The use of simple plot and complex characterization in Bartleby, the Scrivener

In the short story Bartleby, the Scrivener Herman Melville uses a very effective method of complex characterization and simple plot. He employs both major methods of presenting his characters: showing and telling. The story is told from the limited first person point of view of the narrator. His scrupulous description of Turkey, Ginger Nut and Nippers in the beginning of the story provides us with some idea of what kind of character the narrator is. However, the lack of plot portrayed through misunderstandings between narrator and Bartleby forces the reader to make up his or her own conclusions about what type of characters the narrator and Bartleby are. The author’s choice to use simple plot to reveal complex characterizations of the lawyer and Bartley makes the reader interpret the theme of the story for himself or herself.
Michael Meyer wrote in the introduction of The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature “the best reading creates some kind of change is us: we see more clearly; we’re alert to nuances; we ask questions that previously didn’t occur to us.” I would consider Melville’s Bartleby, the Scrivener a very effective literary work it not only meets the standard described by Meyer but it also feeds our emotional needs.