Difference between Bartelby and Being There and Gimpel The Fool - Essay Example

Lecturer’s Submitted: Comparative Analysis between Bartelby and Being There and Gimpel the Fool “Bartebly the Scrivener” Bartebly was written by Melville Herman, in 1853 (Professor Lay 23). Bartebly is a story about a lawyer’s employee in Wall Street who goes through different phases in life while working for the lawyer and at the same time handling his personal problems. Bartebly is a hard worker who earns a dollar per week for clerical work (Professor Lay 23). This wage is more than what farmers make while toiling in the fields for hours with adverse temperatures. Bartebly is excited with his new job, and he does his work with perfection and precision. He is assigned a dark and secluded corner office. Bartebly’s office faces away from the lawyer and other employees, hence isolating him from the rest of the employees (Professor Lay 24). His office has a screen that hinders people from checking his movements and analyzing his works. Nevertheless, Bartebly is a hard worker who comes to work in time and leaves late after everyone in the office has left. The lawyer is impressed at first because of the hard work. Bartebly starts to develop emotional problems because of his isolation from the rest of the world (Professor Lay 25). He does not follow the rules and regulations in the lawyer’s office and shuts down totally. Other employees refuse to socialize with Bartebly because his office is secluded and has a screen that makes it impossible for a conversation. Bartebly becomes motionless and useless in terms of performance. His employer asks him to carry out some tasks, but he refuses to do them because he not interested in anything. The lawyer carries out a background check on Bartebly and finds out that he does not perform his duties and that he spends most of his time eating ginger nuts (Professor Lay 25). Bartebly does not have a home, which means that he sleeps in the office. The lawyer fires Bartebly who refuse to leave the premises. The lawyer relocates his commercial premise; hence, leaving Bartebly in the old building (Professor Lay 25). The landlord of the old building has Bartebly arrested for trespassing private property. Bartebly is taken to jail where his emotional problems lead to his starvation, and finally to death. “Gimpel the Fool” On the other hand, “Gimpelthe Fool” was written by Bashevis, Singer Isaac in 1957 (Professor Lay 47). The story is about a man who does not conform to society’s standards of normal living; hence, he is considered a fool by all members of the community. Gimpel is a kind and respectful man who only see the good attributes in everyone, including the worst kind of people in the society. This perception lands Gimpel in trouble because everyone takes advantage of his naivety. People cheat him, lie to him and deceive him, but Gimpel still finds pleasure to forgive, and see the inner part of everyone (Professor Lay 48). Gimpel’s society is a normal society that advocates for conformity. However, he lives in his own world and puts everyone’s intention as innocent as his. This perception of the world around him leads to his nick name, “the fool”. Neighbors call Gimpel a fool since he does not know how to defend his honor, or realize that the world is filled with cruel and disrespectful people. People use his limitations to harass and oppress him. The society requires that a grown man should marry a wife and have children. Therefore, he marries a woman who knows his limitations in terms of being the village’s fool. Gimpel’s wife commits adultery and lies to him since she also considers him a fool who does not deserve respect and marital fidelity (Professor Lay 49). However, Gimpel refuses to conform to people’s perception of how the society should be, but holds strongly to his Jewish faith and becomes a man of God in serving His people. “Being There” Jerzy Nikodem Kosinski wrote, “Being There,” in 1933 (Meyer 2). This story is about a young man called Chance who suffers from psychological disorders. Members of the community isolate and neglect Chance because he is an insane orphan. An old, wealthy man finds Chance in his emotional turmoil and takes him in to his mansion (Meyer 2). The old man has an extensive mansion that can house many people who may live without seeing each other. Chance is put in a room that is isolated from the rest of the old man’s quarters (Meyer 2). In Chance’s isolation from the rest of the world, he does not achieve social interaction with the rest of the world outside his door. The old man gives him easy tasks; such as tending flowers and the garden. The only connection to the outside world is a television set that the old man gave him to avoid boredom (Meyer 2). Chance is fascinated by the television set and programs in it. However, he does not learn to live with other people, read or write. When the old man succumbs to death, lawyers take advantage of Chance’s naivety and illiteracy (Meyer 2). Chance is left out on the streets without money or enough clothing. The first day out of his room, he looks at the rest of the world in a new perspective. He compares the view of the village to what he was seeing in his television set, but this time around, he can afford to look further and meet new people. Chance fails to grasp the new world outside his room and gets hit by a car driven by Mrs. Rand. She takes him in and cares for him until his wounds have healed (Meyer 2). Chance makes the first social interaction with the Rands who are friends with the President. Mr. Rand is impressed by Chance’s conversation because of their metaphoric nature that relates to plants and growth (Meyer 3). The President is invited to a party in Mr. Rand’s estate with other dignitaries. The President meets Chance, who again lures the President with his figurative speech. The President later uses this speech to address the nation and gives credit to Chance (Meyer 3). Chance becomes famous, and the press begins to research on his past life. Chance does not have a history recorded because he lived in isolation from the rest of the world (Meyer 3). This stirs an enormous controversy about Chance’s identity in the society, but he chooses to keep calm and improve his life. Nature versus Nature Both Chance and Gimpel are orphaned and live in a society filled with superficial goals and objections such as marriage and wealth. However, Chance and Gimpel seek inner strength and peace in dealing with societal set standards and rules. Chance’s nature is depicted in the way he is portrayed as an emotional wreck in a society that neglects and despises emotionally unstable people. On the other hand, Gimpel is filled with emotional problems, yet the rest of the world believes that he is a fool. According to the way both Chance and Gimpel are nurtured, they learn to adapt to how their emotions change. Chance is nurtured through watching the television set and gardening, while Gimpel is nurtured by other people’s ignorance of the real purpose of life on earth. Both Chance and Gimpel are oppressed by the society; in terms of social skills and interaction. Chance is oppressed by the lawyers of the old man after the old man’s death because of his illiteracy and lack of social skills. Gimpel is oppressed by the rest of the neighbors because of his naivety and faith in believing that everyone in the society means well. His wife also oppresses him by committing infidelity and lying to him countless times. Chance is isolated from any other thing in the world because people believe that he is mentally unstable, and does not deserve to mix with normal people. Gimpel is also isolated from the rest of the world because of his strong faith and naivety. Contrast Chance and Gimpel Chance was an emotional wreck looked down upon and isolated by people. People viewed him as illiterate and socially bankrupt; hence the isolation. The press despised him because of his unrecorded history despite his figurative language being emulated by the President. He grew up with rich people who took care of him then later left him on the streets because of their personal opinions of Chance’s nature. On the other hand, Gimpel viewed everyone in his community as good and respectful people. His faith did not waiver even when they took advantage of his naivety and tried to prove him wrong. He viewed his rude and cruel relatives and neighbors as people who still had an inner form of purity that can enable them cease doing wrong. His belief continued to strengthen, but when people refused to change their evil ways, he became a priest and led a humble life. Compare and Contrast Bartelby, Chance and Gimpel Bartleby, Chance and Gimpel, were all subjected to emotional oppression. These characters underwent dire conditions that led to emotional problems in their lives. All these men did not conform to societal standards set to oppress and enslave the members of the community. In contrast, Chance and Gimpel maintained their inner strength in dealing and handling external pressure from those who despised and oppressed them. However, Bartleby succumbed to pressure from his work, his boss and his isolation from the rest of the world. He starved himself to death because of both internal and external pressure while dealing with emotional problems. In conclusion, these stories relate to each other in terms of oppression and societal set standards; thus, showing how people conform or hold their faiths and beliefs. Works Cited Meyer, Andre. Jerzy Nikodem Kosinski’s “Being There”. Book Report, Hamburg, 2001: 1-3. Professor Lay. Introduction to Literature Class. Fiction Essays, Saint Louis Christian College, 2009: pp. 1-99. Read More