Bartleby the Scrivener Morality and Ethics Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Paragraph)

Quote #7

What shall I do? I now said to myself, buttoning up my coat to the last button. What shall I do? What ought I to do? what does conscience say I should do with this man, or, rather, ghost. Rid myself of him, I must; go, he shall. (99)

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a right or wrong answer to these questions. The Narrator, whose confusion is evident in his Yoda-like syntax, isn't alone in his uncertainty over what to do with Bartleby – honestly, what would you do?

Morality and Ethics

Quote #8

Ah, Bartleby! Ah, humanity! (131)

This final cry of desperation expresses the almost inexpressibly complicated emotions that run through the end of the story – guilt, pity, sadness…and a certain anxiety for the rest of humanity.