When We'd Prefer Not To

Let's face it – these are tough times we're living in. Sure, America is still the greatest country on earth (the average Chinese citizen makes the equivalent of five thousand dollars a year). It's also still the land of plenty (everything we need is right there at the mall). There's other issues to contend with, though.

Unemployment remains rampant, college degrees don't carry the weight they used to, and we live in constant fear of psychos, both foreign and domestic. On top of all this, it's reasonable to suspect our leaders have forgotten that they work to serve us – not the other way around.

While it would be ridiculous to compare our current struggles to those of, say, the Greatest Generation (a fiscal cliff threat ain't a great depression – and it sure as hell ain't a world war), only the most naive among us would see these as the best of times. In fact, sometimes contemporary life makes us want to throw in the towel. To give up. To let things just run their course.

Which brings me to Bartleby.

Never heard of him? Well, allow me to introduce you. Bartleby is the main character of Herman Melville's brilliant short story, Batleby The Scrivener. Now, a scrivener was someone back in the day who did the equivalent of slushpile office work. Look at Bartleby as a 19th Century cubicle drone and you get the idea.

Anyway, Bartleby shocks those around him by declaring one day that he refuses to do a mundane office task which is well within his job description. Then he shocks those around him even further by refusing to work at all. Then he refuses to leave the office. Then he's taken to an insane asylum, where he refuses to eat. Then he dies.

It's an amazing tale, one which starts off quite funny, but ends up being completely tragic. Why, exactly does Bartleby refuse to stop existing? What is about Batleby's world (that of 1850s Wall Street) that leads him to such drastic and self destructive measures?

Great minds have literally been pondering these questions for over a hundred years now. I suspect there is no “legitimate” answer to be found. As for me, I think Bartleby represents something inside each and every one of us.

Whether we live in 21st Century Connecticut, 19th Century New York City, or any time or place in history, we all sometimes feel ill equipped to just get by. Thing is, we can. Most of us can, anyway. Those of us who can't or just won't end up like Bartleby. And who wants that?

The genius of the story is that Melville recognizes the desire each of us sometimes has to lie down and give up. He also lets us know through his narrative that to give into such a desire is detrimental, both to ourselves and to those around us. Which means we have to find a way to continue on with things – even in today's world.

At least we have cable to help us get by.