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LEON KASS: Each time I read this story I moveÖ well I move very far from where I was at the
beginning. When I first read the story and Bartleby refuses to proofread the copies that
he himself has written, that was it, he was out of there. Ummm, the conditions of our
relationship are employment, Iím not your social worker, or your father confessor, or
your friend. Youíve come here to do a job. We have, by everybodyís mutual understanding,
a relationship of utility. Thatís all there is here. When we cease to be useful the one
to the other, thatís it. Umm, and I think the story is meant to be an education of people
like me.
AMY KASS: So what you are really suggesting is that what the lawyer could do for Bartleby
is what would mean treating him on a human level. He could give him some hope, he could
give him some encouragement.
LEON KASS: He could give him some company, some human company.
DIANA SCHAUB Okay, company, but remember Bartleby stands in dead wall reveries hour after hour
after hour after hour. And so if what youíre calling for is to join himÖright so, you
know, you canít engage him in conversation because he rejects conversationÖso youíre
going to stand with him and look at the wall. Now itís possible that Bartleby might recognize
that as some kind of reaching out to him and respond to it, and so itís maybe worth an
effort. But, but, in other words, I think youíre really underestimating in a way the
threat that Bartleby proposes.
AMY KASS: I think youíre right if you simply concentrate on the dead wall reveries. But
you yourself made the point that there is some sort of gradual transformation of this
man.
LEON KASS: Thereís one momentóand then you should come back at meóthe one moment whereÖletís
see if I got this rightÖummÖ where Bartleby has refused not to do something, or preferred
not to do something. And the lawyer tries again, ìAnd what is the reason for that?î
and he says umm ìyou can see for yourself the reason.î And the lawyer looks at him,
he says ìOh! Your eyesight! Your eyesight is gone bad because youíve been scribbling
here in the dark.î Heís in a way, medicalized him. Bartleby is in effect saying, ìdonít
you seeÖî óand then, of course we can all fill in what you think would be seen if you
saw Bartleby as the broken, dispirited, hopeless human being that he is. But the lawyer is
looking for some kind of problem that he can fix.