| Skylar and Courtney, I think your interpretation of the incorporation/restoration of Bartleby as necessary for the narrator's cognitive peace is enlightening. Like Courtney, I found Melville's description of charity to be interesting. The narrator says, "No man that I ever heard of, ever committed a diabolical murder for sweet charity's sake." He reasons that "mere self-interest, then," is a sufficient, even influential, motivation for men to act charitably. I find this reminiscent of our class discussions on justice and working on the right side of law come two in the morning. The discussions generally take one of two paths: focusing on the clients we should aid in an effort to cure injustice, or focusing on ourselves, with the goal of not ending up in an unhappy job, divorced and drunk.
I wonder though, is self-interest sufficient a motivation for charitable work? For finding a meaningful job in the legal arena? Looking back on my own behavior I find that self-interest has been a powerful motivator in any "charitable" works or deeds I have done. Not self-interest in terms of furtherance of any individual goals, but self-interest in terms of "feel good" moments, instances when I can congratulate myself on being so "giving." So a Saturday spent mentoring, a drive to work allowing furious LA drivers to cut in front of me, or finishing a coworker's project for the hell of it all amount to making me feel better about myself. But how far does this extend? I doubt much farther than a days work, not to mention a lifetime of serving justice. But then again, Melville seems to think self-interest a powerful counterweight to murder so maybe it is a useful tool in shaping the behavior of humanity, even the most selfish (self-interested) members. Perhaps after our class discussions, each of our desires not to end up empty vessels helping the highest socioeconomic class make more money will be enough of a motivation to aid us in finding noble work; helping clients who actually need it, not necessarily because of our pity or empathy, but because I for one, don't want to end up alone, drunk and unhappy at two in the morning.
-- AlexandraRex - 29 Mar 2012 |