol b u t t o a r i c h

t e x t u a l i t y , der ived from an e c l e c t i c i s m of l i t e r a r y and h i s t o r i -

c a l m a t e r i a l s and a se l f -consc ious n a r r a t i v e persona. The com-

p l e x i t y of t h e s e and o t h e r works has sometimes made it d i f f i c u l t . ,

f o r c r i t i c s t o i d e n t i f y M e l v i l l e ' s a t t i t u d e t o ph i losoph ica l and

moral problems of being, of e v i l , of r e s p o n s i b i l i t y . Thus it has

been t h a t some c r i t i c s have seen M e l v i l l e ' s performance a f t e r

Moby Dick a s showing a d e c l i n e of c r e a t i v e powers, and h i s s h o r t -- f i c t i o n has very o f t e n been t r e a t e d as autobiography r a t h e r than

a r t . One except ion t o t h i s c r i t i c a l n e g l e c t i s Beni to Cereno, 81

which because of i t s accomplished t r a g i c manner and h i s t o r i c a l

background, has been widely p r a i s e d " f o r i t s p e r f e c t i o n of form" 82

and " t h e weight of i t s drama, "83 I r o n i c a l l y , i t s apparent objec-

t i v e manner has a l s o s t i r r e d up c r i t i c a l cont roversy . 84 NO l e s s

a c r i t i c than F.O. Matthiessen has deplored i t s " r a i s i n g unanswer-

ed ques t ions . " 85 Because of t h e s t o r y 1 s c i rcumstances , s l a v e r y

i s t h e con ten t ious i s s u e . Does t h e s t o r y r e v e a l Melv i l l e t o have

been a sympathetic a b o l i t i o n i s t o r d i s c r i m i n a t o r y a g a i n s t t h e

b lacks? This i s t h e ques t ion , b a l d l y posed, t h a t has engendered

t h e c r i t i c a l debate . The p r i n c i p l e a t s t a k e , it would seem, i s

whether a r a c e t h a t has s u f f e r e d t h e i n d i g n i t i e s and h o r r o r s of

s l a v e r y should be c h a r a c t e r i z e d a s e v i l f o r a t t empt ing t o secure

t h e i r freedom through v i o l e n t r evo lu t ion . Put i n t h i s way, t h e

1 1 4

ues t ion i s unanswerable fox it s e t s t h e evidence of h i s t o r y

aga ins t t h e purposes of A r t .

Never the less t h e r e i s an a r t i s t i c d i f f i c u l t y i f w e s ee

the r e v e l a t i o n of t h e s t o r y a s being an equiva lence of e v i l and

blackness. When, a t t h e s t o r y ' s end, Captain Delano asks Don

Benito:

"you a r e saved: what has c a s t such a shadow upon you?'' (p , 306)

and Don Beni to r e p l i e s : . ,

"The negro," (p. 306)

t h e ques t ion i s whether o r n o t we b e l i e v e t h a t t h e s t o r y ' s essen-

t i a l symbolic depth i s c h a r a c t e r i s e d by Don B e n i t o ' s response.

Yet Beni'to CeIren.0 i s a s much about Amasa Delano 's na ive percep-

t i o n of even t s a s it i s about Don Ben i to ' s c a p t i v i t y and t h e

s l a v e s ' r e v o l t . These t h r e e p o s i t i o n s a r e k e p t e x p e r i e n t i a l l y

sepa ra te u n t i l t h e rescue and t h e t r i a l d e p o s i t i o n , when t h e

f a c t s of t h e case a r e p u t forward "pub l i c ly" . What i s important

t o keep i n mind i s t h a t t h e t h r e e p o s i t i o n s , though only appar-

e n t l y s e p a r a t e , a r e n e v e r t h e l e s s d i s c l o s e d as s e p a r a t e t o t h e

reader u n t i l t h e f a c t s come t o l i g h t , What d i f f i c u l t y i s thereby

c r e a t e d by t h i s n a r r a t i v e procedure i s t h u s embodied i n t h e t e x t

and n o t t h e r e s u l t of h i s t o r i c a l circumstance.

_ The s t o r y a s found i n Amasa Delano's A Narra t ive of - - Voyages - and T r a v e l s i s q u i t e simple, 86 M e l v i l l e kep t t h e b a s i c

dramatic e v e n t s , only changing t h e names and c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of

t h e s h i p s and secondary personages, adding a f e w d e t a i l s , l i k e

t h e shaving scene, and t h e i n t e l l e c t u a l and symbolic range t h a t

t ransforms h i s t o r y i n t o A r t . According t o ~ e l a n o ' s account, he

came ac ross a South American s l a v e s h i p of f t h e c o a s t of Chi le i n

from r e a l i z i n g t h a t t h e s l a v e s had mutinied and now c o n t r o l l e d t h e

ship. Delano d i d n o t l e a r n t h e t r u e s i t u a t i o n till Cereno leaped

i n t o Delano's d e p a r t i n g boa t . The problematic concept ion of

eren no's c h a r a c t e r and of t h e negroes ' e v i l i s M e l v i l l e ' s c r e a t i o n .

The very f a c t of M e l v i l l e ' s r e -c rea t ion of Amasa Delano's na r ra -

t i v e sugges ts t h a t M e l v i l l e was on t h e t r a i l of symbolic r a t h e r

than l i t e r a l , h i s t o r i c a l t r u t h .

I f we keep i n mind M e l v i l l e ' s symbolic i n t e n t i o n s , t h e

charges of r a c i a l i n s e n s i t i v i t y a r e unfounded p r i m a r i l y because

they a r e i n a p p r o p r i a t e . Ben'i'to Cereno i s only i n c i d e n t a l l y about

t h e h i s t o r i c a l phenomenon of s l ave ry . The s t o r y u s e s h i s t o r y a s

a perspect ive on t r agedy r a t h e r than a s an i d e a l s tandard . More-

over, a s a symbolic excursus t o t h e publ ished documents on t h e

a c t u a l s l a v e r e v o l t , t h e s t o r y sugges ts a more u n i v e r s a l condi-

t i o n of s l ave ry . F i r s t of a l l , t h e whi tes are shown t o be en-

s laved, s p i r i t u a l l y and c u l t u r a l l y , by t h e i r h e r i t a g e ; secondly,

a profound i n t e r - r e l a t e d n e s s of symbol, thought , and even t , sug-

g e s t s t h a t w e cannot e x t r a p o l a t e one form of i n j u s t i c e f o r purpo-

s e s of d i s c u s s i o n wi thou t damaging t h e coherence of r epor ted ex-

per ience; t h i r d l y , t h e ambiguous captor -s lave r e l a t i o n s h i p be t -

ween Don Beni to and t h e negro Babo impl ies both a shared culpabi-

l i t y and-a sha red , i f unwi l l ing , consciousness of e v i l . These

t h r e e d i s t i n c t i o n s t e l l u s t h a t even i f we were t o narrow our foc-

us of a t t e n t i o n t o only t h e t rea tment of s l a v e r y , M e l v i l l e ' s per-

formance has ensured we could n o t i $ o l a t e a d e f i n i t i v e understand-

ing.

One of t h e f i r s t impressions of t h e s t o r y i s i t s com-

p l e x i t y of d e t a i l , General f e a t u r e s of t h e sur roundings , small

p a r t i c u l a r s of people and t h i n g s , and e x o t i c a l l u s i o n s a r e com-

bined t o form a d e n s i t y of experience t h a t i n c l u d e s t h e r e a d e r

i n t h e immediacy of e v e n t s and s e p a r a t e s him from t h e simultane-

ous percept ion of t h e i r s i g n i f i c a n c e . An examination of t h e

f i r s t few pages of t h e s t o r y r e v e a l s how such a paradox i s

achieved. . ,

The n a r r a t i v e begins wi th a h i s t o r i c a l p e r s p e c t i v e , tel-

l i n g us i n a few words of t h e person ( ~ e l a n o ) , t h e t i m e (1799) ,

t h e place ( t h e i s l a n d Santa Maria o f f t h e c o a s t of C h i l e ) , and

t h e purpose of t h e s h i p ' s presence ( t h e re-supply of wa te r )

(p. 217). This " long view" s e t s t h e tone of detachment and

introduces h i s t o r i c a l p e r s p e c t i v e as t h e f i r s t b u t a l s o t h e most

removed of t h e p o s s i b l e approaches t o understanding even t s . When

a s t r ange s h i p i s s i g h t e d , Captain Delano goes on deck and t h e

h i s t o r i c a l view i s suddenly supplanted by t h e view of pe r sona l

wi tness , combining Delano 's l i m i t e d v i s i o n of t h e surroundings

wi th a u t h o r i a l d i s c r e t i o n . E x t e r n a l s a r e recor,ded f a i t h f u l l y y e t

modified by t h e new f a c t o r of i n d i v i d u a l apprehension. Thus t h e

i n d i s t i n c t n e s s of t h e gray s e a and sky sugges t s a foreboding qua-

l i t y . Things a r e o t h e r than t h e i r mere appearance, and t h i s qua-

l i t y of "o the r" i s rep resen ted by s i m i l i t u d e :

The sea ... seemed f i x e d .., The sky seemed a gray s u r t o u t . F l i g h t s of t roub led gray fowl ... skimmed low and f i t f u l l y over t h e wa te r s , a s swallows over meadows b e f o r e storms. Shadows p r e s e n t , foreshadowing dee- p e r shadows t o come. [p. 217)

117

The f i n a l . l i n e of t h e above passage i s a condensed s ta tement of t h e

s t o r y ' s symbolic i n t e n t i o n s , sugges t ing f i r s t t h a t t h e vagueness

of appearances p o i n t s t o a deeper ambiguity and then t h a t t h e a r t -

i c u l a t i o n of t h i s ambiguity w i l l be i n t e r m s of l i g h t and dark-

ness. The th r i ce - repea ted "shadowv i n d i c a t e s t h a t t h e sentence

i s achieving p o e t i c a l l y i n symbol what it s t a t e s i n i n t e n t i o n .

Therefore, t o summarize t h e n a r r a t i v e e f f e c t s of t h e f i r s t few

paragraphs, we have: i n terms of performance, a movement from t h e

f a c t u a l s ta tement and l i t e r a l percept ion of t h e s t o r y ' s opening . ,

l i n e t o t h e symbolic s t a t ement and p o e t i c percept ion of " fore-

shadowing deeper shadows t o come"; i n t e r m s of view-point, a

movement from h i s t o r i c a l p e r s p e c t i v e t o , i n t h e t h i r d paragraph,

a third-person p e r s p e c t i v e t h a t inc ludes wi th in it t h e wider per-

cep t ion of t h e author ; a metaphor ica l s t a s i s (soon, wi th t h e

commencement of t h e drama, t o become a symbolic s t a s i s ) , indica-

t e d i n t h e anchored s h i p , t h e muted calm, t h e seemingly " f ixed"

(p. 217) sea whose s u r f a c e i s l i k e "waved l ead t h a t has cooled"

(p. 217).

With t h e s e t t i n g and t h e range of percept ion (from lit-

e r a l t o symbolic) i n d i c a t e d , t h e next s e v e r a l paragraphs demons-

t r a t e and comment upon Delano's r e a c t i o n s t o t h e s t r ange sh ip .

The psychological mode of a n t i c i p a t i o n , a n a l y s i s , and d iscovery

i s introduced by such language as : "But whatever misgivings might

have obtruded . , . I 1 (p. 2181, " I t might have been a decept ion of

t h e vapors . . ," (p. 218) , "Surmising1' (p. 218) , "But it was no

pure ly f a n c i f u l resemblance which ... almost l e d Captain Delano

t o th ink . . . l1 (p. 219) , "Upon a s t i l l n igher approach, . . . t h e

t r u e c h a r a c t e r of t h e v e s s e l was p l a i n , . . '' (p. 219) . We a r e

118

allowed t o s tudy Delano a s he s t u d i e s t h e approaching v e s s e l , b u t

t h e process of i d e n t i f i c a t i o n i s s o drawn o u t t h a t c e r t a i n t y of

meaning i s l o s t i n favour of a d i s q u i e t i n g i l l u s o r i n e s s . The

r e a l i z a t i o n t h a t t h e s t r a n g e r i s a "Spanish merchantman .,. ca r ry ing negro s l aves" (p. 2191 does n o t d i s p e l t h e cumulative

e f f e c t of t h e mispercept ions dur ing t h e s t a g e s of apprehension,

which i s , a s t h e s t o r y l a t e r d i s c l o s e s , one of "enchantment"

(p. 2 2 1 ) . By being a b l e t o s tudy both Delano and t h e approaching

boa t , t h e r eader is made aware t h a t such "enchantment" cannot b e . ,

exc lus ive ly a product of Delano 's consciousness , b u t i s a l s o

somehow p a r t of t h e very c o n d i t i o n s of t h e p lace . The s t r ange

muted calm of t h e s e a , t h e presence of "Vapors" (p. 217) p a r t l y

conceal ing t h e s h i p " through which t h e f a r matin l i g h t from her

cabin streamed equivocal ly enough" (p. 218) , an u n c e r t a i n breeze

which seems " b a f f l i n g " ( p , 218) , a l l sugges t a conspiracy of

Nature i n t h e events about t o unfold.

The n a r r a t o r t e l l s u s , a s t h e s t r a n g e v e s s e l approaches,

t h a t Delano i s a man of "a s i n g u l a r l y u n d i s t r u s t f u l good na ture"

(p. 2 1 7 ) , "who l a c k s t h e sense of e v i l " . 87 This information s o

undermines t h e t r u s t w o r t h i n e s s of h i s pe rcep t ions i n t h e susp ic i -

ous circumstances, t h a t u n c e r t a i n t y i r o n i c a l l y becomes t h e only

s a f e assumption about what i s be ing revealed . L a t e r , a s Delano

becomes more involved wi th t h e e v e n t s on board t h e San Dominick,

h i s myopic percept ion of appearances w i l l t a k e on more s e r i o u s l y

moral cons idera t ions .

The prolonged d e s c r i p t i o n of ~ e l a n o ' s s i g h t i n g of t h e

San Dominick i s a l s o i n t e r e s t i n g i n t h e manner i n which it corres-

ponds t o g rada t ions of apprehension. This i s n o t t o say t h a t

1 1 9

j e l v i l l e wishes t o enumerate v a r i e t i e s o f knowing b u t t h a e t h e i r

mere e x i s t e n c e s i g n i f i e s t h e d i f f i c u l t y of a t t a i n i n g any a b s o l u t e

knowledge of a phenomenon. I n P i e r r e , s o concerned -- with s e l f -

consc ious i r o n y -- about t h e p r o b a b i l i t i e s o f a t t a i n i n g a b s o l u t e

i d e a l s , t h e n a r r a t o r t e l l s u s t h a t it i s f o l l y t o t h i n k one can

e v e r a t t a i n " t h e Ul t imate of Human S p e c u l a t i v e Knowledge. 1 ~ 8 8

I n B e n i t o Cereno, w e a r e f o r t h e most p a r t con f ron ted on ly w i t h

t h e concern f o r a t t a i n i n g r e l a t i v e knowledge, t h e t r u t h o f e v e n t s

of t h e moment, and y e t t h e t a s k i s n o t l e s s t o r t u o u s . The para- . -

graphs i n q u e s t i o n a r e o rganized as s p e c u l a t i o n s on t h e n a t u r e

of t h e s t r a n g e v e s s e l . The i n t e r r o g a t i o n by Delano of t h e slow-

l y c l a r i f y i n g image of t h e s h i p a l t e r n a t e s between pe rce ived

vagueness and sudden, s t r o n g images of s t a r t l i n g impor t , between

" p e r s o n a l a larms" (p. 218) a t t h e p o s s i b l e i n t e n t i o n of t h e ves-

s e l and self-appeasement. These a l t e r n a t i o n s of p e r c e p t i o n and

mood, exper ienced from t h e s a f e d i s t a n c e of h i s own s h i p , a r e no

d i f f e r e n t from t h e s p e c u l a t i o n s e x e r c i s e d by Delano on board t h e

San Dominick. The on ly change i s i n i n t e n s i t y b u t n o t i n k ind ,

it would seem, and t h u s M e l v i l l e i s a b l e t o sugges t through repe-

t i t i o n t h a t i l l u s o r i n e s s of appearances i s n o t momentary and

f r e a k i s h b u t p a r t of t h e c o n d i t i o n of man and of t h e world.

Fur thermore, t h e unusual images t h a t come t o Delano 's

mind as h-e watches t h e San Dominick compl i ca t e t h a t exper ience . "

J u s t as t h e shadowed gray of t h e sea and sky i s t h e i n t e r m e d i a t e

t o n e between l i g h t and da rkness , s u g g e s t i n g a d i s t u r b i n g ambigui ty ,

s o t h e sudden images of t h e s h i p have a symbolic resonance t h a t

r e s i s t s t h e merging d u a l i t y of a n t i c i p a t i o n and f e a r . A t f i rs t

t h e s h i p s u g g e s t s " a Lima i n t r i g u a n t e l s one s i n i s t e r eye" (p. 218) ,

1 2 0

i t s e l f a , romantic image of pas s ion and i n t r i g u e , t h a t seems l i t t l e

e l s e t han a s t r i k i n g p i c t u r e u n t i l t h e end o f t h e s t o r y when

Babo's head i s f i x e d on a p o l e i n Lima's P l a z a and meets "una-

bashed, t h e gaze o f t h e whi tes t ' Cp. 307) . The c l e a r , b u t myster-

i o u s , correspondence between t h e two images i s a t f i r s t concealed

when w e a r e t o l d of t h e sugges ted "Lima i n t r i g u a n t e ' s one s i n i s -

t e r eye" (p . 218) , y e t t h e d i s t u r b i n g resonance i s n o n e t h e l e s s

t h e r e . The n e x t image i s of a "whitewashed monastery a f t e r a

thunder-storm, s een perched upon some dun c l i f f among t h e Pyren-

e e s " (p . 219) . H e r e t h e s t a r t l i n g q u a l i t y of t h e s i m i l i t u d e i s

a profound d i s l o c a t i o n o f t i m e and space , f r i g h t e n i n g i n i t s e l f

b u t a l s o a t a deeper l e v e l i n t r o d u c i n g t h e r e l i g i o u s m o t i f s t h a t

p l a y a l a r g e p a r t i n t h e symbolic p r o c e s s o f t h e s t o r y . I n con-

sonance w i t h t h a t image, Delano n e x t sees what appea r s t o him t o

b e " th rongs o f da rk cowls ... as of Black F r i a r s pac ing t h e

c l o i s t e r s " (p . 219) . With t h i s image, t h e r e l i g i o u s i m p l i c a t i o n s ,

t h e sugges t ion of r i t u a l , and t h e somewhat s i n i s t e r conno ta t ion

o f "Black F r i a r s " a l l work t o g e t h e r t o produce a f a t e f u l s i g n i f i -

cance.

The resonance o f t h e s e images i s t o be found i n t h e i r

f a t e f u l n e s s , i n t h e i r a b i l i t y t o po r t end a f u t u r e of profound

d i s t u r b a n c e and p e r s o n a l decep t ion . The images a l s o man i f e s t a

q u a l i t y , p r e s e n t th roughout t h e n a r r a t i v e , of p a r t i c u l a r i t y , t h a t

r e - c r e a t e s t h e e x p e r i e n t i a l paradox o f he igh tened awareness and

vague i l l u s o r i n e s s on a t e x t u a l level . The v e r y p a r t i c u l a r i t y o f

t h e imagery, seemingly f i x i n g w i t h p r e c i s i o n t h e n a t u r e of Delano 's

e x p e r i e n c e s , a l s o t e n d s t o d e f l e c t t h e r e a d e r ' s a t t e n t i o n away

from t h e c o n t i n u i t y of t h o s e expe r i ences . When, f o r example, w e

read of t h e San Doninick appear ing l i k e "a whitewashed monastery

a f t e r a thunders torm, seen perched upon some dun c l i f f among t h e

Pyrenees" (p. 2191, w e are momentarily c a u g h t i n t h e t r a n s i t i o n -

a l a p p r e c i a t i o n o f a Pyrenees s e t t i n g t h a t does n o t e x i s t and

y e t h a s been made t o e x i s t . Such i n t e r r u p t i o n s o f t i m e and

space a r e f l e e t i n g , b u t compell ing enough t o have r e - c r e a t e d t h e

imagina t ive geography o f t h e t e x t . Hence, d u r i n g t h e un fo ld ing

o f t h e n a r r a t i v e , w e are a l s o s imu l t aneous ly i nvo lved i n t h e t a s k

of i n t e r p r e t i n g t h e s i g n i f i c a n c e of i m a g e s ' t h a t can on ly deepen

t h e ambigui ty of t h e complete expe r i ence . Such an i n t e r p r e t i v e

approach as t h i s might s e e m t o f u r t h e r d i s t a n c e t h e r e a d e r from

t h e s u b s t a n t i v e expe r i ence of Ben i to Cereno, y e t , as h a s been

a l r e a d y shown, n a r r a t i v e and t e x t u a l complex i ty are correspond-

i n g l y matched t o i l l u s t r a t e t h e v e r y r e a l complex i ty o f appar-

e n t l y s imple e v e n t s , compounded by t h e l i t t l e - k n o w n s u b t l e t i e s

o f p e r c e p t i o n and a n a l y s i s . More p o i n t e d l y , t h e d i s t a n c e b e t -

ween p e r c e i v e r ( h e r e meant t o ' include, on d i f f e r e n t l e v e l s , bo th

Delano and t h e r e a d e r ) and t h e pe rce ived i s i t s e l f an impor tan t

t o p i c of t h e s t o r y , as w i l l soon b e demonstra ted.

I t shou ld b e no ted a t t h i s p o i n t , t h a t what w e can c a l l

t h e psychic m a t e r i a l i t y of t h e t ex t8 ' i s n o t an i n v e n t i o n a l fea-

t u r e of B e n i t o Cereno a lone . I t i s e v i d e n t i n Moby Dick, -- P i e r r e , comica l ly i n -- Cock-A-Doodle-Doo! and i n --- I and My Chimney,

i n The Confidence-Man, - i n B i l l y Budd, among h i s p r o s e works.

What some c r i t i c s have complained of as t h e ponderous s t y l e of

Ben i to Cereno i s due i n p a r t t o t h e c o n j u n c t i o n of n a r r a t i v e form

w i t h p o e t i c d e n s i t y of meaning, and a s such , B e n i t o C e r e n o l s

achievement i s n o t much d i f f e r e n t i n p r o p o r t i o n a t e s c a l e t o t h e

I

122

acknowledged mas t e ry o f symbolic imag ina t ion i n Moby ~ i c k :

How Be 'ni to Cereno i n t r o d u c e s t h e problem of d i s t a n c e can

be found i n t h e e a r l y pas sages on Delano ' s s i g h t i n g of t h e San

~ o m i n i c k . The g r a d a t i o n s i n apprehension are m e t a p h o r i c a l l y

desc r ibed i n s e p a r a t e pa rag raphs , h e r e r e p r e s e n t e d by t h e i r open-

i n g sen t ences : "It n i g h t have been b u t a d e c e p t i o n o f t h e vapors ,

b u t , t h e l o n g e r t h e s t r a n g e r w a s watched t h e more s i n g u l a r appear-

ed h e r manoevres" Cp. 218) ; "Surmising, a t l a s t , t h a t it might be

a s h i p i n d i s t r e s s , Capta in Delano o r d e r e d - h i s whale-boat t o b e

dropped ..." (p . 218 ) ; "Upon g a i n i n g a less remote view, t h e

s h i p ... appeared l i k e a white-washed monastery ..." (p. 219) ;

"Upon a s t i l l n i g h e r approach, t h i s appearance w a s modi f ied , and

t h e t r u e c h a r a c t e r o f t h e v e s s e l was p l a i n -- a Spanish merchant-

man of t h e f i r s t class, c a r r y i n g negro s l a v e s . . . " (p . 219) ; "As

t h e whale-boat drew more and more n igh , t h e cause o f t h e pecu l i -

a r p ipe-c layed a s p e c t of t h e s t r a n g e r was s een i n t h e s loven ly

n e g l e c t pervading h e r " (p. 219) . A s t h e whale-boat draws along-

s i d e t h e San Dominick s e v e r a l f e a t u r e s of t h e s h i p are desc r ibed ,

b u t i r o n i c a l l y i n t h e m i d s t o f such p r e c i s e d e t a i l t h e f i n a l i m -

. p r e s s i o n of Delano ' s b e f o r e board ing i s o f a d h e r i n g b a r n a c l e s

c a l l i n g t o mind " b a f f l i n g airs" (p . 221) . T h i s impress ion b r i n g s

u s f u l l c i r c l e t o t h e i n i t i a l cloudy p e r c e p t i o n s o f t h e s h i p per-

ce ived from a d i s t a n c e , d i s c l o s i n g t h a t what h a s been l ea rned i s ^

s t i l l u n c e r t a i n . A s f u t u r e e v e n t s show, and h e r e foreshadowed

i n t h e symbolic approach o f Delano t o knowledge of t h e s t r a n g e r ,

t h e good c a p t a i n i s s a t i s f i e d wi th t h e s u p e r f i c i a l i d e n t i f i c a t i o n

of t h e San Dominick. I r o n i c a l l y , a t Capta in Delano ' s expense, it

i s only w i t h t h e i d e n t i f i c a t i o n of t h e San Dominick t h a t t h e more

1 2 3

sub t l e myster ies begin t o show themselves, a s i n d i c a t e d i n t h e

increas ingly symbolic c h a r a c t e r of t h e s h i p ' s f e a t u r e s -- f e a t u r e s

which Delano pe rce ives b u t whose s i g n i f i c a n c e he does n o t appre-

c i a t e . Thus, we d i scover t h a t t h e s h i p "seemed l a i d , h e r r i b s

put toge the r , and she launched, from E z e k i a l ' s Val ley of Dry

ones" (p. 2201, impar t ing a v i s i o n of dea th t o t h e a l r e a d y plen-

t i f u l impressions of co r rup t ion . We l e a r n t h a t t h e s t e rn -p iece

shows an emblem of "a dark s a t y r i n a mask, hold ing h i s f o o t on

t h e p r o s t r a t e neck of a w r i t h i n g f i g u r e , l ikewise masked" (p. . .

220), and wi th t h i s image t h e r e i s a p o r t e n t of t h e ambiguous

condi t ion of s l a v e r y on board. Both of t h e s e images symbolize

a reas of exper ience t h a t correspond t o c o n d i t i o n s on t h e sh ip ,

but because Delano i s l i m i t e d by h i s o r d i n a r i n e s s and moral

myopia and because Cereno i s never a b l e t o communicate t h e f u l l

depth of h i s o r d e a l , we a r e prevented from e v e r f u l l y decipher-

i n g t h e emblematic meaning of t h e images. Furthermore, t h e

separa t ion between t h e American and Spanish s h i p s symbolizes

t h e separa t ion between Arnasa Delano and Beni to Cereno, never t o

be spanned d e s p i t e t h e b e s t i n t e n t i o n s of t h e two men, and t h e

approach of Delano 's whale-boat t o a p o s i t i o n c l o s e enough t o see

t h e s t e rn -p iece emblem corresponds t o Delano's l a t e r r e i t e r a t i o n s

of t h e per iphery of t h e f a c t s and thus t o t h e e l u s i v e d i s t a n c e of

t h e t r u t h .

Therefore , t h e f i r s t few pages of Beni to Cereno, before

Captain Delano's boarding of t h e San Dominick, in t roduce t h e

range of themes and devices used i n t h e s t o r y : ' a complex poin t -

of-view, combining h i s t o r i c a l pe r spec t ive and a concealed nar ra- . -

t o r ; symbolic imaginat ion; t e x t u a l i t y ; t h e i n d e f a t i g a b l e o p t i -

m i s m of Captain Delano; a pervading ambiguity; an emphasis on

,

1 2 4

s i g h t , both l i t e r a l and psycho log ica l ; v a r i e t i e s of knowing B 9c , without t h e c e r t a i n t y of knowledge; a sense o f fo reboding e v i l ,

decay, and d e a t h i n t h e Spanish v e s s e l ; t h e presence of r e l i g i -

ous and s e c u l a r mystery . W e have looked r a t h e r c l o s e l y a t t h e

opening pages t o demons t ra te t h a t Beni'to Cereno expands n o t j u s t

i n b r e a d t h b u t cumula t ive ly , by degree , and t h a t i n such d e n s i t y

of exper ience t h e c o n t r o l l i n g a c t i v i t y h a s been what Capta in

Delano sees and what h e f a i l s t o see. Such emphasis on s e e i n g i s

mainta ined th roughout , and t h u s t h e q u e s t i o n s of s l a v e r y and e v i l ,

must be subord ina t ed t o t h e n a t u r e o f Delano 's exper ience .

> ~ .

Amasa Delano a s I r o n i c Hero ' - - -

How Amasa Delano understands h i s exper ience i s e v i d e n t l y

c r u c i a l t o t h e s t o r y , b u t i t s importance i s heightened by t h e

f a c t t h a t t h e r e a r e s e v e r a l i n d i c a t i o n s of a pervas ive ambiguity

t h a t even a c l ea r - see ing mariner would have d i f f i c u l t y with. On

many occasions, t h e s e a and sky a r e descr ibed as " b a f f l i n g "

(p. 218) , a s enhancing " a decept ion of . . . vapors" (p . 218) a s

dream-like. The n a r r a t o r t e l l s u s t h a t a s h i p o f t e n man i fes t s

"something of t h e e f f e c t of enchantment" (p. 2 2 1 ) , and t h e San

Dominick, i r r e s p e c t i v e of i t s t e r r i b l e mys te r i e s , i s descr ibed

as having " l a i n t r anced wi thout wind" (p. 221) i n t h e v i c i n i t y

of Cape Horn. These few of many such examples sugges t a much

wider context of ambiguity than mere personal confusion o r ignor-

ance.

Delano i s exaspera ted by such s t r a n g e s e n s a t i o n s and

h i s ignorance, revealed i n r e a c t i o n t o t h e mys te r i e s , f u r t h e r com-

p l i c a t e s them. When he f i r s t s i g h t s t h e Spanish v e s s e l , h i s re -

a c t i o n s a r e noted i n t h e fo l lowing manner:

Considering t h e lawlessness and l o n e l i n e s s of t h e s p o t , and t h e s o r t of s t o r i e s , a t t h a t day, a s s o c i a t e d wi th those s e a s , Captain Delano's s u r p r i s e might have deep- ened i n t o some uneas iness had he n o t been a person of a s i n g u l a r l y u n d i s t r u s t f u l good-nature, n o t l i a b l e , except on e x t r a o r d i n a r y and repea ted i n c e n t i v e s , and ha rd ly then , t o indulge i n pe r sona l a larms, any way involv ing t h e imputat ion of malign e v i l i n man. Whether, i n view of what humanity i s capable , such a t r a i t impl ie s , a long wi th a benevolent h e a r t , more than o rd ina ry quickness and accuracy of i n t e l l e c - t u a l pe rcep t ion , may b e l e f t t o t h e

1 2 6

wise t o determine. Cp. 217-218)

~t t h i s p o i n t i n t h e n a r r a t i v e , such an observat ion may only

h i n t of i rony , b u t l a t e r Delano's "good-nature" i s more c l o s e l y

def ined and t h e i r o n i c tone i s inescapable . During a conversa-

t i o n with Don Benito concerning t h e c u r i o u s r i t u a l of t h e chained

Atufal being brought t o t h e Spanish c a p t a i n supposedly t o ask f o r

forg iveness f o r some undisc losed o f fence , Delano i s descr ibed by

t h e author a s "a man of such n a t i v e s i m p l i c i t y a s t o be incapable

of s a t i r e o r i rony" (p. 238). The i n a b i l i t y t o use o r t o see . ?

i rony r e v e a l s a s i n g u l a r l ack of i n s i g h t i n t h e man, and h i s

opinions a r e t h e r e f o r e n o t only s u s p e c t , b u t t h e e l a b o r a t e meta-

phors of h i s percept ions a r e thereby proven t o be n o t of h i s own

conception b u t s t r i c t l y t h e a u t h o r ' s c r e a t i o n , Delano i s a

"blunt- thinking" (p. 231) man, and a s such, would seem t o be t h e

u n l i k e l i e s t person t o unravel t h e m y s t e r i e s of t h e s t e rn -p iece

emblem.

Arnasa Delano i s one of M e l v i l l e ' s many na ive , ordinary-

minded c h a r a c t e r s , belonging i n a s p i r i t u a l community wi th t h e

n a r r a t o r of Bar t leby The Scr ivener and William Ford of Jimmy Rose. - Delano may have experienced more o f a v a r i e t y of l i f e , may be

,more of an adventurer , b u t h i s o r d i n a r i n e s s and, i n t h e circurn-

s t a n c e s , r a t h e r s t u p i d optimism, p reven t him from l e a r n i n g from

h i s experience. On t h e San Dominick, h i s s u p e r f i c i a l i t y i s

exposed by h i s almost i n o r d i n a t e a t t e n t i o n t o m a t t e r s of d r e s s

and decorum, I t does no t seem t o be enough f o r Delano's s a t i s f a c -

t i o n t o observe t h a t Cereno has a " s p l e n e t i c d i s r e l i s h of h i s

p lace" Cp. 2 2 6 ) , and seems " t h e invo lun ta ry v i c t i m of mental

d i so rde r" (p. 2 2 6 ) . Repeatedly he r e t u r n s h i s observat ion t o some

p o i n t of misconduct on C e ~ e n ~ ~ s p a r t ; Don Beni to seems "kude"

@. 234) , "hapless" (p. 2341, "a paper captain1 ' Cp. 2341, and

such suppos i t ions go no f u r t h e r than t h e s p e c u l a t i o n t h a t t h e

~ p a n i s h c a p t a i n ' s i n f e l i c i t y might conceal " t h e most savage

ene rg ies" (p. 2 4 0 ) . Noreover, Delano's r epea ted observat ions of

t h e s h i p ' s d e r e l i c t i o n do no t inc lude any deeper s i g n i f i c a n c e a s

is shown i n t h e comparative s u p e r f i c i a l i t y of t h e fol lowing pas-

sage:

However u n s u i t a b l e f o r t h e t ime and p lace , a t l e a s t i n t h e blunt- think- - i n g American's eyes , and however s t r a n g e l y s u r v i v i n g i n t h e midst of a l l h i s a f f l i c t i o n s , t h e t o i l e t t e of Don Beni to might n o t , i n fashion a t l e a s t , have gone beyond t h e s t y l e of t h e day among South Americans of h i s c l a s s . Though on t h e p r e s e n t voyage s a i l i n g from Buenos Ayres, he had avowed himself a n a t i v e and r e s i d e n t of Chi le , whose i n h a b i t a n t s had n o t s o gen- e r a l l y adopted t h e p l a i n c o a t and once p lebe ian pantaloons; b u t , w i th a becoming modif ica t ion , ad- hered t o t h e i r p r o v i n c i a l costume, p ic tu resque a s any i n t h e world. S t i l l , r e l a t i v e l y t o t h e p a l e h i s - t o r y of t h e voyage, and h i s own p a l e f a c e , t h e r e seemed something s o incongruous i n t h e Spaniard ' s appare l , a s almost t o suggest t h e image of an i n v a l i d c o u r t i e r t o t - t e r i n g about London s t r e e t s i n t h e t ime of t h e plague. (p. 231-232)

Passages such a s t h e above i n d i c a t e t o what e x t e n t Delano i s un-

a b l e t o read appearances. On many occas ions t h e American cap ta in

a t tempts a physiognomic a n a l y s i s of Cereno and t h e r e s t of t h e

s h i p ' s i n h a b i t a n t s and y e t f a i l s t o d i s c e r n t h e r e a l s i t u a t i o n .

H i s b e l i e f i n t h e apparent c h i l d i s h devot ion of Babo t o Don Benito,

h i s c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n of t h e negresses a s "pure tenderness and

128

love" (p.. 2 5 l ) , h i s i n a b i l i t y t o comprehend t h e o l d s a i l o k ' s

demeanor a s he i s handed a knot , a l l s i g n i f y h i s inep tness .

Such d e f i c i e n c i e s may no t be s e r i o u s i n another man,

s i n c e t h e appearance of everyth ing on board t h e San Dominick i s

myster iously equivocal ; i n Delano's case however, h i s myopia i s

aggravated by a g e n e r a l l y condescending, and sometimes dehuman-

i z i n g , view of t h e negroes which prevents him from a p p r e c i a t i n g

t h e t r u e c h a r a c t e r of events . Babo, t h e r i n g - l e a d e r of t h e p l o t ,

i s descr ibed by Delano a s having a "rude f a c e , [in which], a s . F

occas iona l ly , l i k e a shepherd 's dog, ... sorrow and a f f e c t i o n

were equa l ly blended" (p . 2 2 3 ) . I n t h e shaving scene, Delano

ponders on t h e supposed t a l e n t s of t h e negro and upon h i s own

a t t i t u d e t o t h e race :

There i s something i n t h e negro which, i n a p e c u l i a r way, f i t s him f o r avocat ions about o n e ' s person. Most negroes are n a t u r a l v a l e t s and h a i r - d r e s s e r s ; t a k i n g t o t h e comb and brush congen ia l ly a s t o t h e c a s t a n e t s , and f l o u r i s h i n g them apparen t ly w i t h almost equa l s a t i s f a c t i o n . There i s , too , a smooth t a c t about them i n t h i s employment, wi th a marvel lous, n o i s e l e s s , g l i d i n g b r i s k n e s s , no t ungraceful i n i t s way, s i n g u l a r l y p l e a s i n g t o behold, and s t i l l more s o t o be t h e manipulated s u b j e c t of . And above a l l i s t h e g r e a t g i f t of good-humour. Not t h e mere g r i n o r laugh i s h e r e meant. Those were unsu i t ab le . But a c e r t a i n easy chee r fu lness , harmonious i n every glance and g e s t u r e ; a s though God had set t h e whole negro t o some p l e a s a n t tune. (p. 2641

The l i s t of t h e n e g r o t s p e r f e c t i o n s con t inues wi th , f o r example,

t h e fol lowing choice phrases'.:

when to this is added the docility arising from the unaspiring content- ment of a limited mind, and that susceptibility of blind attachment sometimes inhering in indisputable inferiors .., When at ease with respect to exterior things, Captain Delano's nature was not only benign, but familiarly and humorously so. At home, he had often taken rare satisfaction in sitting in his door, watching some free man of color at his work or play. If on a voyage he chanced to have a black sailor, invariably he was on chatty and half-gamesome terms with him, In fact, like most men of a good, blithe heart, Captain Delano took . - to negroes, not philanthropically, but genially, just as other men to Newfoundland dogs. ( p . 264-265)

The attitude in these passages is so outrageous and yet put for-

ward so sincerely and genially, that the words become almost in-

offensive. The devastating irony and satire in these passages is

worth a closer look, given the weight of embarrassments uttered

by Captain Delano. In the first instance, the passages are evi-

dently ironic in the light of future disclosures. The fact that

Babo is not only shaving Don Benito but performing some sadistic

ritual of torturerg0 mocks the thought that the negrols natural

talents make him suitable "for avocations about one's person"

(p. 2 6 4 ) . The condescending remarks about the negrols supposed

lack of intelligence, are disproven by the presence of the quick-

witted Babo, whose consummate acting and ability to command dem-

onstrate Delano's own lack of intelligence. The passages also

satirize the popular notion of the natural servitude and geniality

of the negro. The sentimentality of God creating "the whole negro

to some pleasant tune" (p. 2 6 4 ) becomes suddenly grim in the con-

text of the entire story, especially considering the information

130 from t h e d e p o s i t i o n t h a t t h e n e g r e s s e s "sang melancholy sOngs t o - t h e negroes , and t h a t t h i s melancholy tone was more in f l aming than 7 --- --- a d i f f e r e n t one would have been, and was in tended" (p. 301) . - -- --

These pas sages i l l u s t r a t e , t o t h e deg ree o f c o n v i c t i o n ,

t h e p sycho log ica l b l i n d n e s s o f Capta in Delano. H e a p p e a r s t o be

d e s c r i b i n g negroes n o t from what he sees b u t from a menta l p ic -

t u r e of them. When t h e s t o r y t e l l s u s t h a t Delano " w a s amused

wi th an odd i n s t a n c e o f t h e Af r i can love of b r i g h t c o l o r s and

f i n e shows," when Babo t a k e s a f l a g from t h e l o c k e r f o r u s e as an . P

apron, Delano i s i n f a c t d e s c r i b i n g h i s own fondness f o r p r e t t y

co lou r s . For , as it t u r n s o u t , t h e f l a g i s t h e Spanish one, and

i t s use as an apron i s a d e l i b e r a t e i n s u l t t o Don B e n i t o as w e l l

as a symbolic g e s t u r e of mastery . Y e t D e l a n o , ' s t i l l absorbed i n

h i s mental p i c t u r e of j o l l y negroes , can on ly say :

"why, Don Ben i to , t h i s i s t h e f l a g of Spa in you u s e h e r e . I t ' s w e l l i t ' s on ly I and n o t t h e King, t h a t s e e s t h i s , " h e added, w i t h . a s m i l e , "bu t" -- t u r n i n g towards t h e b l ack -- " i t ' s a l l one, I suppose, s o t h e c o l o r s b e gay," which p l a y f u l remark d i d n o t f a i l somewhat t o t i c k l e t h e negro. (p . 266)

The i rony of t h e s i t u a t i o n is , of c o u r s e , t h a t Delano t h i n k s h e

has caught Babo i n an e r r o r and generous ly t u r n e d it i n t o a joke;

i n a c t u a l i t y , Babo's u se of t h e f l a g has been d e l i b e r a t e . More-

over , t h e - i n c i d e n t f o l l o w s a s t r a n g e moment when Delano f a n c i e s -

t h a t h e i s w i t n e s s i n g an execu t ion : "no r , as h e saw t h e two t h u s

pos tu red , cou ld h e resist t h e vagary , t h a t i n t h e b l a c k he saw a

headsman and i n t h e w h i t e a man a t t h e b lock" ( p , 2661. Delano

d i smis ses t h e impres s ion , b u t i t s sugges t iveness p u t s a d a r k and

i r o n i c meaning t o h i s words: " i t ' s a l l one, I suppose, s o t h e co l -

o r s be gay" (p. 266) . Fo r , i n t h e l a t t e r p h r a s e , t h e ~ m e k i c a n

c a p t a i n seems unconsc ious ly t o g i v e h i s a s s e n t t o t h e s a d i s t i c

nuances of t h e shaving.

But w h i l e i n t h i s and o t h e r i n s t a n c e s Capta in Delano

i n s i s t s i n s e e i n g a c h e e r f u l demeanor where none e x i s t s , t h i s i s

on ly one s i d e o f h i s a l t e r n a t i n g moods. Much of t h e t i m e he i s

f e a r f u l t h a t Don B e n i t o i s p l o t t i n g t o murder him. Indeed , h i s

f e a r s , misplaced a s t h e y a r e , s t i l l s t r i k e t h e r e a d e r as be ing

c o n t r a d i c t o r y , as t h e man h imse l f is . F o r . t h e f i r s t p a r t o f - h i s . - s t a y on board h e is l a r g e l y sympathe t ic t o Don B e n i t o ' s clear

d e b i l i t y d e s p i t e t h e b i z a r r e c o n d i t i o n s on t h e s h i p . E v e n t u a l l y ,

Cereno 's odd behaviour p roves t o be t o o much even f o r Delano ' s

c r e d u l i t y :

The s i n g u l a r a l t e r n a t i o n s o f cour- t e s y and i l l - b r e e d i n g i n t h e Spanish c a p t a i n w e r e unaccountab le , e x c e p t on one of two s u p p o s i t i o n s -- innoc- e n t lunacy , o r wicked imposture . (p . 239)

The i r o n y , of cou r se , i s t h a t t h e "wicked imposture" i s t a k i n g

p l a c e under t h e c o n t r o l of t h e b l a c k s , b u t f o r t h e purpose of

t h i s d i s c u s s i o n , l e t u s n o t e t h a t t h e c a p t a i n as e a s i l y r e g r e t s

h i s "ungenerous surmises" (p . 241 ) , and soon beg ins " t o laugh a t

' h i s former forebodings" (p. 246) . The v a r i o u s d i s t u r b i n g myster-

ies on board become " t h o s e o l d s c i s s o r s ' g r i n d e r s , t h e Ashantees; - -

and t h o s e bed-ridden o l d k n i t t i n g women, t h e oakum-pickers; and

... t h e dark Span ia rd h i m s e l f , t h e c e n t r a l hobgobl in o f a l l "

(p . 246) . Much of h i s s e l f - p a c i f i c a t i o n i s due t o r a t i o n a l i z a t i o n ,

t o what he c a l l s "good sense" (p. 2 5 7 ) , t o t h e " e x e r t i n g [of ] h i s

good n a t u r e t o t h e utmost" (p . 257 ) , t o t hough t s t h a t a r e " t r a n -

q u i l i z i n g " (p . 2 4 6 ) , t h e r e b y s u g g e s t i n g t h e avoidance o f any ~ O S -

!

s i b l e unp leasan t t r u t h s .

I f Delano does n o t p e r c e i v e t h e t r u e c h a r a c t e r of t h e

s i t u a t i o n , what does he p a c i f y h imse l f a g a i n s t ? Many of h i s

f e a r s a r e vague. H e a l t e r n a t e s t o such a deg ree between compas-

s i o n and s u s p i c i o n , between c o n s t a n t a n a l y s i s o f a c t i o n s and t h e

r e l u c t a n c e t o t h i n k t o o deep ly , t h a t no d i s t i n c t impress ion i s

formed of t h e sou rce of h i s t e r r o r . The enigmas prompt Delano

t o s ay t o h imse l f :

What, I , Amasa Delano -- Jack of t h e Beach, as t h e y c a l l e d m e when ' *

a l a d ... Who would murder Amasa Delano? H i s consc ience i s c l ean . There i s someone above. F i e , f i e , J ack of t h e Beach! You a r e a c h i l d indeed ... (p. 256)

J u s t a t t h i s p o i n t , when h i s conf idence i s wavering i n h i s own

s a n i t y and i n t h e supposed benevo len t o r d e r of r e a l i t y , Delano

r e - a f f i r m s f o r h imse l f what he c o n s i d e r s t o be h i s i d e n t i t y . H e

i s a good f e l l o w , a man of r i g h t conduct -- t h e s t u f f of which,

i n h i s own eyes , h e r o e s a r e made -- and he c h i d e s himself f o r

c h i l d i s h f e a r s . Yet he i s c h i l d - l i k e , i n h i s moral innocence, and

it i s h i s innocence which a l l ows him t o impute on ly c l e a r - c u t mor-

a l d i s t i n c t i o n s t o appearances . B e n i t o Cereno i s a s h i p ' s cap-

t a i n , a l e a d e r of men, and t h e r e f o r e t o Delano 's "b lun t - th ink ing"

(p . 231) mind must be r e s p o n s i b l e f o r t h e m y s t e r i e s on t h e San

Dominick; e s p e c i a l l y s i n c e negroes are, i n h i s e s t i m a t i o n , " i n d i s -

p u t a b l e i n f e r i o r s " (p. 2 6 4 ) .

Amasa Delano l i s t s f o u r occu r rences a s be ing e s p e c i a l l y

mys te r ious t o him:

F i r s t , t h e a f f a i r of t h e Spanish l a d a s s a i l e d w i t h a k n i f e by t h e s l a v e boy ... Second, t h e ty ranny i n Don

1 3 3 B e n i t o t s t r ea tmen t of ~ t u f a i , t h e b lack; a s i f a c h i l d should l ead a b u l l of t h e N i l e by t h e r i n g i n h i s nose. Th i rd , t h e t rampling of t h e s a i l o r by t h e two negroes ... Fourth, t h e c r i n g i n g submission t o t h e i r mas ter , of a l l t h e s h i p ' s under l ings , m ~ s t l y b lacks . (p. 258)

Pass ing over , f o r t h e moment, t h a t Delano's understanding of t h e s e

happenings i s t h e r e v e r s a l of t h e t r u e s i t u a t i o n , l e t us i n s t e a d

look a t t h e p o t e n t i a l f o r f e a r i n them. The f i r s t of these i n c i -

d e n t s i s desc r ibed by t h e author i n a c l e a r , s t r a igh t fo rward . P

manner. Three b lacks and two crewmen are c l e a n i n g a p l a t t e r ,

when "one of t h e b lack boys, enraged a t a word dropped by one of

h i s white companions, s e i z e d a k n i f e , and ... s t r u c k t h e l ad over

t h e head, i n f l i c t i n g a gash from which blood flowed" (p. 233).

The sudden v io lence i s descr ibed by Don Ben i to as mere "spor t t1

(p. 233) , t o Delano's d i s b e l i e f ; b u t t h e e n t i r e i n c i d e n t , includ-

i n g Delano's r e a c t i o n , i s conveyed i n a l i t e r a l manner, devoid of

any manifest psychic c u r r e n t s . There i s no h i n t of f e a r here.

But what i s i n t e r e s t i n g i s t h a t immediately preceding t h e i n c i -

d e n t , we f i n d Captain Delano " s t a r t e d a t t h e occas iona l cymballing

of t h e ha tche t -po l i she r s" (p. 233) , caus ing him t o accept only

wi th r e luc tance and "even wi th sh r ink ing" (p. 233) Cerenots in-

v i t a t i o n t o go up t o t h e poop. Stepping between two of t h e ha t -

che t -po l i she r s , Delano f e e l s "an apprehensive twi tch i n t h e c a l - -

ves of h i s l egs t t (p. 233).

The r i t u a l wi th t h e chained A t u f a l and Don Benito i s

l ikewise f r e e of any fear- inducing s i g n i f i c a n c e f o r Delano. Atu-

f a 1 s t ands "mute" (p. 2361 be fo re t h e Spanish c a p t a i n and r e f u s e s

t o ask f o r pardon, while Delano looks on i n "admirat ionvf (p. 236)

a t t h e " c o l o s s a l form of t h e negro" (p. 237). But a l i t t l e while

134 l a t e r , De'lano's a t t e n t i o n i s i n a d v e r t e n t l y drawn towards Don Ben-

i t o and Babo, who have withdrawn t o one s i d e t o converse , and fac-

i n g t h e "two wh i spe re r s " (p . 239) Delano h a s a " s l i g h t s t a r t "

(p . 239 ) , f o r h e b e l i e v e s t h a t " i t seemed as i f t h e v i s i t o r had,

a t l e a s t p a r t l y , been t h e s u b j e c t of t h e withdrawn c o n s u l t a t i o n

going on ..." (p . 239) .

The s a i l o r mobbed by t h e b l a c k s i s one of t h o s e occur-

r ences t h a t happen s o suddenly they a r e a lmos t l o s t i n t h e gen-

e r a l p a t t e r n of e v e n t s . Because of some a c c i d e n t a l pushing, one

o f t h e s a i l o r s i s "dashed ... t o t h e deck, d e s p i t e t h e e a r n e s t

cries o f t h e oakum-pickers" (p . 247) . Y e t a f t e r an e x p r e s s i o n of

a larm, Delano i s e a s i l y d i s t r a c t e d b y - t h e " p l e a s i n g " (p . 247)

s p e c t a c l e o f Babo m i n i s t e r i n g t o a f a i n t i n g Don Beni to . He jok-

i n g l y o f f e r s money t o Don Ben i to f o r Babo's ownership. But ,

once more, t h e moment of f e a r i s removed from t h e s e l e c t e d mys-

t e r y . The moment o f f e a r occu r s , r a t h e r , d u r i n g a long i n t r o s p e c -

t i o n preced ing t h e v io l ence . A s Delano a n a l y z e s t h e s t r a n g e be-

hav iou r t h a t h a s been o c c u r r i n g , Delano f a n c i e s t h a t " a s each

p o i n t was r e c a l l e d , t h e b l ack wizards o f Ashantee would s t r i k e up

w i t h t h e i r h a t c h e t s , a s i n ominous comment on t h e wh i t e s t r a n g e r ' s

thoughts" (p . 244 ) . I n con junc t ion w i t h t h e momentary concealment

of h i s s h i p by a p r o j e c t i n g land-mass, t h e sound of t h e c l a s h i n g

s t e e l engenders "a g h o s t l y d read of Don Beni to" (p. 244) .

I n e a c h o f t h e s e t h r e e i n c i d e n c e s , s p e c i a l l y no ted by

Amasa Delano as p u z z l i n g m y s t e r i e s , t h e r e i s s e l f - c o n t r a d i c t i o n

and i r o n i c comment. Not on ly do t h e s e i n c i d e n t s provoke no f e a r

i n Delano, t h e s e l e c t i o n of t h e s e p a r t i c u l a r examples i n d i c a t e s

more of an u n e a s i n e s s through t h e c o l l a p s e of decorum t h a n a f e a r

f.? ' I based on i n s t i n c t i v e s e l f - p r e s e r v a t i o n . There i s a good d e a l of

i rony i n t h e f a c t t h a t i n t h e e v i d e n t t o t a l d e g e n e r a t i o n of com-

mand, based a t t h e v e r y l e a s t i n Don B e n i t o s s extreme p h y s i c a l

d i s t r e s s , t h e American c a p t a i n should select t h r e e p a r t i c u l a r

examples a s e i t h e r t h e proof of consp i r acy o r t h e p r a c t i c e o f a

"very c a p r i c i o u s commander" (p. 258) . I n t h e f a c e of v i o l e n c e ,

moreover, Delano shows n o f e a r and, a t one t i m e , shows admira t ion

f o r t h e massive bu lk o f A tu fa l . What does i n s p i r e f e a r i n him

a r e c l o s e l y r e l a t e d expe r i ences t h a t h o l d no o v e r t t h r e a t . I n . ?

each case , f e a r i s induced because of an imagined communication,

of undisc losed b u t seemingly d i s t u r b i n g meaning. Delano 's eyes

cannot p e r c e i v e any key t o t h e m y s t e r i e s and t h e s e l e a v e him

u n a f r a i d , though somewhat perp lexed; b u t what he imagines h e

hea r s f i l l s him w i t h dreadg1, p r e c i s e l y because such an expe r i -

ence i s n o t o f a mater ia l o r d e r and can s i g n i f y any o f s e v e r a l

p o s s i b l e conc lus ions . "A ve ry c a p r i c i o u s commander" (p . , 258) he

can d e a l w i t h , as h e can w i t h a " v i c t i m of men ta l d i s o r d e r " (p.

226) , o r an o v e r t ac t o f t r e a c h e r y as h e b e l i e v e s i s happening

when Don B e n i t o l e a p s i n t o h i s d e p a r t i n g b o a t (p . 282 ) ; what he

cannot manage i s ambivalence, m u l t i p l e ambigui ty , t h e cond i t i on -

of-being where s e v e r a l c o n t r a d i c t o r y points-of-view may be e q u a l l y

t r u e and y e t remain unrevea led . We have on ly t o remember, i n

t h i s r e s p e c t , t h e mood of e chantment t h a t accompanies Delano o n ' b h i s t o u r s of t h e s h i p , o f h i s t r y i n g " t o b reak one charm" (, .- -

and be ing "becharmed anew" (p. 252) , t o a c c e p t t h e t e r r i f y i n g

vagueness of h i s expe r i ence . I n t h i s s e n s e , t h e f o u r t h mystery ,

["the c r i n g i n g submiss ion t o t h e i r mas t e r , o f a l l t h e s h i p ' s

under l ings" (p. 2 5 8 ) ) , cannot be f i x e d t o one i n c i d e n t , t r u e o r

r

136

imagined,. o f a t o t a l misapprehension of t h e r e s p e c t i v e r o l e s of

Cereno and t h e b l a c k s ; t h e mystery i s due r a t h e r t o a misap-

p l i e d sense o f decorum, t o a r i g i d b e l i e f t h a t t h e p o s i t i o n s of

mas te r and s l a v e , even when ' reversed , should b e obvious , and t o

Delano's i n a b i l i t y t o p e r c e i v e " s a t i r e o r i r o n y " (p. 2 3 8 ) , and

hence, t o f a i l t o n o t i c e a c t i n g . Appearances on t h e s h i p t e l l

him noth ing , o t h e r t h a n t h e i r own n e g l e c t and saddened s tate.

When he obse rves a s a i l o r t a r r i n g a c l o c k - s t r a p , h e n o t e s t h a t

t h e s a i l o r ' s

I n t h e above

appearances.

i s a f a c e : . r

which would have been a v e r y f i n e one b u t f o r i t s haggardness . Whether t h i s haggardness had aught t o do w i t h c r i m i n a l i t y , cou ld n o t b e determined; s i n c e , as i n t e n s e h e a t and c o l d , though u n l i k e , pro- duce l i k e s e n s a t i o n s , s o innocence and g u i l t , when, th rough c a s u a l a s s o c i a t i o n w i t h men ta l p a i n , s tamping any v i s i b l e impress , u s e one seal -- a hacked one. (p . 2 4 9 )

passage w e a r e t o l d q u i t e c l e a r l y o f t h e mystery of

The t o n e used i s impersonal and t h e message i s

g e n e r a l l y a p p l i c a b l e , implying t h e p re sence o f d i f f i c u l t y f o r a l l

men. Such a g e n e r a l i z a t i o n p u t s Delano 's p red icament i n t o a more

human p e r s p e c t i v e , f o r on board t h i s s h i p , h e i s s p i r i t u a l l y

a lone , can r e l y on no one, and y e t h i s , and t h e S p a n i a r d ' s , v e r y

e x i s t e n c e depends on how h e s o l v e s t h e enigmas. T h i s u n c e r t a i n t y ,

c l o s e l y a l l i e d t o d read , i s p o r t r a y e d by M e l v i l l e t h rough t h e u se

of h i n t s , s u p p o s i t i o n s , t h e sudden m a n i f e s t a t i o n o f images whose

meaning i s u n c l e a r , and a g e n e r a l i n t e r r o g a t i v e p a t t e r n :

What meant t h i s ? ' Something t h e man had sought t o c o m u n i c a t e , unbe- known t o any one, even t o h i s cap- t a i n . Did t h e secret i n v o l v e aught unfavourab le t o h i s c a p t a i n ? Were

t h o s e p rev ious mi sg iv ings of Captain Delano 's abou t t o b e v e r i - f i e d ? O r , i n h i s haunted mood a t t h e moment, had some random, unin- t e n t i o n a l motion o f t h e man, wh i l e busy w i t h t h e s t a y , as i f r e p a i r i n g it, been mis taken f o r a s i g n i f i c a n t beckoning? (p. 253)

A Spaniard h a s made some undetermined movement w i t h a marl ing-

s p i k e and suddenly l e f t , A s w i l l b e shown l a t e r , such i n c i d e n t s

p o i n t t o an i l l u s o r i n e s s of expe r i ence t h a t makes d e c i s i v e ac-

t i o n p r e c a r i o u s , Moreover, t h e i n t e n s i t y of f e a r i n t h e g e n e r a l . -

atmosphere can b e e f f e c t i v e l y f e l t , as i n t h e above passage , by

i t s i n f l u e n c e on Amasa Delano, who, as a benevo len t man o f a c t i o n ,

as an admirer of Newfoundland dogs, negro s e r v a n t s , t h e s t r e n g t h

and t ende rnes s of savages , t h e p r o p r i e t i e s of s m a r t n a v a l d r e s s -- such a man f i n d s h imse l f momentarily on t h e edge o f p a r a n o i c

madness. 92

Goodness, i n M e l v i l l e ' s f i c t i o n , i s a v i r t u e r e p l e t e

w i t h ambiguity. S ince it cannot be s a i d t o e x i s t un in f luenced

by men's b a s e r f e e l i n g s , i t s u s e i s almost always en igma t i c and

i r o n i c a l , The n a r r a t o r i n Ba r t l eby The S c r i v e n e r i s a good man - who s i n c e r e l y wishes t o h e l p h i s s c r i v e n e r . Y e t h i s i n t e n t i o n s

a r e s o q u a l i f i e d by h i s m a t e r i a l i s m and s e l f - s e e k i n g t h a t h i s

goodness becomes i n e f f e c t i v e and even v a l u e l e s s . I n BenFto

Cereno, Amasa Delano i s a man c l o s e i n t h e s p i r i t o f o r d i n a r i - .

n e s s t o t h e n a r r a t o r of "Bar t leby" , By t h e t i m e w e have fol lowed

Delano through a few o f t h e i n c i d e n t s on t h e San Dominick we can

see t h a t h i s goodness i s also l i m i t e d by h i s l a c k o f s p i r i t u a l

depth .

An examinat ion of s e v e r a l of t h e e v e n t s d i s c l o s e s t h a t

Captain Delano i s n o t o n l y g e n e r a l l y s e l f - s e r v i n g b u t a t t i m e s

138

c u r i o u s l y ~ c a l l o u s . The most dramatic evidence i s t h e t e l i i n g

scene i n t h e b o a t a s i t is about t o leave t h e San Dominick. Don

Benito l eaps i n t o t h e b o a t and Delano, convinced he i s about t o

be murdered, , s e i zes t h e Spanish c a p t a i n "by t h e t h r o a t " (p. 282).

A s Don Benito l a t e r r e c a l l s it:

you were wi th me a l l day; s tood wi th m e , s a t wi th me, t a l k e d wi th me, looked a t me, a t e wi th me, drank wi th m e ; and y e t , your l a s t a c t was t o c l u t c h f o r a monster, n o t only an innocent man, b u t t h e most p i t i a b l e of a l l men. (p. 305-306)

Delano's self-esteem i s such t h a t only h i s s u r v i v a l seems t o be

a t s take . The f o u r mys te r i e s p a r t i c u l a r l y bothersome t o Delano,

and a l ready mentioned h e r e , a r e good examples of a se l f -es teem

t h a t i s exe rc i sed a t some c o s t t o o t h e r s . I n t h e f i r s t , when t h e

Spanish boy i s s t ruck wi th a k n i f e , Delano r e f l e c t s on Don

Beni to ' s importence and then proceeds t o adv i se him on how b e s t

t o employ t h e b lacks , a t e r r i b l e i rony cons ide r ing t h e circumstan-

ces . He t e l l s Don Beni to what h e himself has done i n t h e p a s t : - Why, even wi th my l i t t l e band, I f i n d such a course indispensable . I once k e p t a crew on my quar te r - deck thrumming mats f o r my cab in , when, f o r t h r e e days, I had given up my s h i p . . . (p. 234)

There seems l i t t l e e l s e than conversa t iona l va lue h e r e u n l e s s we

cons ider - tha t it r e v e a l s t h e smallmindedness of someone who

assumes h i s reasonable advice f i t s a l l occasions. The minor ego-

t i s m then becomes a major stumbling-block t o understanding.

La te r , when a s a i l o r i s "dashed ... t o t h e deckt1 (p. 247)

Delano Is d i s t r a c t e d by one of Cerenovs coughing f i t s . Delano's

r e a c t i o n t o t h i s i s s u p e r f i c i a l l y proper , b u t on deeper reading ,

i s somewhat cur ious :

Such d i s c r e t i o n was h e r e evinced a s q u i t e wiped away, i n t h e v i s i t o r ' s eyes , any blemish of impropriety which might have a t t ached t o t h e a t t e n d a n t , from t h e indecorous con- f e rences be fo re mentioned ... (p. 247)

There i s no mention i n ~ e l a n o ' s ruminat ions of t h e s a i l o r ' s

i n j u r y nor of Don Ben i to ' s cond i t ion ; no f e e l i n g f o r them i s

ev iden t . I n s t e a d , Delano i s t h i n k i n g of what might have been

s a i d about him. H i s r ead iness t o f o r g i v e impropr ie ty shows h i s

concern with it. Such s e n s i t i v i t y t o decorum a l s o c a l l s t o mind . *

t h e e a r l i e r scene with t h e chained Atufa l , where, i n l i s t e n i n g

t o an explanat ion of t h e supposed meaning of t h e r i t u a l , Delano

i s suddenly "annoyed by t h e conversa t iona l f a m i l i a r i t i e s " (2. 238)

. of Babo, an inappropr ia t e f e e l i n g i n t h e l i g h t of t h e numerous

examples of t h e genera l confusion and muted v io lence on t h e sh ip .

Af te r r ece iv ing a knot from an o l d s a i l o r some time l a t e r , and

n o t knowing what t o do with it, Delano begins t o worry t h a t such

perp lexing i n c i d e n t s may mean h i s l i f e i s i n danger. From t h i s

anx ie ty , he t r i e s t o pac i fy h imsel f :

What, I , Amasa Delano -- Jack of t h e Beach, a s they c a l l e d me when a l a d -- I , Amasa; t h e same t h a t , duck-satchel i n hand, used t o paddle a long t h e water-s ide t o t h e school-house made from t h e o l d hulk -- I , l i t t l e Jack of t h e Beach, t h a t used t o go be r ry ing wi th cous in Nat and t h e r e s t ; I t o be murdered h e r e a t t h e ends of t h e e a r t h , on board a haunted p i r a t e - s h i p by a h o r r i b l e Spaniard? Too nonsens ica l t o t h i n k of! Who would murder Amasa Delano? H i s conscience i s c lean . Cp. 256)

The egoism here i s q u i t e complex. On t h e one hand it seems a nor-

mal r e a c t i o n of self-concern i n a t h r e a t e n i n g s i t u a t i o n and a re -

1 4 0

a f f i r m a t i o n of i d e n t i t y ; on t h e ' o t h e r hand, t h e repeated"'1"

se t a p a r t , i n each c a s e , from t h e rest o f t h e s en t ence , d i s t i n g u -

i s h e s a k ind of a r rogance t h a t i s mixed w i t h a c h i l d i s h s ense of

importance. 9 3 What t h e r e i s of l o g i c i n t h e passage a l s o p o i n t s

t o a r e v e a l i n g f a l l a c y o f t h i n k i n g . Because he i s a good man,

w i t h a c l e a n consc i ence , he i s immune from v i o l e n c e ; h i s t o r y i s

t h e f i n a l r e f u t a t i o n of such a b e l i e f , and Don B e n i t o i s t h e

most immediate example of t h e i d e a ' s u n r e a l i t y . Furthermore, h i s

s e n s e of "c lean" consc ience i s s u r e l y an i n s t a n c e of unconscious

i r o n y , f o r it a p p a r e n t l y f a i l s t o account f o r ignorance and s t u -

p i d i t y -- as i f w e cou ld be saved from mora l r e s p o n s i b i l i t y

because of good i n t e n t i o n s and because o f what w e d i d n o t know.

The c l e a n consc ience of b l a c k s d i d n o t s ave them from s l ave ry :

it cannot save Delano from t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y of h i s miss ion.

A s i f it might be passed ove r by a c a s u a l r e a d e r , t h e

i r o n y of t h e passage i s emphasized by Delano ' s t hough t s imrnedi-

a t e l y a f t e r w a r d s , when Babo b r i n g s an i n v i t a t i o n from Don Beni to .

T h i s c o u r t e s y i s enough t o a l l a y Delano 's f e a r s , i n d i c a t i n g h i s

s u p e r f i c i a l i t y and h i s s ense of se l f - impor tance . The comparative

p r o f u n d i t y o f h i s a n a l y s e s of e v e n t s a r e a l s o somewhat r i d i c u l e d

by t h e s e n t i m e n t a l i t y he e v i n c e s when he s i g h t s h i s boa t :

Ha! g l a n c i n g towards t h e boa t ; t h e r e ' s Rover; good dog; a whi te bone i n h e r mouth. A p r e t t y b i g - bone though, seems t o m e -- What? Y e s , s he h a s f a l l e n a f o u l of t h e bubbl ing t i d e - r i p t h e r e . I t s e t s h e r t h e o t h e r way, t o o , f o r t h e t i m e . Pa t i ence . (p . 256-2571

P a t i e n c e ,

i s a l s o a

r ecogn izab ly t h e c o r r e c t a t t i t u d e i n t h e c i rcumstances ,

d e v a s t a t i n g l y i r o n i c reminder o f t h e t e r r i b l e s u f f e r i n g

1 4 1 of Don Ben i to t a k i n g p l a c e a s Delano i s i n d u l g i n g i n h i s homely,

Duxbury-like s en t imen t s . This i r o n y i s n o t s o much an ind ic tment

of Delano a s it i s a symbolic exp res s ion o f t h e e x t r a o r d i n a r y and

abysmal e x p e r i e n c e s t h a t surround us a s we are engaged i n t h e

o rd ina ry though t s and t a s k s of everyday i i f e .

Amasa Delano 's b ravery and goodness shou ld n o t be d i s -

missed, even i f t h e y are rendered i n e f f e c t i v e and shown t o be

ambiguous i n t h e t o t a l i t y of h i s l i m i t e d c h a r a c t e r . H e i s a rep-

r e s e n t a t i v e man, as many c r i t i c s have ~ o i n t e d o u t , and h i s reac- -

t i o n s are n o t meant t o b e much d i f f e r e n t from t h o s e o f h i s genera-

t i o n , i f t h e y were t o f i n d themselves i n h i s ~ i t u a t i o n . ' ~ H i s

c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n shows something of t h e complex i ty o f M e l v i l l e ' s

a r t , f o r he i s n e i t h e r h e r o nor v i l l a i n , y e t i n h i s o r d i n a r i n e s s

c o n t a i n s t h e p o t e n t i a l i t i e s of both . H i s v e r y common-ness makes

h i s expe r i ence a l l t h e more f r i g h t e n i n g and profound, s i n c e it

i m p l i e s t h e e x p e r i e n c e c o u l d happen, i n a p p r o p r i a t e d i s g u i s e , t o

any o r d i n a r y man.

I f A m a s a Delano r e p r e s e n t s o r d i n a r y , f a m i l i a r l i f e , t hen

Don Ben i to r e p r e s e n t s t h e e x t r a o r d i n a r y , n o t by v i r t u e of any

g i f t s b u t th rough mis fo r tune . A comparat ive t r e a t m e n t o f t h e i r

c h a r a c t e r s i s n o t p o s s i b l e because Don B e n i t o ' s s imu la t ed behavi-

o u r p r e v e n t s t h e e x p r e s s i o n of h i s t r u e f e e l i n g s . H i s c h a r a c t e r - -

can on ly b e i n f e r r e d from t h e me taphor i ca l and symbol ic p a t t e r n s

o f expe r i ence on t h e San Dominick, a s u b j e c t which w e s h a l l exa-

mine l a t e r . Don B e n i t o i s t h e o b j e c t of n a r r a t i v e d i s c l o s u r e and

n o t i t s i n s t r u m e n t , and because Delano canno t comprehend c l e a r l y

t h e e v e n t s b e i n g d i s c l o s e d , much concern ing Don B e n i t o remains

unc l ea r . I n g e n e r a l , w e may say he a p p e a r s - t o b e a good and sen-

142

s i t i v e man, b u t h i s s e n s i t i v i t y i s s o q u a l i f i e d by t h e t e k r o r s o f

h i s expe r i ence t h a t t h e word seems inadequa te t o t h e s i t u a t i o n .

What, f o r example, are w e t o make of h i s h o r r o r o f t h e b l ack Babo,

s o pronounced, t h a t h e canno t b e a r t o look him i n t h e f a c e ? H i s

g e n e r a l l y consumptive appearance and h i s e v e n t u a l d e a t h from t h e

s t r e s s e s of h i s o r d e a l , makes o f h i s s e n s i t i v i t y a q u a l i t y mixed

wi th cowardice, impotence, and a r e v u l s i o n of l i f e . Fur thermore,

h i s symbolic e q u i v a l e n c e t o Cha r l e s V, t o monast ic ism i n g e n e r a l ,

and, by v i r t u e of be ing a Spania rd , h i s symbol ic r e s p o n s i b i l i t y -

f o r Spanish c r u e l t i e s i n South America and d u r i n g t h e I n q u i s i t i o n ,

make him a complex c h a r a c t e r t h a t cannot b e g l i b l y i n t e r p r e t e d a s

a mere v i c t im .

Amasa Delano, however, remains t h e key t o t h e expe r i -

ence on t h e San Dominick. Merely by v i r t u e o f M e l v i l l e hav ing

a p p r o p r i a t e d t h e f a c t s of t h e s t o r y from t h e h i s t o r i c a l Amasa

Delano 's n a r r a t i v e , it can be s a f e l y s a i d t h a t Delano 's percep-

t i o n of e v e n t s i s c r u c i a l . S ince h i s p e r c e p t i o n i s shown t o be

l i m i t e d bo th by h i s own n a t u r e and by t h e i n h e r e n t l y mys te r ious

n a t u r e of appearances i n t h e s t o r y , u n c e r t a i n t y and ambigui ty

must be acknowledged as t h e c o n t r o l l i n g f a c t o r s of expe r i ence .

I t does no good t o d i s t i n g u i s h between h i s expe r i ence and t h e

complete e x p e r i e n c e i n t h i s r e s p e c t , f o r a l l l i t e r a l expe r i ence

i s f i l t e r e d th rough h i s mind and t h e deeper t r u t h s o f t h e s t o r y ,

unknown t o Delano, a r e of themselves complexly ambiguous. The

i m p l i c a t i o n s of a c c e p t i n g u n c e r t a i n t y and ambigui ty as t h e c h i e f

f e a t u r e s mean, f o r example, t h a t t h e s l a v e r y i s s u e cannot b e

s e t t l e d . We can i d e n t i f y Delano 's hidden p r e j u d i c e a g a i n s t t h e

b l a c k s , b u t t h e c h a r a c t e r s o f Don Ben i to , Babo, and t h e rest of

,

143

t h e b l a c k s , are i r r e t r i e v a b l y locked w i t h i n a much mys-

t e r y . ~t i s t o t h e n a t u r e of t h i s mystery t h a t w e must now t u r n .

The - Anarchy of - Appearances -

When t h e n a r r a t o r in' P i e r r e t e l l s u s t h a t "man's l i f e

seems b u t an a c t i n g upon mys te r ious hint^^^,'^ he could b e commen-

t i n g upon t h e problem Delano f a c e s on t h e San Dominick. Delano

imagines he i s r e c e i v i n g t h r e a t e n i n g communications of a sub-

l i m i n a l n a t u r e from a v a r i e t y of sources : whisper ings , sudden

movements, t h e sounds of t h e Ashantees sharpening b l a d e s , f u r t i v e

o r seemingly g u i l t y e x p r e s s i o n s on Don Ben i to ' s f ace . What t h e

American c a p t a i n w o r r i e s about i s t h a t "every s o u l on board" i s . .

Don B e n i t o ' s " c a r e f u l l y d r i l l e d r e c r u i t i n t h e p l o t " (p . 245) .

Of cou r se , i n a s ense , Delano i s c o r r e c t i n h i s " i n c r e d i b l e

i n fe rence" (p. 245) ; t h e t r u e s t a t e - o f - a f f a i r s i s be ing con-

cea led . But it i s n o t on ly what i s be ing d i s g u i s e d t h a t e l u d e s

Delano's d e t e c t i o n , it i s t h e f a c t of d i s g u i s e i t s e l f , i n a l l

i t s v a r i e g a t e d , m u l t i l e v e l l e d forms.

The f u l l range o f d i s g u i s e d appearances i n Ben i to Cereno

p r e f i g u r e s t h e u s e o f s i m i l a r concealment i n The - Confidence-Man. - Disguise on t h e San Dominick i s s o v a r i e d and wi thout i n t e r r u p -

t i o n t h a t it p o i n t s t o a symbolic f l u x i n t h e n a t u r e of appear-

ances , an anarchy t h a t i s i t s e l f seemingly wi thout cause . M e l -

v i l l e u se s r e v e r s a l s , d i sp lacements and t r a n s p o s i t i o n s , and m e t a -

p h o r i c a l masking t o convey a v i s i o n of r e a l i t y t h a t i n Pierre i s

c a l l e d : " s u r f a c e s t r a t i f i e d on s u r f a c e . To i t s a x i s , t h e world

be ing no th ing b u t super induced s u p e r f i c i e s . 11 9 6

S e t t i n g i s po r t r ayed i n unusual fash ion . I n s t e a d o f

having a sense of p l a c e deepened by conc re t e imagery, X e l v i l l e

o f t e n superimposes d e s c r i p t i o n s of o t h e r p l a c e s on to t h e images

o f s h i p and sea. I n t h e beg inn ing of t h e st .ory, when Delano can-

P 145

n o t q u i t e ~ d i s c e r n t h e i d e n t i t y of t h e Spanish v e s s e l , t h e v e s s e l

i s d e s c r i b e d as: "a Lima i n t r i g u a n t e t s one s i n i s t e r eye p e e r i n g

a c r o s s t h e Plaza1' (p. 218) ; 'h whitewashed monastery a f t e r a

thunder-storm, seen perched upon some dun c l i f f among t h e

Pyrenees" (p. 219) . Both of t h e s e images are e v i d e n t i l l u s i o n s ,

b u t a s t h e f i r s t two i n a series of f o r e i g n s e t t i n g s , t hey set

t h e t one of i l l u s o r i n e s s . The "Lima" image a l r e a d y i n d i c a t e s

t h e f u t u r e Lima o f Babo's e x e c u t i o n , o f Babo's po le - f ixed head

s t a r i n g a c r o s s t h e P l a z a , of B e n i t o Cereno 's dea th . The "white- -

washed monastery" i n t r o d u c e s t h e r e l i g i o u s imagery t h a t p l a y s a

d i s t u r b i n g r o l e i n t h e s t o r y . The w h i t e hue i s an i r o n i c r eve r -

s a l o f t h e b l a c k ascendancy w i t h i n , b u t as t h e wh i t e i s an i l l u -

s i o n o f t h e sp ray and c louds so i s t h e p o s i t i o n of t h e b l a c k s

sugges ted t o b e f i n a l l y undetermined. The monastery i s a p l a c e

o f s e c l u s i o n on t o p a mountain and gr imly s u g g e s t s Don B e n i t o ' s

s e c l u s i o n and e v e n t u a l d e a t h on Mount Agonia. Such m i r r o r i n g

of metaphors d i s r u p t s t h e c o n t i n u i t y o f p l a c e and i m p l i e s a c i r -

c u l a r i t y o f t i m e t h a t mocks e f f o r t s a t c e r t a i n t y and freedom.

When t h e v e s s e l i s f i n a l l y i d e n t i f i e d as a Spanish s l a v e r , t h e

f i r s t image t h a t comes t o mind, as i f i n r e j e c t i o n of i t s m a t e r i a l

i d e n t i t y , i s a "super-annuated" I t a l i a n p a l a c e which " s t i l l , under

a d e c l i n e of masters, p r e s e r v e d s i g n s of former state" (p. 219).

The s e n s e of former g l o r y and p r e s e n t decay, h e r e i n t roduced , ism

main ta ined th roughout t h e t a l e i n such d e t a i l s as t h e p a r t i c u l a r s

of Don B e n i t o ' s "South Americanv1 g e n t l e m a n f s d r e s s " (p. 231) con-

t r a s t e d by h i s p h y s i c a l d e b i l i t y . Decay i s f u i t h e r emphasized i n

t h e c a r e f u l d e s c r i p t i o n of t h e s h i p ' s f e a t u r e s :

The t o p s were l a r g e and were r a i l e d about wi th what had once been octa- gonal network, a l l now i n sad d i s - r e p a i r , These t o p s hung overhead l i k e t h r e e ru inous a v i a r i e s ... Bat te red and mouldy, t h e c a s t e l l a t e d f o r e c a s t l e seemed some a n c i e n t t u r - re t , long ago taken by a s s a u l t , and then l e f t t o decay, Toward t h e s t e r n , two h igh-ra ised q u a r t e r ga l - l e r i e s -- t h e b a l u s t r a d e s h e r e and t h e r e covered w i t h d ry , t i n d e r y sea- moss -- opening o u t from t h e unoc- cupied s t a t e - c a b i n , whose dead- l ights , f o r a l l t h e mild weather , were her- m e t i c a l l y c losed and calked -- t h e s e t e n a n t l e s s ba lcon ies hung over t h e s e a as i f it were t h e grand v e n e t i a n - canal . (p , 220)

Words l i k e " d i s r e p a i r " , "ruinous", " b a t t e r e d " , "mouldy" , " t i nde ry" , " t e n a n t l e s s " , a l l communicate decay; t h e c a r e f u l a t t e n t i o n t o

d e t a i l pa radox ica l ly r e s t o r e s a sense of m a t e r i a l r e a l i t y t o t h e

s h i p , even though t h i s r e a l i t y a t t e s t s t o t h e ravages of Nature

and Time. However, t h i s d e s c r i p t i o n ends wi th t h e image of t h e

I t a l i a n pa lace and t h u s a sudden t r a n s p o s i t i o n of both s h i p and

sea t o a "Venetian canal" . This sense o f t h e P a s t myster ious ly

coterminous w i t h t h e P resen t , i s n o t conf ined t o a p a r t i c u l a r

per iod. D i f f e r e n t l o c a t i o n s and d i f f e r e n t t i m e s a r e evoked by

t h e San Dominick, seen from d i f f e r e n t p e r s p e c t i v e s . E a r l i e r , t h e

s h i p i s compared t o "Ezekia l ' s Val ley o f Dry Bones" (p. 220) ,

s imultaneously evoking a n c i e n t h i s t o r y , myth, sac red v i s i o n , and

t h e t ime lessness of death. Th i s image a lone , combining t r a n s c e n l

d e n t a l t i m e , b i b l i c a l h i s t o r y , and t ime lessness , e f f e c t i v e l y des-

t r o y s any no t ion of o rd ina ry t ime and f a m i l i a r space i n favour of

t h e symbolic realm of r e v e l a t i o n . The s h i p , i f i i t s d i f f e r e n t

a s p e c t s , r e v e a l s i t s e l f suddenly t o t h e au thor as whatever may

best si.gni.fy i t s symbolic es.sence. S ince ' t h e ' r e v e l a t i o n s a r e

t v a r i o u s , t h e San Dominick's symbolic s i g n i f i c a n c e remains 'u l t ima-

t e l y ambiguous.

R e v e l a t i o n s i n terms of s e t t i n g c o n t i n u e a f t e r Captain

Delano has boarded t h e sh ip . The s e n s a t i o n o f coming aboard a

s t r a n g e s h i p i s compared t o e n t e r i n g a s t r a n g e house:

Both house and s h i p -- t h e one by i t s w a l l s and b l i n d s , t h e o t h e r by i t s h i g h bulwarks l i k e ramparts -- hoard from view t h e i r i n t e r i o r s till t h e l a s t moment; b u t i n t h e c a s e o f t h e s h i p t h e r e i s t h i s a d d i t i o n : t h a t t h e l i v i n g s p e c t a c l e it c o n t a i n s upon i t s sudden and complete d i s c l o s u r e , h a s , i n con- t ras t w i t h t h e b l ank ocean which zones it, something o f t h e e f f e c t of enchantment. The s h i p seems u n r e a l ; t h e s e s t r a n g e costumes, g e s t u r e s , and f a c e s , b u t a shadowy t a b l e a u j u s t emerged from t h e deep, which d i r e c t l y must r e c e i v e back what it gave. (p . 221)

The dev ice o f u s i n g t h e f a m i l i a r t o d i s c l o s e t h e u n f a m i l i a r i s

h e r e e s p e c i a l l y e f f e c t i v e because it i n c i d e n t a l l y manages t o con-

vey t h e t r a n s i t i o n from a f a m i l i a r world ( t h e B a c h e l o r ' s De l igh t ) 97

t o t h e undoubtedly s t r a n g e world o f t h e San Dominick, t h e po la r -

i t y o f house and s h i p as w e l l look ing forward t o t h e a n t i t h e s i s

o f Delano 's Duxbury-conditioned sense o f n e i g h b o u r l i n e s s and

homely comforts and Ben i to Cereno 's Old World s e n s e of l o s s and

o f e v i l . The " u n r e a l " q u a l i t y of a s h i p i s s e l f - e x p l a n a t o r y i f

mys t e r ious , b u t t h e g h o s t l y and d e a t h - l i k e q u a l i t y o f i t s s t r a n g e

r e l a t i o n t o t h e "deep" t r ans fo rms "un rea l " t o a symbol ic c o n d i t i o n

t h a t i s more - t han j u s t a c o n t r a s t t o t h e f a m i l i a r n o v e l t i e s of

houses. The passage s i g n i f i e s t h i s u n r e a l i t y as enchantment and

it i s an enchantment t h a t does n o t o n l y r e s u l t f r o m a commonwealth

o f w h i t e s and b l a c k s b u t a l s o from t h e o c e a n i c m y s t e r i e s o f Nature

t h a t a r e a n echo of ~ o b y D i c k and The Encantadas . - - I n The Encantadas , M e l v i l l e e x p l o r e d t h e e f f e c t s of

enchantment i n terms of landscape. I n t h e s e s k e t c h e s , enchant-

ment i s a c o n d i t i o n of man's sub juga t ion by Nature , exper ienced

as d e l u s i o n and o f t e n a s waking dream. The Encantadas a r e an

i s l a n d group, known f o r t h e i r " a i r o f spel l -bound d e s e r t n e s s " ; 98

t o them "change never comes; n e i t h e r t h e change of seasons nor

of sorrows" ." They s e e m cu r sed by t h e Almighty as i f t hey were

a l i v i n g material reminder o f t h e s p i r i t u a l t o rmen t s of h e l l . . - The sea sur rounding t h e i s l a n d s is c a l l e d by some s a i l o r s " t h e

Enchanted Ground",100 t o s i g n i f y t h e c a p r i c i o u s c u r r e n t s and

v a r i a b l e winds t h a t can mean sudden d i s a s t e r a g a i n s t t h e rocks

o r i n t h e leas t a h e l p l e s s d r i f t i n g by t h e s e " h o t a r i d i t i e s " . 101

The s i g n i f i c a n t p o i n t , i n t e r m s of ou r d i s c u s s i o n , i s t h a t

M e l v i l l e p o r t r a y e d , i n t h e s e s k e t c h e s , an e x t r e m i t y o f consc i -

ousness wherein man touches t h e unknown. The unknown f o r

M e l v i l l e cou ld n o t be s imply a s c i e n t i f i c unknown, measuring t h e

l i m i t s of man's knowledge o f t h e f a m i l i a r world; i n t h e s e s k e t -

ches he shows t h a t t h e unknown i s unimaginable e x c e p t i n extreme

m a n i f e s t a t i o n s o f moral and metaphys ica l phenomena. Thus t h e

i s l a n d s are d e s c r i b e d as a "wa i l i ng s p i r i t " lo2 c r y i n g o u t f o r

Lazarus t o " d i p t h e t i p of h i s f i n g e r i n w a t e r and c o o l my tongue,

f o r I a ~ - t o r m e n t e d i n t h i s flame". lo3 Symbol ica l ly , t h e y c o r r e s -

pond t o a human c o n d i t i o n o f s o l i t u d e and incommunicable s u f f e r -

i n g , as i n t h e o r d e a l s o f H u n i l l a , marooned, and t h e n raped and

abandoned by p a s s i n g s a i l o r s , o r as i n t h e case of t h e Hermit

Ober lus , a m i s a n t h r o p i s t more b e s t i a l t h a n human. Nature p l a y s

a p a r t i n such human expe r i ences , b u t . the ' p a r t She p l a y s i s seen

a s myster ious . The savagery of Nature and t h e savagery of man

a r e i n t h i s way compared and l e f t t o t h e r e a d e r t o d e c i d e upon

t h e i r p r e c i s e r e l a t i o n s h i p and upon t h e p r o b a b i l i t i e s of man's

e v e r escap ing h i s c a r n a l i n h e r i t a n c e .

I n B e n i t o Cereno, t h e e v e n t s are l o c a t e d "toward t h e

sou thern e x t r e m i t y o f t h e long c o a s t of Ch i l e " (p. 2 1 7 ) , an a r e a

t h a t , i n r e l a t i o n t o t h e c i v i l i z e d r e g i o n s o f Europe and t h e

Americas, i s c l o s e t o t h e T a r t a r u s - l i k e i s l a n d s o f The Encantadas,

San ta Maria, "a s m a l l , d e s e r t , un inhab i t ed ' i s l a n d " (p. 217) found

i n an "ex t r emi ty" , s u g g e s t s t o a r e a d e r o f The Encantadas an ima- - g i n a t i v e geography superimposed on t h e l i t e r a l one. I t i s a

geography where changing c u r r e n t s , vapors , l ong c a l m s , imply a

s ta te of p r e c a r i o u s n e s s , of i l l u s i o n and enchantment, of man's

imprisonment by f o r c e s o f Fa te . I t i s s m a l l wonder, t h e n , t h a t

i n t h i s c o n d i t i o n o f enchantment t h e San Dominick can appear t o

be many t h i n g s . Why such enchantment should e x i s t i s n o t g iven , - l e a d i n g t h e r e a d e r t o suppose t h a t it i s a symbolic s ta te of

enduring impact and n o t s imply an e c c e n t r i c , a c c i d e n t a l phenom-

enon of Nature.

The house and s h i p correspondence i s used i n t e r m i t t e n t l y

t o f u r t h e r t h e e f f e c t s of i l l u s o r y expe r i ence , A t t i m e s , Delano

f e e l s l o s t , a s i f h e w e r e i n a s t r a n g e cha t eau i n a " f a r i n l a n d

country" -(p. 252 ) ; once h e d e s c r i b e s h imse l f as "a lone on t h e

p r a i r i e " (p. 257) . The ocean s w e l l s momentari ly become " t e r r a c e s "

(p . 252) . Don B e n i t o ' s temporary cab in i s a " c l u t t e r e d h a l l of

some e c c e n t r i c bache lo r - squ i r e i n t h e count ry" ' (p. 262). Don

B e n i t o f s c l o t h i n g resembles t h a t "of an i n v a l i d c o u r t i e r t o t t e r i n g

about London i n t h e t i m e of t h e plague" (p. 232) . A b a l u s t r a d e

becomes " t h e c h a r r e d r u i n of some summer-house" (p. 252) . An o l d

upturned b o a t i s a " sub te r r aneous s o r t of cave'' Cp. 261) . A s a i -

l o r , dimly seen behind some r i g g i n g , d i s a p p e a r s suddenly " i n t o

t h e r e c e s s e s o f t h e hempen f o r e s t , l i k e a poacher" (p. 253) . The

reversals of l a n d and sea i n t h e s e images e f f e c t i v e l y sugges t t h e

d i s o r i e n t a t i o n o f Captain Delano. By c o n t i n u a l l y p o i n t i n g e l s e -

where, t h e s e t t i n g imagery a l s o u n i v e r s a l i z e s Delano 's expe r i -

ence, f r e e i n g it on a symbolic l e v e l from t h e l i m i t a t i o n s of t h e

t i m e and p l a c e . However, t h i s i s n o t t o s u g g e s t t h a t M e l v i l l e

i s g e n e r a l i z i n g t h e expe r i ence on t h e San Dominick i n t h e manner

o f p a r a b l e by employing a n t i t h e t i c a l imagery. The d e n s i t y of

d e t a i l i s i t s own argument a g a i n s t a s imple me taphor i ca l c o r r e s -

pondence, f o r such d e n s i t y keeps u s a t t e n t i v e t o t h e p a r t i c u l a r -

i t y o•’ t h e e x p e r i e n c e and t o t h e c o n t i n u a l c r e a t i o n of a unique

P r e s e n t . The sudden t r a n s p o s i t i o n s o f s e t t i n g i n s t e a d emphasize

a mood o f u n c e r t a i n t y and p reca r iousnes s . The augmentation of

t h e P r e s e n t by o t h e r dimensions h e i g h t e n s awareness n o t of

i n c r e a s e d p o s s i b i l i t i e s b u t of t h e p e r p e t u i t y o f d iminished pos-

s i b i l i t i e s . J u s t as t h e v a r i o u s s e t t i n g s show e i t h e r a d e c l i n e

of power o r n a t u r a l i s o l a t i o n , s o t h e San Dominick demons t ra tes

t h a t decay and s o l i t u d e a r e c o n s t a n t s of human expe r i ence and n o t

i t s e x c e p t i o n s .

Other p h y s i c a l imagery r e i n f o r c e s t h e impress ion of

i l l u s i o n and decay c r e a t e d by t h e d i s c o n t i n u i t y of t i m e and p l ace .

Delano 's r e p e a t e d o b s e r v a t i o n s of Cereno 's c l o t h i n g do more than

sugges t Delano ' s s u p e r f i c i a l i t y . Xn each c a s e , a r i c h concre te -

n e s s o f appearances i s c r e a t e d t h a t i s a t once c o n t r a d i c t e d by

t h e g r e a t e r i l l u s o r i n e s s of mood and s e t t i n g , by t h e s i t u a t i o n a l

d u p l i c i t i e s , and by Benito Cereno's s p i r i t u a l and phys ica i decay.

An example of t h i s s t a t e of c o n t r a d i c t i o n can b e found i n t h e

f i r s t d e s c r i p t i o n of Don Ben i to ' s d ress :

A s master and man s tood before him, t h e black upholding t h e white , Captain Delano cou ld n o t b u t bethink him of t h e beauty o f t h a t r e l a t i o n - s h i p which could p r e s e n t such a spec tac le of f i d e l i t y on t h e one hand and confidence on t h e o the r . The scene was heightened by t h e c o n t r a s t i n d r e s s , denot ing t h e i r r e l a t i v e p o s i t i o n s . The Spaniard wore a loose Ch i l e j acke t of dark ve lve t ; whi te smal l -c lo thers and s tock ings , w i t h s i l v e r buckles a t t h e knee and i n s t e p ; a high-crowned sombrero, of f i n e g r a s s ; a s l ender sword, s i l v e r mounted, hung from a knot i n h i s s a s h -- t h e l a s t being an almost i n v a r i a b l e ad junct , more f o r u t i l i t y than ornament, of a South American gentleman's d r e s s t o t h i s hour. Excepting when h i s occas ional nervous c o n t o r t i o n s brought about d i s a r r a y , t h e r e was a c e r t a i n p r e c i s i o n i n h i s a t t i r e cu r ious ly a t v a r i a n c e wi th t h e uns igh t ly d i s o r d e r around ,.. (p. 231)

I n t h e above passage, t h e r eve r sa l s c r e a t e d by t h e i r o n i c m i s -

apprehension of appearances a r e almost d izzying . The f i r s t sen-

tence alone i s s u b t l y complex, A s f u t u r e d i s c l o s u r e s i n d i c a t e ,

"master and man" i s a hollow phrase; Don Beni to i s now t h e s l ave

of t h e black hold ing him. Even t h e word "upholding" has i t s

i r o n i c s i g n i f i c a n c e , s i n c e i n r e a l i t y Babo i s hold ing Beni to down,

i n t h e manner of t h e s t e rn -p iece emblem. Y e t by t h e t ime we

l e a r n t h e f a c t s of t h e s i t u a t i o n , i n t h e cour t -depos i t ion , t h e

r o l e s have once more reversed themselves, and ~ a b o i s again a

s l ave , a l though it would be c o r r e c t t o say i n q u a l i f i c a t i o n t h a t

Don Benito i s no longer a master. Lik@wise, " f ide1 i ty1 ' and "con-

f idence" 'are s i m i l a r m i s r e p r e s e n t a t i o n s of t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p be t -

ween Beni to and Babo. The conf idence i s i n r e a l i t y Babo t s , who

has organized t h e u p r i s i n g and t h e charade. ~ i d e l i t y i s a qua-

l i t y t h a t c h a r a c t e r i z e s Don B e n i t o t s l o v e of t h e murdered Aranda

and evokes a t e r r o r i n him t h a t he may have t o f o l l o w h i s l e a d e r .

Moreover, f i d e l i t y and conf idence are t h e v e r y v i r t u e s t h a t might

d e s c r i b e Delano h i m s e l f , w i t h h i s benevolence, s imple t r u s t , and

r epea t ed a l l u s i o n s t o dogs. Thus, b e f o r e w e even a r r i v e a t t h e

d e s c r i p t i o n o f Don B e n i t o ' s d r e s s , t h e s i t u a t i o n a l d u p l i c i t y h a s - f r a c t u r e d any s e n s e of t h e s o l i d i t y o f appearances and undermined

Arnasa Delano's c a p a c i t y t o see t h i n g s a s t h e y a r e . The s t y l i z e d

q u a l i t y of Don B e n i t o ' s uniform becomes a g ro t e sque costume o f

p re t ence , emphasiz ing t h e d i s t a n c e between t h e o f f i c e and i t s

e f f e c t i v e power. A s we l e a r n a t t h e end of t h e s t o r y , Don

B e n i t o ' s scabbard h a s been a r t i f i c a l l y s t i f f e n e d , s i g n i f y i n g

n a t u r a l and m e t a p h o r i c a l impotence. The " u n s i g h t l y d i s o r d e r " on

t h e s h i p , as no ted by Delano, i s a h i g h l y inadequa te means of

d e s c r i b i n g t h e profound degene ra t ion on t h e San Dominick. I t i s

Delano 's cosmet ic view o f appearances t h a t h e r e i r o n i c a l l y con-

t r o l s what v a l u e s are t o be imparted t o appearances .

I f c l o t h i n g imagery i n t h i s and o t h e r i n s t a n c e s r e v e a l s

a d i sgu i sed r e a l i t y , t h e n p h y s i c a l appearances i n d i c a t e no th ing

of t h e man w i t h i n . Don B e n i t o has a "cadaverous a s p e c t " (p . 2 3 3 ) ;

h e i s s i c k l y ; h i s e y e s are o f t e n d e s c r i b e d as s h i f t i n g o r a v e r t e d

from Delano's p re sence . Capta in Delano i n t e r p r e t s such manifes-

t a t i o n s a s ev idence o f Don B e n i t o t s p l o t t i n g , o f t h e p o s s i b i l i t y

t h a t "under t h e a s p e c t of i n f a n t i l e weakness, t h e most savage

e n e r g i e s might be' 'couched --' t h o s e v e l v e t s of t h e Spania rd b u t

153

t h e s i l k y paw t o h i s f angs" ( p a 2 4 0 ) . Th i s complete misreading

of Don B e n i t o ' s t e r r i f i e d state i s on ly matched by Delano 's in -

a b i l i t y t o i n t e r p r e t Babo. H e beg ins h i s misapprehension by

c a l l i n g Babo:

" F a i t h f u l fel low!" c r i e d Captain Delano. "Don Ben i to , I envy you such a f r i e n d ; s l a v e I cannot c a l l him." (p. 231)

and con t inues it by i n s i s t i n g on s e e i n g Babo as p a r t i c u l a r l y do-

c i l e and g e n i a l . I t i s on ly i n t h e b o a t , a f t e r Babo has leaped

i n w i t h a dagger , t h a t Delano f i n a l l y comprehends something of

Babo's mal ice i n h i s "countenance l i v i d l y v i n d i c t i v e , exp res s ing

t h e c e n t r e d purpose of h i s s o u l .. . " (p. 283) . I t i s on ly be-

cause t h e d i s g u i s e h a s been dropped t h a t Delano can see Babo's

i n t e n t i o n s , b u t i n g e n e r a l Delano 's a t t e n t i o n t o p h y s i c a l appear-

ances on ly d i s c l o s e s a d i s t u r b i n g ambivalence. Observing a sai-

l o r doing some t a r r i n g work, Delano f e e l s t h a t c r i m i n a l i t y cannot

b e determined from haggardness , s i n c e " innocence and g u i l t , when,

through c a s u a l a s s o c i a t i o n w i t h mental p a i n , s tamping any v i s i b l e

impress , use one seal -- a hacked one" (p . 249) . L a t e r , when

Delano and Don B e n i t o are se rved lunch, Delano demons t ra tes once

more h i s i n a b i l i t y t o probe beyond s u r f a c e a t t r a c t i v e n e s s , a s he

i s s t r u c k w i t h t h e m u l a t t o s t e w a r d ' s a p p a r e n t "extreme d e s i r e t o

p l e a s e " (p. 270) . W e l e a r n l a t e r from t h e d e p o s i t i o n t h a t it i s

t h i s same s teward who proposed "poisoning a d i s h f o r t h e generous ---- Delano compounds t h e i rony

of h i s mi spe rcep t ion by a t t e m p t i n g t o engage Don Ben i to i n conver-

s a t i o n about t h e m y s t e r i e s o f physiognomy:

"Don Ben i to , " whispered he , "I am g l a d t o see t h i s usher-of-the-golden- rod of yours ; t h e s i g h t r e f u t e s an

154

ugly remark once made t o me by a Barbados p l a n t e r ; t h a t when a mula t to has a r e g u l a r European f a c e , look o u t f o r him; he i s a d e v i l . But see , your steward he re has f e a t u r e s more r e g u l a r than King George's of England; and y e t t h e r e he nods, and bows, and smiles; a k ing , indeed -- t h e k ing of kind h e a r t s and p o l i t e f e l - lows. What a p l e a s a n t voice he has , too." (p. 270)

The remark of t h e "Barbados p l a n t e r " i s n o t proven t r u e by t h e

s teward ' s t r eachery f o r t h e simple reason t h a t Don Benito has a . r

" regu la r European face" and i s n o t only misjudged by Delano a s a

"monster" b u t even a f t e r t h e San Dominick has been recaptured and

h i s ordea l n a r r a t e d , he manages t o shock Delano wi th t h e depth of

h i s f e e l i n g s a g a i n s t t h e b lacks . Nei ther white nor b lack a r e

f r e e of g u i l t and misjudgment. Indeed, t h e above passage i s a

condemnation of f a c i l e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s and simple r e s o l u t i o n s , i f

seen i n t h e con tex t of t h e s t o r y ' s range of symbolical ly achieved

i r r e s o l u t i o n s .

Roles a r e a l s o used i n a way t h a t shows t h e i r u l t i m a t e

i n s i g n i f i c a n c e r e l a t e d t o problems of being, c e r t i t u d e , and f ree -

dom. The r e v e r s a l s of master and s l ave only s i g n i f y some of t h e

r o l e manipulation. Beni to Cereno i s compared t o Charles V, i n t h e

s i m i l a r degree of t h e i r "contemptuous avers ion" t o o t h e r men " j u s t

previous -to t h e a n c h o r i t i s h r e t i r ement of t h a t monarch from t h e ,

throne" (p. 2 2 6 ) . A s one c r i t i c has b r i l l i a n t l y shown, t h e use of

Charles V i n t h e s t o r y connects toge the r t h e va r ious r e l i g i o u s

metaphors and symbols i n a v i s i o n of t h e temporal and s p i r i t u a l

decay of t h e Church. lo4 Such a l l u s i v e n e s s , while c l e a r on t h e

l e v e l of pa rab le , c r e a t e s t e x t u a l problems. To t h e degree t h a t

we bec0m.e aware of t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p between Don Benito t h e

b lacks a s enac t ing t h e h i s t o r y of t h e Church's misappropriation

of temporal power from ~ h a r l e s V, s o do we l o s e s i g h t of t h e

American Captain Delano's immediate experience. Such a reading

of r e l i g i o u s metaphor can ,only be v a l i d ( a s it probably is) a s

one of many pe r spec t ives on t h e ch ia roscuro of i l l u s i o n s on t h e

San Dominick. Babo, f o r example, while descr ibed as a "begging

f r i a r of S t . ranc cis" (p. 2311, i s a l s o " l i k e a shepherd's dogw

(p, 223). The minor c h a r a c t e r s a r e descr ibed a s momentarily

i n h a b i t i n g va r ious r o l e s . The steward i s compared t o King George

of England. The ha tche t -po l i she r s a r e l i k e " t a i l o r s " ; one of t h e

negroes assumes t h e p e r s o n a l i t y of an "a t to rney" (p. 255); when

Delano's men storm t h e San Dominick they become l i k e " t roopers

i n t h e saddle" (p.287). Animal imagery, a s we l l , i s used t o con-

vey t h e more c a r n a l mys te r i e s of t h e c h a r a c t e r s 1 r o l e s , Babo, a s

has been mentioned, i s l ikened t o a "dog" and negroes i n genera l

a r e descr ibed by Delano a s Newfoundland dogs. Messenger boys a r e

c a l l e d " p i l o t f i s h " (p. 226); a Barcelona " t a r " i s descr ibed a s

a " g r i z z l y bea r" c a s t i n g " s h e e p ' s e y e s n ( p . 250); a s l eep ing

negress i s " l i k e a doe i n t h e shade of a woodland rock" (p , 251)

and h e r sprawling baby l i k e a "wideawake fawn" (p. 251); a group

of women and c h i l d r e n a r e " l i k e a s o c i a l c i r c l e of b a t s " (p. 261);

Babo i s descr ibed a s w r i t h i n g "snakish ly" (p. 283) on t h e b o a t ' s

bottom as Delano i s p repar ing t o c a s t o f f from t h e San Dominick.

I n a l l of t h e s e c a s e s , t h e e a s y t r a n s i e n c e of human charac te r i s -

t i c s ' i s a s u b t l e i n d i c a t i o n of t h e precar iousness of human values.

If Don Benito i s both master and s l a v e , i f Babo i s both

s l a v e and master , i f such r o l e s a r e s o e a s i l y interchangeable,

t h e n human i d e n t i t y cannot be determined by a man's a c t i o n s . The

complex s ta te-of-appearances which a l l ow an o l d s a i l o r t o b e "an

Egypt ian p r i e s t , making Gordian k n o t s f o r t h e temple of Amrnon"

(p. 2 5 4 ) , which wi thhold t h e s i g n i f i c a n c e of t h e k n o t s from

Delano, i s e q u a l l y r e s p o n s i b l e f o r t h e s imul taneous p e r c e p t i o n s

o f t h e c h a r a c t e r s as v i c t i m s of c i r cums tances and as a c t o r s i n

a r i t u a l of e v i l . I t does n o t matter t h a t w e may n o t be a b l e t o

determine p r e c i s e l y t h e i d e n t i t y o f t h e r i t u a l , s i n c e s o many of

t h e a c t i v i t i e s on board have ,a r i t u a l c h a r a c t e r , and y e t may be .

on ly l o o s e l y r e l a t e d . lo5 N e i t h e r can w e s a y t h a t t h e s t o r y i s a

s tudy of freedom, no r of s l a v e r y , no r of a f a i l e d r e b e l l i o n , nor

of a symbolic b a t t l e between good and e v i l . I n each c a s e , t o o

much i s l e f t undetermined, t o o much c o n t r a d i c t e d , t o o much q u a l i -

f i ed by t h e pr imary importance of A m a s a Delano 's l i m i t e d percep-

t i o n of even t s . W e have seen such a s e p a r a t i o n between charac-

ters be fo re , in ' Bar,t:l'eb,y The 'S'criue,ner,. There , t h e n a r r a t o r '. s - r e n d i t i o n o f e v e n t s , l i m i t e d by h i s p e r s o n a l i t y , p r e v e n t s u s from

e v e r knowing t h e t r u t h about Ba r t l eby . I n B e n i t o Cereno, w e a r e

n o t s o l i m i t e d by point-of-view, having t h e a u t h o r ' s v o i c e i n d i -

c a t i n g meanings o u t s i d e t h e range o f Delano 's p e r c e p t i o n s . The

d i f f i c u l t y i s t h a t a u t h o r i a l t o n e i s c l e a r l y e v i d e n t i n symbol

and metaphor, which i n themselves have a lmos t a h i e r o g l y p h i c

o b s c u r i t y . The s t e r n - p i e c e emblem, t h e scene w i t h A t u f a l s t a n d i n g

b e f o r e Don Beni to , t h e scene w i t h t h e "Gordian" kno t , t h e shaving

scene -- a l l appear t o have a r i t u a l s i g n i f i c a n c e , and y e t even

a f t e r we have l ea rned of t h e sham, we tcan on ly surmise about

t h e i r meanings.

The u s e of a d e p o s i t i o n t o c l a r i f y . t h e mystery o f even t s

157

i s on ly s u p e r f i c i a l l y s u c c e s s f u l . W e l e a r n how t h e s l a v e s r evo l -

t e d and, how they murdered t h e w h i t e s , how t h e y c o n t r o l l e d t h e

Spania rds and how they dece ived Arnasa Delano. Y e t l i t t l e i s

r e s o l v e d by t h e document, f o r t h e new ev idence compl i ca t e s t h e

enigmas r a t h e r t han s o l v i n g them. B e n i t o Cereno h a s d i f f i c u l t y

convincing t h e c o u r t of t h e v e r a c i t y o f h i s s t o r y . The c y c l e of

u n c e r t a i n t y i s r epea t ed : j u s t as Delano w a s o n l y convinced of t h e

appa ren t t r u t h of e v e n t s r e l a t e d by Cereno because t h e b l a c k s

suppor ted it " a s w i t h one voice' ' r e l a t i n g "a common t a l e of su f - .

f e r i n g " (p. 221 ) , s o t h e c o u r t is convinced o f what Don Ben i to

now s a y s i s t h e t r u t h because it i s suppor t ed by t h e whi tes :

Some d i s c l o s u r e s t h e r e i n were, a t t h e t i m e , h e l d dubious f o r bo th l e a r n e d and n a t u r a l r ea sons . The t r i b u n a l i n c l i n e d t o t h e op in ion t h a t t h e deponent , n o t und i s tu rbed i n - h i s mind by r e c e n t e v e n t s , raved o f some t h i n g s which cou ld never have happened. But subsequent de- p o s i t i o n s o f t h e surv iv ing . s a i l o r s , b e a r i n g o u t t h e r e v e l a t i o n s of t h e i r c a p t a i n i n s e v e r a l o f t h e s t r a n g e s t p a r t i c u l a r s , gave c redence t o t h e rest. (p . 289 )

Such a q u a l i f i c a t i o n h i n t s a t t h e u n a v a i l a b i l i t y o f t h e " t r u t h " .

Moreover, o t h e r i n t e r e s t i n g cor respondences can b e found i n t h e

d e p o s i t i o n which r e v e a l t h a t e v i l i s n o t l i m i t e d t o t h e b l acks .

When t h e negroes r e v o l t t h e y k i l l s e v e r a l o f t h e w h i t e s i n venge-

ance f o r t h e i r c a p t i v i t y ; w e l e a r n from t h e d e p o s i t i o n t h a t a f t e r

t h e c a p t u r e of t h e San Dominick by Delano ' s men s e v e r a l o f t h e

b l a c k s are k i l l e d :

We a l s o l e a r n t h a t j u s t as Babo c u t Don

t h e shaving scene , s o a s a i l o r tries t o

w i t h a r a z o r , "aiming it a t t h e n e g r o ' s

b t h e s a i l o r s . .'. 2-

B e n i t o w i t h a r a z o r i n

c u t a shack led negro

t h r o a t " (p, 303) . Delano

i s p u t i n t h e p o s i t i o n of d isarming a s a i l o r named B a r l o who i s

t r y i n g t o k i l l a shack led b l ack wi th a dagger , j u s t as e a r l i e r

i n t h e b o a t h e had disarmed Babo of h i s dagger (p. 303) . These

and o t h e r cor respondences between t h e n a r r a t i v e and t h e deposi-

t i o n demons t ra te t h a t d e s p i t e t h e r e s t o r a t i o n of o r d e r t h e enig- *

mas remain. Indeed , such correspondences answer, i n p a r t ,

M a t t h i e s s e n ' s c r i t ic i sm o f B e n i t o Cereno ' s method o f " r a i s i n g

unanswered q u e s t i o n s " , lo6 f o r t h e d e p o s i t i o n i m p l i e s t h a t unan-

swered q u e s t i o n s are t h e v e r y n a t u r e of t h e e x p e r i e n c e s i n t h e

s t o r y .

Some c r i t i c s have found t h a t t h e i n c l u s i o n of t h e depo-

s i t i o n was an a r t i s t i c e r r o r , g i v i n g an uneven and un f in i shed

q u a l i t y t o t h e t a le . lo7 Such an a t t i t u d e shows an unwi l l i ngness

t o fo l low t h e i m a g i s t i c p a t t e r n s i n t h e s t o r y , f o r t h e y i n d i c a t e

an ambiguity o f appearances t h a t cannot be r e s o l v e d ; w i thou t t h e

d e p o s i t i o n t h e r e cou ld b e no p o i n t of o b j e c t i v i t y from which a

l i t e r a l comprehension o f e v e n t s cou ld b e ach ieved . However, t h e

d e p o s i t i o n i s impor t an t f o r o t h e r r ea sons as w e l l , A s an h i s t o -

r i c a l document, t h e d e p o s i t i o n s u g g e s t s t h a t t h e c r u e l t i e s i n f l i c -

t e d by b l a c k s and w h i t e s on each o t h e r i s a r e c u r r i n g phenomenon.

A s t h e cor respondences mentioned above i n d i c a t e , such r ecu r r ence

i s g iven h i s t o r i c a l v a l i d i t y , even though t h e f i n a l i r o n y i n t h i s

r e s p e c t i s t h a t h i s t o r y canno t answer any o f t h e m y s t e r i e s t h a t

159 need e x p l a n a t i o n b u t can merely p e r p e t u a t e t h e myth o f v i o l e n c e ,

of man a g a i n s t man, enac t ed on t h e San Dominick. lo8 Since t h e

s t o r y does n o t end w i t h t h e d e p o s i t i o n , w e have f u r t h e r ev idence

t h a t t h e human s i g n i f i c a n c e o f s u f f e r i n g c a n n o t be v a l i d l y com-

municated by any o t h e r means t h a t A r t .

The d e p o s i t i o n a l s o b r i n g s up a q u e s t i o n of t h e na r r a -

t i v e s t r u c t u r e . To answer t h i s q u e s t i o n w e must b r i e f l y examine

t h e n a r r a t o r ' s r o l e . I n gene ra l , w e are w i l l i n g t o a c c e p t as

r e a d e r s t h e co -ex i s t ence of Amasa Delano t h e p e r c e i v e r o f e v e n t s . ,

and t h e au tho r as n a r r a t o r . I t i s u s u a l l y clear where Delano 's

comprehension o f e v e n t s ends and where t h e a u t h o r - n a r r a t o r ' s

beg ins i n t h e communication of images. However, when w e come t o

t h e d e p o s i t i o n t h e r e i s a sudden a e s t h e t i c c o l l i s i o n o f s u r f a c e s ,

appa ren t ly i n d i c a t i n g t h e a u t h o r ' s hand more c l e a r l y t han might

be d e s i r e d . The ine l egance i s on ly appa ren t . The c o l l i s i o n be t -

ween t h e language o f document and t h e language of A r t , between

f a c t and symbol, emphasizes t h e t e x t u a l e x p e r i e n c e o f t h e s t o r y .

A s was shown i n t h e a n a l y s i s of t h e s t o r y ' s f i r s t few pages , t ex-

t u a l i t y e f f e c t i v e l y r e - c r e a t e s a m e d i t a t i v e e x p e r i e n c e i n t h e

mids t of complex appearances whi le a l s o s u g g e s t i n g by i t s own

mediat ion t h e d i s t a n c e o f " t r u t h " . Tru th i s a c o n s t a n t c r e a t i o n ,

e v e r o u t of r each o f t h e unders tanding , as i s sugges ted by t h e

accumulation of images, each provid ing a d i f f e r e n t and problem-

a t i c p e r s p e c t i v e on t h e s u f f e r i n g of t h e s h i p ' s i n h a b i t a n t s . The

d e p o s i t i o n i l l u s t r a t e s by a n t i t h e s i s what h i s t o r i c a l t es t imony

can do and what it cannot do, and the reby creates a f u l l e r appre-

c i a t i o n i n t h e r e a d e r of t h e symbolic imag ina t ion . The n a r r a t o r -

au tho r u ses t h e d e p o s i t i o n t o show t h e u n f i n i s h e d c o n d i t i o n o f

truth, for the deposition is itself a re-creation of the actual

events, yet further removed from experience. Neither historical

testimony nor symbol satisfies the demand for completeness of

information, but incompleteness is crucial to the story's

achievement. Since everything disclosed in the story indicates

that in life man is captive to one force or another, whether it

be Society, Nature, or Metaphysical Law, then incompleteness of

understanding at least suggests that a certain mental freedom

is possible in pursuance of the elusive truth. In attempting to . r

render the life of a mind capable of interrogating ambiguities

of the order found in Benito Cereno, symbolization is the tex-

tual process that occurs. This is by no means a private experi-

ence, since symbolization is an ongoing process in the mind

carried on by the reader. 109

Enchantment. and Death - -

I n B e n i t o Cereno , t h e encounte r w i t h qppearances d i s -

c l o s e s a p r i n c i p l e of r e l a t i v i t y . Images of s e t t i n g , of physi-

cal appearance, o f r o l e s and a c t i v i t i e s , t h e i r o n i c s i g n i f i c a n c e

of words spoken, t h e mi spe rcep t ion of c o n d i t i o n s by Amasa Delano,

a l l sugges t a s t a t e - o f - c o n t r a d i c t i o n s o t o t a l t h a t w e can on ly

unders tand t h i n g s r e l a t i v e t o one ano the r , and a s such a bewil-

d e r i n g anarchy becomes t h e dominant expe r i ence on t h e San Domin-

i c k . For example, w e can speak of Amasa ~ e l a n o a s a h e r o rela- . - t i v e t o t h e f a c t t h a t h e r e c a p t u r e s t h e Spanish s h i p and n o t f o r

any moral o r i n t e l l e c t u a l v i r t u e s , which indeed would c o n t r a -

i n d i c a t e h i s heroism. Don B e n i t o i s t h e master of t h e San

Dominick r e l a t i v e t o t h e charade c o n t r o l l e d by Babo. Babo i s an

e v i l gen ius r e l a t i v e t o t h e s u f f e r i n g o f t h e w h i t e s b u t a h e r o of

t h e oppressed b l a c k s . The names M e l v i l l e h a s chosen f o r h i s

c h a r a c t e r s r e i n f o r c e t h e ambivalence of t h e i r r o l e s and t h e i n -

determinacy o f t h e i r f i n a l p o s i t i o n s . Delano h imse l f p rov ides a

c l u e t o t h e s i g n i f i c a n c e o f names by a t t e m p t i n g t o unde r s t and

what might b e i n d i c a t e d by Don B e n i t o 1 s name: "Ben i to Cereno -- Don Ben i to Cereno -- a sounding name1' (p. 2 4 0 ) . The names do

"sound", b u t what t h e y s i g n i f y i s unc lea r . A s one c r i t i c has

shown, Amasa i s t h e name o f a t r e a c h e r o u s b i b l i c a l commander of -

B e n i t o Cereno may sugges t s e r e n i t y and goodness King David;

b u t Cereno a p p a r e n t l y has a secondary meaning o f "shameless f e l -

low"; Babo may d e r i v e i t s r o o t s from t h e Tuscan "Babbo" mean-

i n g "Daddy" o r it may come from t h e W e s t ~ f i i c a n Hausa language

and mean "No". I n each c a s e , t h e h idden root-meanings o f t h e

names suppor t t h e l i n e of imagery which stresses t h e c h a r a c t e r s '

I ambivalence. Delano i s n o t t r e a c h e r o u s , b u t h e i s p r e j u d i c e d ,

smallminded, and compara t ive ly e g o t i s t i c a l . Don B e n i t o ' s extreme

s e n s i t i v i t y and costume of " s i n g u l a r r i chness1 ' Cp. 2231 may imply

weak moral c h a r a c t e r and a decadent i n t e l l e c t u a l i n h e r i t a n c e .

S ince Babo i s never a l lowed f u l l human e x p r e s s i o n by t h e w h i t e s

it i s n o t p o s s i b l e t o deny h i s heroism c o n c l u s i v e l y . But t h e

impor t an t c o n s i d e r a t i o n , a t t h i s p o i n t i n o u r d i s c u s s i o n , i s t o

see t h a t such name-play merely s t r e n g t h e n s t h e view t h a t no d i s -

t i n c t moral p o s i t i o n i n t h e s t o r y can b e argued f o r M e l v i l l e . . r

The presence o f h i s t o r i c a l p e r s p e c t i v e s u g g e s t s by i t s long view

t h e r e p e t i t i o n of c y c l e s o f dominance and s u b j u g a t i o n , w i t h w h i t e

and b l ack i n t e r m i t t e n t l y r e v e r s i n g r o l e s , Such an i n t e r p r e t a t i o n

i s borne o u t by t h e i m a g i s t i c cor respondences i n t h e d e p o s i t i o n

where w h i t e s k i l l b l a c k s i n t h e manner t h a t t h e i r mates have been

k i l l e d . I f w e adopt such a p e r s p e c t i v e , t h e r e i s no problem w i t h

t h e " s l ave ry" i s s u e . Blacks are e n s l a v e d by w h i t e s who are them-

s e l v e s ens laved . Don B e n i t o ' s c u l t u r a l i n h e r i t a n c e i n c l u d e s t h e

I n q u i s i t i o n , and i n t h e shav ing scene , where Babo conduc ts a c r u e l

mimicry of c a s t r a t i o n and murder, t h i s i n h e r i t a n c e i s i r o n i c a l l y

sugges ted .

The f l o o r o f t h e cuddy w a s mat ted ,.. On one s i d e w a s a c law-footed o l d t a b l e ... a thumbed m i s s a l on it, and ove r it a s m a l l , meagre c r u c i f i x a t t a c h e d t o t h e bulk-head; Under t h e t a b l e l a y a den ted c u t l a s s o r two, w i t h a hacked harpoon, among some melancholy o l d r i g g i n g , l i k e a heap of poor f r i a r s ' s g i r d - les. There w e r e a l s o two long , sharp- r ibbed s e t t e e s of Malacca cane , b l a c k w i t h age, and uncomfort- a b l e t o look a t a s i n q u i s i t o r s ' r a c k s , w i t h a l a r g e , misshapen arm- chair, which, f u r n i s h e d w i t h a rude

b a r b e r ' s c r o t c h a t t h e back: Work- i n g w i t h a screw, seemed some gro- t e s q u e eng ine o f torment. (p. 263)

The I n q u i s i t o r s murdered thousands t o p r e s e r v e t h e i r dogma; 115

now, Babo, i n h i s symbol ic r o l e as a F r a n c i s c a n f r i a r , r e - enac t s

t h e t o r t u r e s p s y c h o l o g i c a l l y on Don Beni to . The P a s t has r e t u r n e d

t o i n h a b i t t h e P r e s e n t b e f o r e t h e unsee ing e y e s of Arnasa Delano,

who has no P a s t , m e t a p h o r i c a l l y , o t h e r t h a n "be r ry ing w i t h cous in

Natqt as "Jack of t h e Beachqq (p. 256) . For Amasa Delano, a t t h e

end o f t h e s t o r y , " t h e p a s t i s passedq1 (p. .306) , because he h a s . -

no memory o f e v i l p e r s o n a l l y s u f f e r e d , and hence no sense of a

P r e s e n t c r e a t e d by t h e P a s t . For Don Ben i to , on t h e o t h e r hand,

t h e "negro" h a s "cast such a shadowq1 (p. 306) t h a t t h e Spania rd

f e e l s d r i v e n t o h i s q'tombll Cp. 306) .

Don B e n i t o v s d rama t i c s t a t e m e n t o n l y proves t o b e a d i f -

f i c u l t y i f w e i n s i s t on a moral h i e r a r c h y i n t h e s t o r y and see

him as a k ind of C h r i s t - f i g u r e . But i f w e unders tand Cereno as a

v i c t i m of c i r cums tances , who h a s been s o marked by e v i l t h a t h e

can never f o r g e t it, h i s a n t i p a t h y t o t h e b l a c k s i s a t least con-

s i s t e n t . The argument t h a t h e u t t e r s t h e s t o r y ' s symbolic mean-

i n g as an expe r i ence o f e v i l i s c o n t r a d i c t e d by a lmos t e v e r y t h i n g

i n t h e s t o r y . For him, - i n d i v i d u a l l y , t h e meaning of t h e San

Dominick expe r i ence r e s i d e s i n ev i l . Fo r Delano it r e s i d e s i n

t h e u l t i m a t e bene f i cence o f "Providenceq1 overcoming t h e e v i l s of -

a " s t r a n g e h i s t o r y q ' on a " s t r a n g e c r a f t q q @. 257) . For t h e read-

e r , who must r e c o n c i l e t h e s e two p o s i t i o n s w i t h t h e undetermined

one o f Babo, t h e symbolic meaning o f "negroVq should p r o p e r l y on ly

be ambiguity.

Babo i s t h e o n l y one o f t h e t h r e e major c h a r a c t e r s who

i 164 is never unmasked. He dies silent and unrepentant. considering

his role in the murder of the whites there can be no doubt of his

characterization as evil -- relative to the incidents on the San Dominick. To attempt to generalize his punishment as an unneces-

sary stigmatization of the negro is to deny the symbolic truth of

the stern-piece emblem: "a dark satyr in a mask, holding his foot

on the prostrate neck of a writhing figure, likewise masked"

(p. 220). There are two figures in the emblem, but as masked be-

ings they can represent a number of possible meanings, none of . ?

which are necessarily an indication of absolute significance. In

one sense, the emblem can represent the Christian victory over

powers of darkness; ironically, (as an emblem of a Spanish ship

compared to an "Acapulco" treasure-ship), the Christian forces

massacred the Aztecs and the Incas. In another sense, the emblem

can signify the opposite -- the victory of evil; but given the

reversals of the story does black or white occupy the role of

evil? There can be no satisfying answer to such a direct question

since the emblem itself offers us a masked vision. 116

There is one symbolic certainty in the story. Death is

the only proffered form of completeness. The entire atmosphere

of Benito Cereno is imbued with death. The opening images of the

Spanish ship as an "intriguante's one eye" Cp. 278) and as a

"whitewashed monastery'' (p. 219 1 are themselves disturbing port-

ents of what is to come. The San Dominick is a ship of death:

"her keel ... laid, her ribs put together, and she launched, from Ezekialls Valley of 9 r y Bonesn (p. 220). Ara.ndafs skeleton is

nailed to the bow, and shrounded, below which are sketched the

darkly ironic words: "follow your leader" Cp.. 220). Various imag-

165

e r y o f enchantment s t r a n g e l y emphasizes d e a t h - l i k e exper ience :

t h e s e a seems " l a i d o u t and leaded up, i t s c o u r s e f i n i s h e d , s o u l

gone, defunc t" (p . 257) ; t h e s h i p ' s b e l l r i n g s "a grave-yard

t o l l t ' (p. 236 ) ; c l i n g i n g t o t h e s h i p i s v e g e t a b l e matter "Like

mourning weeds, da rk f e s t o o n s of s ea -g ra s s s l i m i l y swept t o and

f r o over t h e name, w i t h eve ry h e a r s e - l i k e r o l l " (p. 220) ; t h e

c h a n t s of t h e oakum-pickers are d e s c r i b e d as a " f u n e r a l march"

( p . 222) ; t h e d e a d - l i g h t s of t h e s h i p are " a l l c l o s e d l i k e cop-

pered eyes o f t h e c o f f i n e d " (p. 252) ; a t one t i m e a cabin-door , -

i s seen as "ca lked f a s t l i k e a sarcophagus l i d " (p. 252) .

I n The Encantadas , d e a t h and enchantment are c l o s e l y

r e l a t e d . The n a r r a t o r o f t h e s k e t c h e s i s haunted by a v i s i o n of

a " g i g a n t i c t o r t o i s e " , 117 t h e i s l a n d s ' p r i n c i p a l form o f animal

l i f e , which h a s t h e le t te rs "Memento*****" 118 burn ing on i t s

back. Throughout t h e ske t ches , images of d e l u s i o n , p reca r ious -

n e s s , and d e a t h a r e a r t i c u l a t e d e i t h e r as e v e r p r e s e n t dangers f o r

unwary s a i l o r s o r as d e f i n i n g metaphors i n t h e accoun t s of t h e

i s l a n d s ' o c c a s i o n a l i n h a b i t a n t s . The p r i n c i p l e e l a b o r a t e d i s

t h a t no th ing i s what it appears t o be; Rock Rodondo g i v e s t h e

appearance of b e i n g a s a i l i n g s h i p t o approaching mar ine r s u n t i l ,

i f t h e y are inexpe r i enced , it i s t o o l a t e t o t u r n a s i d e .

I n B e n i t o Cereno, w e f i n d a co r r e spond ing u s e of en-

chantment. When Capta in Delano sees h i s s h i p f a l l v ic t im t o an

u n p r e d i c t a b l e c u r r e n t " w i t h enchanted sails1' Cp. 2441, h e beg ins

" t o f e e l a g h o s t l y d read of Don Benito'! Cp. 244) . Under t h i s

i n f l u e n c e , he imagines t h a t h e might b e t r a p p e d i n t h e manner of

Malay p r i a t e s who e n t i c e g u e s t s o n t o "vacan t decks , b e n e a t h which

prowled a hundred s p e a r s w i t h yel low a r m s r e a d y t o u p t h r u s t them

through t h e mats" Cp. 245) . I r o n i c a l l y , Don B e n i t o i n f o r k him

a t t h e s t o r y ' s end t h a t i n t h e c a b i n "every i n c h o f ground Cwas)

mined i n t o honey combs under you" Cp. 305) . The d e l u s i o n f i r s t

s u f f e r e d under t h e i n f l u e n c e of t h e enchanted s e t t i n g t u r n s o u t

t o have been c l a i r v o y a n t p e r c e p t i o n . The p a r t i c u l a r u s e of

"honey combs" t o d e s c r i b e t h e d e a t h t r a p relates an enchan t ing

sweetness w i t h d e a t h . The p o i n t t o be made h e r e i s t h a t oppo-

si tes a r e b rough t t o g e t h e r suddenly f o r t h e i r o n i c purpose o f

r e v e a l i n g ever-new forms o f enchantment. The p r o c e s s of r ea son

t h a t Delano tries t o employ t o s o l v e t h e enigmas on t h e s h i p i s

c o n t i n u a l l y be fudd led by vagueness: "Trying t o b reak one charm,

he was b u t becharmed anew" (p. 252) ; "But t h e s e enchantments

w e r e a l i t t l e d i s e n c h a n t e d as h i s e y e f e l l on t h e cor roded main-

cha ins" (p. 252) ; "He rubbed h i s e y e s and looked ha rd" (p. 253) ;

t r y i n g t o ana lyze t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p o f t h e w h i t e s and b l a c k s

Delano f e e l s l o s t i n "mazes". But it i s t h e p r o c e s s o f r ea son

i t s e l f which i s dange rous ly undermining i n t h e s t r u g g l e f o r su r -

v i v a l , f o r as w e l e a r n a t t h e end of t h e s t o r y th rough t h e des-

c r i p t i o n of Babo 's head as " t h a t h i v e o f s u b t l e t y " (p . 307 ) ,

reason may prove t o b e s w e e t t o i t s e l f b u t a dangerous enchantment

i n t h e a t tempted p e r c e p t i o n o f r e a l i t y . The e x t r a o r d i n a r y s u b t l e -

t y of such i m a g i s t i c involvement bears w i t n e s s t o t h e complexi ty

of s e l f -decep t ion . Amongst t h e r e l i g i o u s p a t t e r n s o f t h e s t o r y , ^

t r a n s c e n d e n t a l t r u t h s and me taphys i ca l t e r r o r s are b rough t toge-

t h e r under t h e g u i s e of one o r a n o t h e r image t o s u g g e s t t h e thought

t h q t w'ith e v e r y l i f e - i n d u c i n g e x p e r i e n c e d e a t h ' i s t h e un revea l ed ,

shadowed h a l f . Tn t h e shav ing scene , i s an inconspicuous- looking

p e d e s t a l " l i k e a f o n t " Cp. 2631, on i t s own p o s s i b l y s u g g e s t i n g

167

t h e sacrament of bap t i sm. I n c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h Babo l s s u b c l e emp-

loyment of t e r r o r on the h e l p l e s s Don Ben i to , t h e f o n t t a k e s on

a da rke r s i g n i f i c a n c e . When Babo a n o i n t s Don B e n i t o ' s head

"with a smal l b o t t l e o f s c e n t e d waterst1 Cp. 2681, t h e p re sence o f

t h e f o n t i n t h e t e x t i m p l i e s a symbolic a n o i n t i n g i n t h e manner

o f t h e sacrament o f Extreme Unction -- t h e l a s t sacrament b e f o r e

dea th . S ince d e a t h t o t h e l i v i n g is a c e s s a t i o n and a nothing-

n e s s , and y e t demands a con t inuous s t r u g g l e f o r s e l f - a s s e r t i o n ,

t h e un re l i eved p re sence o f d e a t h i n B e n i t o "Cereno i n d i c a t e s ,

pa radox ica l ly , an e n d u r i n g courage of t h e mind, f e d by t h e uncon-

t r o l l a b l e t e n s i o n s o f s e e i n g i t s own f u t u r e degene ra t ion .

Babo, t h e consc iousness o f e v i l , t h e i n t e l l i g e n t mani-

p u l a t o r of s i m i l i t u d e and of c o n t r a r i n e s s , t h e b l a c k n e s s t h a t

seems impene t rab le , i s a symbol of t h e mind, H i s head, f i x e d on

a p o l e , i s an ambiva l en t p re sence i n t h e p u b l i c P l aza ; symbol-

i c a l l y unvanquished it m e e t s t h e "gaze of t h e w h i t e s " and i s

"unabashed" (p. 307), and it looks beyond them towards t h e p l a c e

of i n t e rmen t o f B e n i t o Cereno, whose moral imag ina t ion cou ld n o t

s u r v i v e i t s bap t i sm of e v i l .

Such an i n t e r p r e t a t i o n i s n o t meant t o summarize t h e

s t o r y ' s symbolic meaning. Ra ther , it proposes i t s e l f as a pos-

s i b l e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of symbols t h a t must f i n a l l y e l u d e o u r ab i -

l i t y t o e x p l a i n them f o r t h e v e r y r ea son t h a t equ ivoca t ion and '

masking p l ay such an i n p o r t a n t r o l e i n t h e s t o r y . B e n i t o Cereno

i s an i n t e r r o g a t i o n of mys te ry , of gmbiguous appearances t h a t con-

c e a l ' t h e eve rp re sence o f d e a t h . L ike i t s title character, i t s

u l t i m a t e s i g n i f i c a n c e i s i n t e r r e d i n t h e r e c e s s e s o f i t s symbolic

depths .

EPTLOGUE

I n a le t te r t o Hawthorne of 1851, M e l v i l l e d e s c r i b e d

what h e cons ide red t o b e t h e q u a l i t y o f Hawthornevs mind, It i s

a d e s c r i p t i o n t h a t cou ld s u i t P I e l v i l l e h imse l f :

There i s a c e r t a i n t r a g i c phase o f humanity which, i n o u r op in ion , w a s n e v e r more power fu l ly embodied t h a n by Hawthorne. W e mean t h e t r a g i c - a l n e s s o f human thought i n i t s own unbiased , n a t i v e , and profounder workings ... By v i s a b l e s i c - t r u t h , we mean t h e apprehension o f t h e ab- s o l u t e c o n d i t i o n of p r e s e n t t h i n g s as t h e y s t r i k e t h e eye o f t h e man who f e a r s them n o t , though t h e y do t h e i r w o r s t t o him, -- t h e man who ... d e c l a r e s h imse l f a sovere ign n a t u r e ( i n h i m s e l f ) amid t h e powers o f heaven, h e l l , and e a r t h . H e may p e r i s h ; b u t s o long as h e e x i s t s h e i n s i s t s upon t r e a t i n g w i t h a l l powers upon an e q u a l basis . l lg

This k ind o f courage -- an assumption o f t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s of

be ing w i t n e s s t o t h e t r u t h no m a t t e r what t h e c o s t -- seems more

e v i d e n t i n Moby Dick and P i e r r e t h a n i n t h e tales of t h e 1850 's . -- Y e t , d e s p i t e t h e f a c t t h a t M e l v i l l e had moved from t h e grand

scale, (till t h e p o e t r y o f C l a r e l ) , t o t h e compara t ive ly minor

s c a l e of i n d i v i d u a l s t r u g g l e , t h e courage i s s t i l l p r e s e n t i n i t s

r e f u s a l t o b e shaken from t h e t a s k o f r e a d i n g t h e " a b s o l u t e con-

d i t i o n of p r e s e n t t h i n g s " , I n t h e i r v i t a l i t y and v a r i e t y o f

sub jec t -ma t t e r , t h e t a l e s demons t ra te a perseverance o f c r e a t i v e

exp res s ion , But , in . .Ba:rtI_eby The - Scr:i 'vener I . Co'ck:-A-'Dcjo.dle'-Doo!, - and Beni to Cereno, t h e r e i s one impor t an t imag ina t ive d i f f e r e n c e

from t h e performance of Moby -- Dick. The v i t a l t r u t h s of c h a r a c t e r

i n t h e t h r e e ta les a r e w i t h h e l d f r o n scrutiny.;whe;reas, c o r r e s -

pondingly, w e l e a r n a good d e a l abou t Ahab and P i e r r e from repor-

t e d exper ience . ~ a r t l e b y , Merrymusk, and Ben i to Cereno, l a r g e l y

r e s i d e i n Si len.ce , and t h e r e s p e c t i v e n a r r a t o r s o f t h e s t o r i e s

f a i l t o p e n e t r a t e . t o t h e c o r e of t h e s i l e n t c h a r a c t e r s ' exper ien-

ce s . I n each c a s e t h e s i l e n c e i s ambiguous; it may s i g n i f y every-

t h i n g , (an " a b s o l u t e c o n d i t i o n of p r e s e n t t h i n g s " ) , o r it may s i g -

n i f y no th ing Can empt ines s ) . B a r t l e b y i s a s s o c i a t e d w i t h w a l l s ,

and s o h i s s i l e n c e 'might . repre .sent t h e i m p e n e t r a b z l i t y of i n d i v i -

d u a l s u f f e r i n g o r it might r e p r e s e n t t h e empt ines s a t t h e h e a r t o f

what w e u s u a l l y c a l l d a i l y l i f e . f lerrymusk's s i l e n c e p r e v e n t s u s

from knowing w i t h c e r t a i n t y whether t h e t r a n s c e n d e n t a l song of

t h e cock i s l i f e - enhanc ing o r dea th- induc ing , or -- i n some c u r i -

ous and unreso lved f a s h i o n -- both . B e n i t o Cereno ' s s i l e n c e i s

l i k e a " p a l l " concea l ing any f u r t h e r e x p l a n a t i o n of h i s expe r i -

ence o f t h e "negro". On t h e o t h e r hand, w e f i n d t h a t t h e s t r a n g e

s i l e n c e of t h e s e t h r e e f i g u r e s prompts t h e n a r r a t i v e e x e r c i s e of

i n t e l l i g e n c e and imagina t ion . Within t h e i r l i m i t a t i o n s , t h e law-

y e r i n "Bar t l eby" , t h e farmer i n -- Cock-A-Doodle-Dool, Amasa Delano

i n Ben i to Cereno, u s e t h e i r powers t o u n r a v e l t h e m y s t e r i e s

b e f o r e them; f o r t h e p e r i o d of t h e s t o r y , t h e a c t i v e s e a r c h f o r

unders tanding becomes t h e dominant f e a t u r e o f t h e i r l i v e s . Through

t h i s a c t i v i t y , t h e o r d h a r i n e s s o f men, ( o f , f o r example, bo th

B a r t l e b y and t h e l a w y e r - n a r r a t o r ) , i s shown t o b e mys te r ious , f o r

such o r d i n a r i n e s s i n c l u d e s t h e c o n t r a d i c t i o n s of p e r s o n a l i t y , t h e

h e l p l e s s good i n t e n t i o n s of t h e h e a r t , and t h e metaphys ica l enig-

m a s of t h e i n d i v i d u a l ' s r e l a t i o n s h i p t o q u e s t i o n s of F a t e and

E t e r n i t y , Being and Death. S i l e n c e , t h e r e f o r e , symbol izes i n

t h e s e t h r e e s t o r i e s t h e i n s c r u t a b i l i t y o f men. Through t h e organ-

i z e d expe r i ence of t h i s i n s c r u t a b i l i t y , w e a l s o apprehend, wi th-

o u t l o s i n g f o c u s of t h e immedi3te e v e n t s , t h e i n s c r u t a b i 1 i . t ~ of

God and Nature.

171

.Another f e a t u r e of t h e s e t a l e s i s t h e everpresence of

death. Death i s n o t simply t h e l i t e r a l even t a t t h e ending of

t h e t a l e ; symbol ica l ly , it i n h a b i t s t h e s i g n i f i c a n t experience

throughout. Yet, a g a i n s t what would seem a g radua l d i s i n t e g r a -

t i o n .of v i t a l i t y through such a p resence , t h e r e i s a counter-

movement of hope, f e a r , anger , d i s c r i m i n a t i o n , a t tempted love,

t h a t ' s e e k s t o h a l t t h e i n e v i t a b l e c e s s a t i o n of being. The

despera t ion , in t h e s e s t o r i e s t o d iscover t h e t r u t h i s correspon-

d ingly matched by t h e urgency of T i m e . I n ' " ~ a r t l e b y " , t h e narra- -

t o r f e e l s he must a c t immediately o r e l s e l o s e h i s r e p u t a t i o n

and h i s very s a n i t y . I n Cock-A-Doodle-Dool, t h e atmosphere i s -- imbued wi th impressions of d i s e a s e and d e a t h , concealed momen-

t a r i l y by t h e i n v i g o r a t i n g crowing of t h e cock, and t h e t h r e a t

of t h e dun -- which t h e n a r r a t o r t r i e s t o p u t o f f -- i s another

man i fes ta t ion of t h e s u h t l e d e v i t a l i z i n g i n f l u e n c e of death. I n

Beni to Cereno, Amasa Delano's mental p e r e g r i n a t i o n s h o l d - t h e f a t e

of a l l on board t h e San Dominick; h i s ve ry hes i t ancy t o a c t on

h i s susp ic ions i r o n i c a l l y saves t h e l i f e of Beni to Cereno. I n

t h e l i fe-and-death s t r u g g l e s of t h e s e s t o r i e s , both t h e tempor-

a r y r ep r i eve and t h e even tua l dea th a r e ambiguously r e l a t e d i n

t h e l a r g e r e f f o r t t o denominate t h e i n e x p r e s s i b l e , t h e edge of

which i s always j u s t beyond t h e g rasp of t h e i n t e l l i g e n c e . How

c l o s e ~ m & a Delano comes a t t imes i n h i s paranoid i n t r o s p e c t i o n s

t o t h e t r u t h of even t s and y e t , when t h e " p a s t i s passed", how

f a r he shows himself t o be gram an a p p r e c i a t i o n of Don B e n i t o ' s

su f fe r ing! I n one sense , such an i r o n i c paradox t ranscends lit-

e r a r y manipulation. Its c h a r a c t e r w e can d e s c r i b e i n t h i s way:

consciousness expands and i s f e l t a s t r u t h t o t h e degree t h a t it

c o n f r o n t s . i t s own end. perhaps t h i s i s one e x p l a n a t i o n f o r t h e

s t r a n g e magnetism o f such f i g u r e s as B a r t l e b y , Mexrynusk, B e n i t o

Cereno, t h a t i n t h e i r awareness of d e a t h , t h e i r u t t e r a n c e s ev-

i n c e a degree o f c o n v i c t i o n t h a t i s o the rwi se l a c k i n g i n any-

t h i n g else i n t h e n a r r a t i v e s . T h i s paradox may a l s o sugges t

one reason f o r t h e f a i l u r e s o f t h e lawyer, t h e f a rmer , and

Amasa Delano i n t h e i r r e s p e c t i v e c i rcumstances . They are unwil-

l i n g t o c o n f r o n t t h e i r own end , perhaps unab le c o n f r o n t it,

and so , a r e f o r t h e t i m e b e i n g "saved" from t h e consc iousness . -

of it.

A s r e a d e r s , w e are p u t i n a unique p o s i t i o n by M e l v i l l e .

W e a r e p l aced somewhere i n between "Amasa Delano" and "Ben i to

Cereno" and i n t h e m i d s t o f t h e t o t a l ambigui ty of t h e i r expe r i -

ences w e must work o u t o u r own proper r e l a t i o n s h i p t o t h e t e x t .

The uniqueness o f o u r p o s i t i o n i s due t o t h e f a c t t h a t t h e t o t a l -

i t y o f S n a r r a t i o n , commentary, and symbol iza t ion c r e a t e s a medi-

t a t i v e l e v e l o f involvement . W e move i n t o t h e t i m e of t h e t e x t

and s h a r e w i t h M e l v i l l e c r e a t i v e s p e c u l a t i o n abou t t h e evo lv ing

d e s t i n i e s o f h i s c h a r a c t e r s . The c l a u s t r o p h o b i c t e n s i o n of t h e ,

psycho log ica l impasse i n which B a r t l e b y and Don B e n i t o respec-

t i v e l y f i n d themse lves i s t ransformed by t h e t e x t i n t o a l a r g e n e s s

of i n t e l l e c t u a l expe r i ence . T h i s expe r i ence , p r e d i c a t e d by t h e

extremes -of behaviour and me taphys i ca l s p e c u l a t i o n i n t h e s t o r i e s ,

becomes f o r u s a p r o c e s s 02 d i s c o v e r i n g what it means t o b e human,

i r r e s p e c t i v e of t i m e and p l a c e . We, a s r e a d e r s , a r e i nc luded i n

t h e a c t i v i t y o f c h a l l e n g i n g an unknown f u t u r e through lit-

e r a r y c r e a t i o n by w i t n e s s i n g t h e t ransf iormat ion of e c c e n t r i c

i nc idences i n t o memorable and unanswerable performances.

P 'Such a l e v e l of involvement has been descr ibed i n t h i s

i

! t h e s i s a s a f e a t u r e of t h e s t o r i e s ' t e x t u a l i t y , Tn M e l v i l l e ' s i

hands t e x t u a l i t y c r e a t e s through i t s own a r t i f i c e t h e cond i t ion i

of v i s i b l e t r u t h ( " v i s a b l e t r u t h v 1 ) ; t h e d i f f i c u l t y of t h e v i s i b l e

t r u t h i s meant, p o s s i b l y , t o correspond t o t h e d i f f i c u l t y of t h e

appearances of r e a l i t y . Thus,' Bar t leby The - Scr ivener i t s e l f

becomes t h e e x e r c i s e of t h e "apprehension of the . a b s o l u t e condi-

t i o n of p r e s e n t th ings" . I n such a pe r spec t ive , achieved appre-

hension corresponds t o r e v e l a t i o n , b u t a r e v e l a t i o n t h a t i s . ,

unique t o being a wi tness t o t h e i n s c r u t a b l e o r d i n a r i n e s s of

everyday ex i s t ence .

Where t h e unusual, t h e b i z a r r e , o r t h e malign man i fes t ly

occurs a s an a c c i d e n t a l i n c i d e n t i n o rd ina ry l i v e s , Melv i l l e

p laces himself i n such i n t e r s e c t i o n s a s a f a m i l i a r voice. How

he does s o has been t h e s u b j e c t of t h i s t h e s i s through t h r e e par-

t i c u l a r examples. Why he does s o can perhaps be expressed by

us ing Hannah Arendt ' s words i n h e r d i s c u s s i o n of some contempor-

a r y probleqs of moral experience:

Whatever cannot become t h e o b j e c t of d i scourse -- t h e t r u l y sublime, t h e t r u l y h o r r i b l e o r t h e uncanny -- may f i n d a human vo ice through which t o sound i n t o t h e world,but it i s n o t e x a c t l y human. We human- i z e what i s going on i n t h e world and i n ourse lves only by speaking - of it, and i n t h e course of speak- i n g of it we l e a r n t o be human.l20

LIST OF REFERENCES --

' ~ h e - L e t t e r s of Herman Melville, ed. Merrell R. Davis and Will iam H. Gi lnan mew Haven: Y a l e U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 19651, p. 1 2 4 .

2 ~ e r m a n M e l v i l l e , P i e r r e o r The - m b i g u i t i e s , ed. Ha r r i son Hayf ord , Hershe l P a r k e r , and ~ T ~ h o r n a s T a n s e l l e , Northwestern- Newberry E d i t i o n (Chicago: Northwestern U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 1971) , pp. 138-139.

4 ~ . 0. M a t t h i e s s e n , American: :~ena : i s s :ance (New York : Oxford .

U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 1974) , p , 433.

' ~e rman M e l v i l l e , The - Encantadas , i n B i l l y Budd, S a i l o r & Other S t o r i e s , ed . Haro ld Beaver (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1967) , pp. 137-138.

6 ~ o b i n B l a s e r (Dept. o f Eng l i sh , Simon F r a s e r U n i v e r s i t y , 1979) , du r ing t u t o r i a l con fe rences .

' ~ h a r l e s Fe ide l son J r . , Symbolism a n d Amer:ican L i t e ra tu re (Chicago: The U n i v e r s i t y o f Chicago Press, 1953) , p. 198.

' ~e rman M e l v i l l e , B a r t l e b y The - Scr ivene r : A S t o r y of -- W a l l S t r e e t i n B i l l y Budd, S a i l o r & Other S t o r i e s , ea, Harold Beaver (Harxtsndsworth: Penguin, 1967r. A l l r e f e r n c e s a r e t o t h i s e d i - t i o n of t h e work, which i s based on t h e f i r s t e d i t i o n of The P iazza T a l e s (May 1 8 5 6 ) , and are inc luded i n t h e t e x t of the t h e s i s .

his r e f e r s t o M e l v i l l e ' s mytholog iz ing o f space i n Moby - Dick, e s p e c i a l l y a s a rgued by Cha r l e s Olson i n h i s C a l l M e Ishmael - -- (London: Jonathan Cape, 1967) .

l 0 ~ d s p i t e t h e e x c e l l e n t e f f o r t s o f such b iog raphe r s a s Leon Howard and J a y Leyda, M e l v i l l e ' s f e e l i n g s abou t h i s own work re- main l a r g e l y unknown. W e know t h a t h e w a s f a s c i n a t e d w i t h t h e "Agatha s t o r y " and wanted Hawthorne t o u s e it i n a f i c t i o n . But n e i t h e r men d i d re-work t h e ~ t o r y , and s p e c u l a t i o n t h a t t h e Agatha theme of s i l e n t and p a t i e n t s u f f e r i n g in forms M e l v i l l e ' s subsequent t a l e s i s r i s k y i f s u c h s p e c u l a t i o n r e p l a c e s t h e d i scove ry o f nar - r a t i v e exper ience . For b i o g r a p h i c a l m a t e r i a l on the "Agatha - s t o r y s e e Leon Howard, Herman Etelvi'l'le: A Biography (Berkeley: U n i v e r s i t y o f ~ a l i f o r n i a P r e s s , 1951) , pp. 197-203.'

'%bid., pp. 201-208.

1 2 ~ e w i s Mumford, Herman M e l v i l l e : 3 St'udy ---- of H i s L i f e ' and Vis ion ~ r e v . ed . (New York: Harcour t , Brace & World, 19621 , pp. 162-165. Mumford t y p i f i e s t h e u n f o r t u n a t e c r i t i c a l e f f o r t s t o e q u a t e Melville a n d - ~ a r t l e b ~ . Such b i o g r a p h i c a l c r i t i c i s m i s u l t i m a t e l y a n t i - a r t i n i t s r e d u c t i v e t e n d e n c i e s .

13#elvil le acqu i r ed a copy of Don. Q u i x o t e i n 1855 b u t may have r ead t h e nove l earl ier . See Howard, p. 227.

148. Bruce F r a n k l i n , The Wake o f t h e Gods: M e l v i l l e ' s ----- ~ y t h ~ o l o g y (S t an fo rd , S t a n f o r d U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 1963) , pp.

. ,

15wal te r Su t ton , c i t e d i n F r a n k l i n , pp. 133-134.

1 6 ~ a r r y Levin, The - Power of Blackness : Hawthorne, Foe, M e l v i l l e , (New York: A l f r e d A. =opf, 1 9 5 8 ) , pp. 1 8 7 - 1 8 8 7 ~ h e p o s s i b l e s i m i l a r i t y between M e l v i l l e and B a r t l e b y can on ly b e u s e f u l a s a minor p e r s p e c t i v e on t h e t a l e , i f w e want t o avo id t h e r educ t ion of a r t . J a y Leyda ment ions t h a t a f r i e n d o f M e l v i l l e ' s , E l i F l y , worked i n a l aw-o f f i ce and w a s i n s t i t u t i o n - a l i z e d i n a mental h o s p i t a l -- i n fo rma t ion t h a t q i v e s some b a s i s f o r t h e ' touch of madness' i n B a r t l e b y , he - complete S t o r i e s o f Herman M e l v i l l e (New York: Random House, 1949) , p. 4 5 5 7 -

1 7 ~ h e r e have been numerous s t u d i e s of B a r t l e b y , t h e cumula- t i v e , e f f e c t of which seems t o have been t o make t h e s t o r y less accehs ib l e . The fo l lowing s e l e c t i o n shows something o f t h e range o f i n t e r p r e t a t i o n : Mario DIAvanzo sees B a r t l e b y a s a v i c t i m i z e d a r t i s t i n M e l v i l l e ' s ' B a r t l e b y ' and John Jacob st or" , N e w - 'England Q u a r t e r l y 4 1 (1968) , pp. 259-264; P e t e r E . Firchow f e e l s t h a t Ba r t l eby i s a me taphor i ca l dead le t te r s e n t t o t h e n a r r a t o r , i n "Bar t leby : Man & Metaphor", S t u d i e s i n S h o r t F i c t i o n V (Summer 1968) , pp. 342-348; Marvin F i s h e r sees B a r t l e b y as a redeemer f i g u r e made men ta l ly ill by a c o r r u p t s o c i e t y , i n " ' B a r t l e b y ' , M e l v i l l e ' s Circumscribed S c r i v e n e r " , Southern Review 10 (19741, pp. 59-79; Richard Fogle unde r s t ands B a r t l e b y as an a b s o l u t i s t , i n Melvi l le ' s S h o r t e r T a l e s (n.p.: U n i v e r s i t y of Oklahoma P r e s s , 19601, p.- 19; Egber t S. O l i v e r sees B a r t l e b y a s a parody o f Thoreau, i n "A Second Look a t 'Bar t leby" ' , G o l l s r ; e SngU;;;? YZ (May l 9 4 5 ) , pp. 431-439; Leonard Pops sees B a r t l e b y as ' I ~ i G r e

made pas s ive" , i n - The M e l v i l l e Archetype [Kent, Ohio: Kent S t a t e Un ive r s i t y P r e s s , 19701, p. 127; f o r John See lye , B a r t l e b y i s a d i s c i p l e of Emerson who shows t h e bankruptcy of ~ r a n s c e n d e n t a l i s m , i n "T,he Contemporary 'Ba r t l eby ! " , S t u d i e s -- i n t h e ,Minor - and L a t e r Works o f M e l v i l l e ed . Raymona ~ u l l - (Har t ford ; ~ r a n s c e n d e n t a l Books, - 19701, pp. 12-18; f o r Rober t S p e c t o r , B a r t l e b y i s t h e i n d i f f e r e n t cosmos, i n " ~ e l v i l l e ' s ' B a r t l e b y and t h e Absurdv' ; Ninete'en'th- Century F i c t i o n 16 (1961) , pp. 175-177; B a r t l e b y i s an "emascu- l a t e d C h r i s t " f o r ~ i l l i a m Bysshe S t e i n , i n "Bar t leby : The ~ h r i s t i a n

conscience.", A Symposium: B a r t l e b y The - S c r i v e n e r ed. ~ o w a r d P. Vincent ( ~ e n t y Ohio: Kent S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 19661, pp. 104-112; N a t h a l i a Wright s e e s B a r t l e b y as d e r i v i n g gron ~ e l v i l l e ' s r e a d i n g s of Burton, i n " M e l v i l l e and ' O l d B u r t o n v , with ' ~ a r t l e b y ' as an Anatomy o f Melancholy" , Tenne's's'ee S t u d i e s 'in' - Li ' t e r a tu re 15 C1970), pp. 1-13.

1 8 ~ e w t o n Arvin, Herman Melville (New York: Sloane, 1950) , p. 244; Richard Chase, Herman Me ' lv i l l e : A C r i t i c a l Study (New York: MacMillan, 19491, p. 143; ~ordecai- arcu us, "Melv i l l e l s B a r t l e b y as a Psycho log ica l Double", Co'llege E n g l i s h X X I I I (February 19621, pp. 365-368.

191,eo Marx, l l M e l v i l l e ' s P a r a b l e o f t h e W a l l s " , Sewanee Review 861 (1953) , pp. 602-627.

2 0 ~ a u r i c e Friedman, "Bar t l eby and t h e Modern E x i l e " , i n - A Symposium, pp. 64-81.

' ' ~ h a r l e s G. Hoffman, "The S h o r t e r ~ i c t i o n s of Herman M e l v i l l e " , South A t l a n t i c Quarterly L I I ( J u l y 1953) , p. 420.

2 2 ~ i n g s l e y Widmer , The - Ways of N ih i l i sm: Herman Melville ' s S h o r t Novels (n .p . , C a l i f o r n i a c o l l e g e s P u b l i c a t i o n , 1970) , pp. 91-125.

2 3 ~ e r m a n M e l v i l l e , The - Conf idence-Man: - - H i s Masquerade ( N e w York: N e w American L i b r a r y , 1 9 5 4 ) , pp. 245-246:

r A s f o r o r i g i n a l c h a r a c t e r s i n f i c t i o n , a g r a t e f u l r e a d e r w i l l on meet ing one, keep t h e a n n i v e r s a r y of t h a t day ... t h e o r i g i n a l c h a r a c t e r ... i s l i k e a r e v o l v i n g Drumrnond l i g h t , r a y i n g away from i t s e l f a l l around it -- e v e r y t h i n g i s lit by it, e v e r y t h i n g s t a r t s up t o it (mark how it i s w i t h H a m l e t ) , s o t h a t i n c e r t a i n minds t h e r e fo l lows upon t h e adequa te concep t ion of such a c h a r a c t e r , an e f f e c t , i n i t s way, a k i n t o t h a t which Genes i s a t t e n d s upon t h e begin- n i n g o f t h i n g s .

2 4 ~ i d m e r , pp. 91-125. Widmer i s good when h e ana lyzes t h e p e r s o n a l i t y o f t h e n a r r a t o r i n i t s s e l f - i n t e r e s t s , a l though h i s a n a l y s i s t e n d s t o p o l a r i z e the f i g u r e s of B a r t l e b y and t h e nar- r a t o r , a r e l a t i o n s h i p which does n o t do j u s t i c e t o t h e e f f o r t s o f t h e n a r r a t o r t o g e t t o unde r s t and Bar t l eby .

26 Fogle, pp. 17-19,

1 7 7

2 7 ~ h & e i s an i n t e r e s t i n g p a r a l l e l t o t h e n a r r a t o r ' s exag- gera ted f e a r of Bar t leby i n a contemporary s tudy 02 s o c i a l psy- chology: - The Manipulation of Human Behayiour, ed. A.E. Biderman and K. Zinmer (New York: w x e y , 19611, p, 4 :

t h e i n a b i l i t y t o make o t h e r s f u l f i l l one ' s wishes; and t h e r eve r se , t h e f e a r of being c o n t r o l l e d by o t h e r s , with t h e consequent l o s s of t h e autonomy t h a t is be l i eved t o be fundamental t o t h e conception of t h e s e l f . These oppos i tes a r e incongruously exaggerated i n paranoid think- ing , one of t h e most p reva len t mental symptoms of Western Man.

2 8 ~ r a n k l i n , pp. 126-133.

2 9 ~ i l l i a m B. Dillingham, Melv i l l e I s Shor t F i c t i o n (Athens, Georgia: u n i v e r s i t y of Georgia P ress , 1977) , pp. 18-55, Dillingham s e e s t h e n a r r a t o r a s motivated p r i n c i p a l l y by f e a r . However, Dill ingham's a n a l y s i s f a i l s t o account f o r t h e myster i - ous bond between lawyer and s c r i v e n e r .

3 0 ~ a n i e l Stempel and Bruce M. S t i l l i a n s , " 'Ba r t l eby t h e Scr ivener ' : A p a r a b l e of pessimism", Nineteenth-Century F i c t i o n 27 ( l972) , pp. 268-282.

31~awrance Thompson, Melvi,lfle ' s Quar re l With -- God (Pr ince ton: Pr ince ton Unive r s i ty P r e s s , 1952) , pp. 147-294. While Thompson was one of t h e e a r l i e s t c r i t i c s t o n o t e t h e s u b t l e t i e s of M e l v i l l e ' s i r o n i c tone i n Moby - Dick and P i e r r e , he weakens h i s p g s i t i o n by i n s i s t i n g t h a t M e l v i l l e ' s motives were almost wholly c y n i c a l and s a t i r i c , thereby ignor ing t h e ambiguity of t h e work.

l

3 2 ~ f M e l v i l l e ' s i n t e n t i o n s a r e symbolic, they can only be s o i n a Swi f t i an sense , r e c a l l i n g t h e I r i s h s a t i r i s t ' s v i s i o n of c a r n a l i t y a s both unmit igated o r i g i n a l s i n and comic excess , Such a v i s i o n i s c l o s e t o t h e contemporary no t ion of ' b l ack humour ' .

3 3 ~ h e r e have been many ana lyses of t h e motif of copying i n "Bartleby" and i t s i r o n i c correspondences t o fo rge ry . See P e t e r Firchow, -"Bartleby: Man and Metaphor", pp. 342-348, and R. Bruce Bickley Jr. , The - Method of M e l v i l l e ' s Shor t F i c t i o n (Durham, N.C. : Duke Univers i ty P ress , 19751, pp. 26-44.

3 5 ~ o r an account of Melvi l le ! s use of t h e . h i s t o r i c a l c o l t ' s l i f e see T.H. Giddings, " f l e l y i l l e , t h e colt-Adams Murder, and ' B a r t l e b y u , S t u d i e s .in - AmeY.i-cari F i , c t ion 2 C19741, pp. 123-132.

37Herman Melville, ~ o b y Dick; or, The - Wha>le ed. Harold Beaver, (Harmondsworth: penguin, 19z) , p. 262.

. .

381bid., pp. 454-455.

39~ee Matthiessen, pp. 445-466, for a good discussion of the metaphysics in Moby Dick.

40~ranklin, pp. 132-133.

411bid., pp. 132-133.

42pi.erre, pp. 138-139.

43Letter to Evert A. Duyckinck, 3 March 1849, in Davis and Gilman, p. 79.

44~atthiessen, pp. 431-445.

46~oby Dick, p. 287. --

55~idmer, pp. 119-120.

13 For now should I haye l a i n still and been q u i e t , I should have s l e p t : then had I been a t rest,

1 4 With k i n g s and counse l lo r s of t h e e a r t h , which b u i l t d e s o l a t e p l a c e s f o r themselves;

"~erman Melville, -- Cock-A-Doodle-Doo! O r The Crowing of The --- -- Noble Cock Beneventano: i n Herman N e l v i l l e : ~ i l l y Budd. S a i l o r & - C_-

Other S t o r i e s , ed. ~ a r b l d Beaver (Harmondsworth: penguin, 1967) 7 Beaver 's e d i t i o n i s r e p r i n t e d from t h e Standard E d i t i o n of Plelvi l le works, vo l . 13, e d i t e d by Raymond Weaver. A l l f u r t h e r re ferences t o t h i s s t o r y a r e from B e a v e r l s . e d i t i o n and appear i n t h e body of t h e t h e s i s . . ,-

6 h 7 i l l i a m Bysshe S t e i n , "Melvi l le Roasts Thoreau's Cock", Modern Language Notes 74 (1959) pp. 218-219.

6 2 ~ o w a r d , p. 210

6 3 ~ i l l i n g h a m , pp. 56-74. C

6 4 ~ a r t i n Green, Re-Appraisals, (New York: Norton, 1965) , pp. 108-112. Green chooses t o i n t e r p r e t t h e s t o r y a s merely an exaggerated s e x u a l joke.

6 5 ~ i c k l e y , pp. 62-66, summarizes some of t h e evidence of M e l v i l l e ' s p o s s i b l e a t t a c k on Thoreau and Transcendentalism. Feidelson, p. 32, c h a r a c t e r i z e s t h e d i f f e r e n c e between Melv i l l e and t h e T r a n s c e n d e n t a l i s t s a s :

The d i v e r s i t y t h a t Emerson and Whitman e a s i l y accepted a s new f r o n t i e r s of e x p l o r a t i o n p r e s e n t s i t s e l f t o Melv i l l e a s a- network of paradox.

6 6 ~ e l v i l l e t s i r r e v e r e n c e a t what he considered t o be t h e s u p e r f i c i a l i t i e s o f l i f e may owe some i n f l u e n c e t o Rabelais . He had already r e a d some of Rabela is i n 1848, according t o Howard, p. 115. Edward Rosenberry, P J e l ~ 2 l l e - and ' the Comic S i r i t (New 9-h- York: Octagon, 19691, .p. 65, quot ing f x o m a ~ a s t u y on ~ a b e l a i s , r e l a t e s :

What p r i n c i p a l l y a t t r q c t e d M e l v i l l e t o Rabel'ais; beyond t h e rowdiness. of h i s humor, w a s .a s p i r i t whilch 'he profoundly

180 shared wi th t h e Frenchman -- " t h e s p i r i t which has t h e wish and r e s o l u t i o n a t any c o s t t o maintain i t s e l 2 i n v i o l a t e , f r e e , s u p e r i o r t o chance and circumstance, immune t o every d e b i l i t a t i n g contagion of t h e mass-mind and mass-temper.('

S tudies i n t h e Minor -- and L a t e r Flarks" o f M e l v i l l e , pp. 85-92. N i l l e t t provides a good g e n e r a l s u r v e y o f t h e meaning of s i l e n c e i n M e l v i l l e t s f i c t i o n . The i r o n i c s i g n i f i c a n c e of Merrymusk's name makes h i s s i l e n c e ambiguous. Is h i s name merry music? ~ c c o r d i n g t o William Bysshe S t e i n , t h e name means "sweet o r p leasan t t e s t i c l e " Cp. 5 ) : " M e l v i l l e t s Cock and t h e B e l l of S a i n t Paul", Emerson s o c i e t y Q u a r t e r l y , 27 (second q u a r t e r , 1962) , pp. 5-10. The d i f f e r e n t po-ot-meanings of Merrymusk inform- ing t h e q u a l i t y of t h e c h a r a c t e r ' s s i l e n c e a r e an example of how complex Melvi l le makes h i s images.

. .-

6 9 ~ a n i e l Hoffman, Form - and Fable i n American F i c t i o n ( N e w York: Oxford Unive r s i ty ~resC1965) . -

7 0 ~ b i d . , pp. 16-2x3.

7 1 ~ b i d . , pp. 23-32.

7 3 ~ o s e n b e r r y ' s t r e a t m e n t of comedy i n Melv i l l e ' s work i l l u s - t r a t e s many of M e l v i l l e ' s dev ices , a l though Rosenberry does n o t pay s p e c i a l a t t e n t i o n t o t h e t a l e s . <

7 4 ~ e l v i l l e ' s use of Wordsworth i s n o t s o much a parody as it i s an i r o n i c excursus , extended f o r a l t o g e t h e r d i f f e r e n t purposes. Melv i l l e ' s i n t e r r o g a t i o n of t h e ambiguity of c r e a t i v e power i s n o t p a r t i c u l a r l y a theme of Resolu t ion - and Independence. B u t M e l v i l l e ' s thought i s a t t imes c l o s e t o t h e v i s l o n of Wordsworth. I n Moby Dick, ch. 7 0 , "The Sphynx", p. 418, Ahab says:

' 0 Nature, and 0 s o u l of man: how f a r beyond a l l u t t e r a n c e s a r e your l i n k e d ana log ies : n o t t h e s m a l l e s t atom stirs o r . l i v e s i n m a t t e r , b u t has i t s cunning d u p l i c a t e i n mind.'

75~oward , pp. 208-210, t e l l s u s of Me lv i l l e ' s f a s c i n a t i o n with t h e theme of " p a t i e n t endurancet1 Cp. 2101. What gave t ens ion t o t h e endurance i s ' p o s s i b l y revealed i n M e l y i l l e t s s t a t ement t o Hawthorne:

What 1 f e e l p o s t qoved t o w r i t e , t h a t i s bqnned, -- it w i l l n o t pay, Yet, a l t o g e t h e r , w r i t e t h e ' o t h e r way I - . cannot .

"Le t t e r t o Hawthorne", June '1851, i n Davis and Gilman, p. 128. Melvi l le was compelled t o w r i t e i n a k ind of secrecy i n h i s f i c -

t i o n a f t e r Noby PI Dick sugges t ions of which can be gound through- out' P i e r r e , t o balance t h e demands of a r t and of t h e market- place.

7601son, pp. 85-102, i n t e r p r e t s Melvi l le1 s comparative d i s - i n t e r e s t i n t h e e p i c form, Cother than Clare11 a s a c r u c i f i x i o n of t h e s p i r i t , perhaps due t o h i s i n a b i l i t y t o r e s t comfortably i n r e l i g i o u s b e l i e f ox unbe l i e f . But a l though Melv i l l e wrote no more sea-epics , he d i d w r i t e more o r l e s s i n t h e manner t h a t h e wanted, s i h c e P i e r r e , t h e magazine s t o r i e s , and The - Confidence- Man were n o t q r e a t ~ o p u l a r successes and t h e r e i s no evidence - t h a t ~ e l v i l l e - e x p e c t e 2 they would be.

7 7 ~ a r n e r B e r t h o f f ' s a n a l y s i s of M e l v i l l e ' s n a r r a t o r s i s t h e only genera l s tudy I have seen , a l though he does n o t t r e a t - Cock- A-Doodle-Doo! - See The - Example of M e l v i l l e (Pr ince ton : Prince ton - Universi ty P r e s s , l 9 6 2 ) , pp. 115-132,

8 ~ r i c h Neumann , The O ~ i g i n s and His to ry o f Consciousness, - 7 t r a n s . R.F.C. Hul l , (P rmce ton : P r m c e t o n u n i v e r s i t y Press, 1954), pp. 170-256. Neumann g ives a good account of t h e ' h e r o ' s ' t r i a l s i n myth and l i t e r a t u r e , a l b e i t with a Jungian b i a s ,

I

7 9 ~ h e r e l a t i o n s h i p of freedom t o t ranscendence, a s a problem of consciousness , i s symbol ica l ly c h a r a c t e r i z e d by Melv i l l e i n t h e quo ta t ion p re fac ing h i s The - Bell-Tower:

'Seeking t o conquer a l a r g e r l i b e r t y , man b u t extends t h e empire o f n e c e s s i t y . '

8 0 ~ o s e n b e r r y , p. 200, no tes :

I am indebted t o Walter B l a i r f o r t h e sugges t ion t h a t M e l v i l l e ' s s t y l e and n a r r a t i v e methods were inf luenced by o r a l " r e h e a r s a l s " of h i s s t o r i e s , p a r i c u l a r l y i n Typee and Omoo, 4 which he d e s c r i b e s i n h i s p r e f a c s a s having been "spun a s a yarn" many t imes be fo re be ing w r i t t e n down ... See a l s o J u l i a n Hawthorne's comments on M e l v i l l e as a s t o r y t e l l e r i n Metcalf , Herman M e l v i l l e , p.

* l ~ e r m a n Melv i l l e , Ben i to Cereno, i n Herman Melvi l le : B i l l y Budd, - S a i l o r & Other S t o r i e s , ed. Harold Beaver ~Harmondsworth, Penquin, 19675, Beaver 's t e x t i s based on t h e f i r s t e d i t i o n of he-piazza Ta les . A l l f u r t h e r r e f e r e n c e s t o t h e s t o r y a r e from = e r b s e d i t i o n and a r e inc luded i n t h e body of t h e t h e s i s .

' 8 2 ~ t a n l e y W i l l i a m s , " ! F o l l o ~ Your Leader! : p l e l y i l l e ' s 'Beni to Cereno' ' I , V i r g i n i a Q u a r t e r . 1 ~ Review, yo l . XXXII CKintec, 1 9 4 7 ) , p. 61 . ,

8 3 ~ a k l Van Doren, "A Note of Confession", Nation vo l . C X X V I I (December 5, 19282, ,p. 622.

84 Fogle, p. 143, s e e s BenitcsCereno --- a s t h e " r e a l i z a t i o n of mystery" i n answer t o t h e c r i t i c s ' charges t h a t M e l v i l l e l s s t o r y b e t r a y s an a n t i p a t h y t o b lacks . Other important d i scuss ions on t h e s l ave ry theme a re : Warren D'Azevado, "Revolt on t h e San Dominick", Phylon X V I I (second Quar ter 19561, pp. 129-140; Rosal ie F e l t e n s t e i n , l 'Melvil le '-s 'Beni to Cereno' 'I, American L i t e r a t u r e X I X (~ov;mber 19471 , pp. 245-255; a l l e n Guttmann, "The Enduring Innocence of Gaptain Amasa Delano", Boston Univers i ty S tud ies i n Eng-lish. V (Spring 1961) , pp. 35-45; Joseph Shiffman, " ~ r i t i c a l Problems i n M e l v i l l e ' s 'Beni to cereko1 " , ~ o - d e r n Language Q u a r t e r l y , X I (September 1950) , pp. 317-324.

8 6 ~ a r o l d H. Scudder, " M e l v i l l e l s 'Beni to Cereno' and Captain Delano's Voyages", P.M.L.A. 43 (19281, pp. 502-532.

"•’0, an e x c e l l e n t t r ea tmen t of 'psychic m a t e r i a l i t y ' s ee Gaston Bachelard,. The - Poe.tics: b f - Space. t r a n s . Maria J o l a s (Boston: Beacon P r e s s , 1969) .

good d e a l has been w r i t t e n about Babo's c r u e l t y i n t h i s and o t h e r scenes, b u t t h e d e l i b e r a t e vagueness and ambiguity of t h e l i t e r a l and metaphor ica l l e v e l s i n t h e s t o r y make it unwise t o i n s i s t on a s t r i c t white-black p o l a r i t y . See Charles Glicksberg, "Melvi l le and t h e Negro Problem", Phylon I1 (1950), pp. 207-215, f o r an i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of Babo a s b lack revo lu t ionary hero. l

' l ~ e e Widmer, pp. 60-63, f o r an i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of Beni to Cereno a s e x i s t e n t i a l dread. Dill ingham, p. 259, s e e s t h e o r i g i n of t h i s dread n o t i n d iv ided be ing b u t i n t h e h o r r o r s of canni- - bal ism, suggested by t h e manner of Aranda's dea th .

9 2 ~ h e sudden and momentary access of i r r a t i o n a l f e a r i s a f e a t u r e of a l l of M e l v i l l e r s ta les . M e l v i l l e understood how c lose .eyen t h e s a n e s t of men could be t o madness giyen t h e appro- p r i a t e circumstance^: .

For i n a l l of us lodges t h e same guel t o l i g h t t h e same f i r e . And he who has never f e l t , momentarily, what nadness i s has

b u t a mouthfu l o f b r a i n s . . .

"Herman Melvil lev quoted i n W i l l i a m E l l e r y Sedgewjck, Herman 'Melville The Tragedy. 'of -- Mind CCambridge: Harvard Uniyexs i ty P r e s s , 19441, p. 5.

9 3 ~ i d m e r , pp. 82-83, shows a p e r c e p t i v e unde r s t and ing o f t h e n a r r a t o r , though t h i s t h e s j s a rgues a g a i n s t Widmer's a n a l y s i s of t h e s t o r y a s an unreso lved a t t a c k on t h e b l a c k s ,

9 4 ~ o r two c o n t r a s t i n g views see Widmer, p. 78, who f i n d s Delano t o b e a s u b t l e p o r t r a y a l of t h e "good American" and Bar ry P h i l l i p s , " 'The Good Cap ta in ' " A Reading of 'Ben i to Cereno1'I, Texas 'S tud ies - i n Z i t e r a t u r e and Language IV (Summer 19621, who e n v i s i o n s Delano as " p r i g g i s h " a n d T r e a c h e r o u s l y s t u p i d " (p. 1 9 1 ) .

9 7 ~ h e . B a c h e l o r ' s D e l i g h t r e c a l l s , i n i t s name, bo th t h e haven o f - The P a r a d i s e o f Bache lo r s , wherein unmarr ied men f i n d r e f u g e from r e a l i t y , and t h e "g l ad s h i p " Bache lor i n Moby -- Dick (ch. 115 ) . Both r e f e r e n c e s s t r e s s t h e n a i v e and f o r t u n a t e as - - . ~

a c t s o f moral innocence, a q u a l i t y of b e i n g t h a t i s rendered ambiguous i n t h e m i d s t of e v i l .

9 8 ~ h e Encantadas , p. 134 -

l o 4 p r a n k l i n , pp. 136-150.

lo5gobin Magowan, "Masque and Symbol i n Me lv i l l e t s 'Ben i to Ce reno tq l , C o l l e e E n g l i s h 23 (19621, pp, 346-351. Magowan pro- v i d e s ' a n exce -+ l e n t t r e a t m e n t of r i t u a l , b u t X cqnno5 a g r e e t h a t t h e s t o r y i s p r i m a r i l y an ind i c tmen t 02 s l a v e r y .

107 *

Arvin, pp. 238-240.

'08nax P u t z e l , "The Source and t h e Symbols of N e l v i l l e ~ s 'Beni to Cerenovl' , American 'L i t e ra tu re 3 4 Cl9621, pp. 189- 206. P u t z e l r e l a t e s psychologica l and h i s t o x i c a l m a t e r i a l s i n see ing Beni to Cexeno a s a product of d iv ided American conscious- ness .

good example of reader p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n t h e process of symbolization i s M e l v i l l e t s r e a c t i o n t o Hawthorne's- work. " L e t t e r t o Hawthorne", ,Apri l 1851, Davis and Gilman, pp. 123-125,

"O~or one of many ana lyses arguing Babols heroism see Richard E , Ray, " ' ~ e n i t o Cerenol : Babo a s Leader1', S tud ies - i n t h e Minor and L a t e r Works o f Melv i l l e , PD. 31-37.

l l 'char les E. Nnolim, Melv i l l e I s B e n i t o Cereno: A StUdy i n Meaning -- of Name Gymbolisn .(New York: New Voices, 19747, p. 15.

'12Thomas E . Connolly, "A Note on Name-Symbolism i n Melvi l le" , American L i t e r a t u r e ,XXV (January 1954), p. 490, a s quoted by Nnolim, p. 2 6 .

' 1 5 ~ s t i m a t e s f o r t h e number pu t t o dea th dur ing t h e I n q u i s i t i o n vary between 200,000 and 400,000. See Michael Harr ison, The - Roots of Witchcraf t (London: Tandem, 1975) , p. 259. -

' 1 6 ~ h e r e a r e numerous a l l u s i o n s i n t h e t e x t t o dramatic per- formance, a s i f a masque were t a k i n g p l a c e whose purpose i s only dimly perceived by De$no. See Magowan, pp, 346-351, f o r a t r e a t - ment of t h e a t r e imagery. The prevalence of mask imagery emphasizes t h e hiddenness of t r u t h , and i s mirrored i n t h e language by what Richard Chase has c a l l e d t h e "mood of withdrawal" (p. 152) i n Herman Melv i l l e : - A C r i t i c a l Study CNew York: MacMillan, 1950).

l l7The Encantadas, p. 136.

'181bid. , p. 136.

L19uLettey t o Hawthorne"

l2 O~annah Arendt ,. Men. -- In. & World, 19681, p. 25.

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