"Solitude vivifies; isolation kills." Roux 1886 "Bartleby, The Scrivener" by Herman Melville is abundant with isolation and Bartleby's failure to connect with humanity. Bartleby portrays one of the most isolated characters in literature. Bartleby"s environment cuts him off from nature and often, from humanity. During the day, Bartleby stares out his window at a wall in which Wall Street reveals a bleak and unnatural landscape. Bartleby also stays there during the night, when the bustling human population vanishes and the streets become desolately empty. The narrator makes attempts to learn about Bartleby and help him, but all attempts meet with...
wives work in cubicles similar to that of Bartleby and are oblivious to the world around them. We shut ourselves away from our families, focusing on the internet or television and drowning out the background noise. Our lives are a mundane repetition of day in and day out with little to no time for physical exercise or socializing. Isolation can drive a person insane, make him mute or even kill him. Do not let yourself surrender to the aversion of others and be isolated like Bartleby. There is more to life than what lies directly in front of you.