Alienation in “Bartleby, the Scrivener.": Literature & Language Essay

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Alienation in “Bartleby, the Scrivener."
As a theoretical concept developed by Karl Marx, alienation is defined as the disenchanting, isolating, and dehumanizing effects of capitalism in a working production system. According to Karl Marx, alienation itself is the source of the economic system. However, social alienation is a wider approach sociologists use to define different individuals or group's experiences, which make them feel detached from the norms, society's social relations, values, and practices to an economy as well for a deviation of causes. Individuals who experience social alienation are mostly not well assimilated into society. They do not share society's common values, and they have isolated themselves from the common social norms.
According to Ashley Crossman, the theme of alienation can be noted in the early nineteenth century works from several authors, among them Herman Melville, in his book Bartleby, the scrivener (Crossman, 1). In the book, he exemplifies the theme of alienation through Bartleby's character by depicting his actions. Melville uncovers the social and personal effects of alienation in American capitalist society and the economy. The statement "I would prefer not to" might seem like any other reasonable response to a question that an individual decides to fail to take part in. however, the response given by Bartleby was that of an individuals' choice not to take part in action asked of them by their superiors to review the papers he had copied with his colleagues. The scrivener chose not to do what he was ordered to but rather continue copying and writing the work, which, as depicted by the narrator at that time, he loved.
Choosing the activities to do and those to exempt despite society's expectations and norms, is in itself the definition of nonconformity. As people grow into becoming part of society, they tend to forget that they have a choice in deciding or choosing things to do things. However, Bartleby's choice to ignore the orders given to him by his superior tends to go against what is considered normal in the American capitalist norm and society at large. In the American capitalist economy, those people with the power run the business society and empires. As a lesser fortunate member, it is considered your job to do as you have been instructed without question, which most individuals are delighted to.
Marx's alienation theory was key to his critique of industrial capitalism, and the social systems designed according to the class one was profiled to be in. According to Ashley Crossman, Karl Marx viewed the alienation of the working class as a result of the capitalist organization of the production systems where the class of wealthy owners and managers used to purchase labour from their workers through the payment of salaries and wages, which altogether led to the four main ways workers are alienated through.
One way to alienate the workers is through the product they make due to lack of attachment and ownership since the product they make is directed and designed by another person and that they only earn profits for their capitalist owners and not the labourers due to the wage-labour agreement. Therefore, in Bartleby, the scrivener, the st...