Objectives

• Analyse how Melville constructs the Narrator as an unreliable and self-serving voice in Chapter 1, using specific details of his self-description and his account of Bartleby's arrival.
• Explain how the phrase 'I would prefer not to' accumulates meaning across Chapters 1 and 2, and argue what it reveals about power, agency and resistance.
• Evaluate how Turkey, Nippers and Ginger Nut function as foils that expose the Narrator's hypocrisy and the dehumanising routines of office life in Chapter 2.
• Trace how Melville uses setting — the Wall Street office, the Tombs, the Dead Letter Office — to develop the themes of confinement, isolation and death across all three chapters.
• Write a fully evidenced analytical essay that sustains a clear argument about how Melville uses language, form and structure to explore loneliness, identity or despair.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: Who Is Speaking? Constructing the Unreliable Narrator in Chapter 1

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Read the opening two paragraphs of Chapter 1, from 'I am a rather elderly man' to '…the easiest way of life is the best.' Without researching anything, write two sentences: what impression does the Narrator convey about himself, and which one word in those paragraphs makes you feel a bit skeptical of him?

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the passage in Chapter 1 where the Narrator describes his office layout — "ground-glass folding doors divided my premises into two parts" — illustrating how this physical separation reflects the Narrator's psychological desire to control and contain those around him. Show how to construct a sentence that identifies the technique (spatial metaphor), quotes accurately, and then leads to a deeper inference about what the Narrator's pride in this setup says about his values.

   Independent task

   Students will re-read the passage in Chapter 1 that begins with "In answer to my advertisement, a motionless young man one morning stood upon my office threshold" and continues through the end of Bartleby's first day. They will then compose one analytical paragraph of 150–200 words that argues what the Narrator's language in this passage indicates about his attitude toward Bartleby at the moment of his arrival. The paragraph must include at least two quotations, discuss at least one specific word choice, and conclude with a sentence that links this attitude to the theme of social class or power. Students should submit the paragraph on a half-sheet.

   Exit ticket

   In one sentence, name one thing the Narrator tells us about himself in Chapter 1 that you think he does not intend to reveal, and explain in a second sentence why Melville might have included it.

2. Lesson 2: 'I Would Prefer Not To': Tracing a Phrase Across Chapters 1 and 2

   60 min · ch. 1, 2

   Do now

   Sure! Here’s the humanized version:

   Without looking at the text, jot down all the different moments you can recall where Bartleby says "I would prefer not to" in Chapters 1 and 2. Then, in one sentence, share whether you think the phrase comes across more as a refusal, a request, or something else entirely — and be prepared to explain your reasoning.

   Teacher input

   Model the technique of tracing a repeated phrase by examining the first three instances of 'I would prefer not to' in Chapters 1 and 2 on the board — Bartleby's refusal to check copy, his refusal to look at a document with the Narrator, and his refusal to leave the premises. Demonstrate to students how to annotate each instance for what Bartleby is refusing, who is present, and how the Narrator's response evolves each time, developing an argument that the phrase transitions from mere eccentricity to an existential challenge.

   Independent task

   Students receive a printed extract that includes five numbered instances of "I would prefer not to," taken from Chapters 1 and 2. They are to annotate each instance in the margin, noting what is being refused, what the Narrator does afterward, and how the phrase affects the power dynamic. Following this, they will compose a structured paragraph of 150–200 words arguing how the repetition of this phrase throughout the two chapters enhances either the theme of freedom or the theme of identity. The annotated extract and the paragraph should be submitted together.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence explaining how the meaning or effect of 'I would prefer not to' changes between its first appearance in Chapter 1 and its final appearance in Chapter 2 — do not just say it becomes 'more frequent'; say what it comes to mean.

3. Lesson 3: Comic Foils and Hidden Critique: Turkey, Nippers and Ginger Nut in Chapter 2

   60 min · ch. 2

   Do now

   Read the short passage in Chapter 2 where the Narrator describes Turkey's behavior after lunch — from 'his face flamed with augmented blazonry' to the end of that paragraph. Write one sentence describing Turkey's actions, and another sentence reflecting what the Narrator's accepting response to Turkey might reveal about his character.

   Teacher input

   Model a comparative reading of the Chapter 2 passages that depict Turkey (afternoon recklessness) and Nippers (morning irritability). Show students how Melville crafts these two clerks as reflections of each other, highlighting the complete arc of the working day. This comic symmetry also serves as a dark joke about how thoroughly the office has taken over its workers' bodies and time. Illustrate how to create a topic sentence that identifies this structural irony, and then incorporate one quotation from each character to support your argument.

   Independent task

   Students are tasked with writing a comparative analytical paragraph of 180–220 words that explores how Melville portrays Turkey and Nippers in Chapter 2 to highlight the dehumanizing effects of office routine. The paragraph should start with a clear argumentative claim; include quotes that describe Turkey's behavior in the afternoon and Nippers's morning 'grinding irritability'; analyze at least one instance of figurative or comic language; and conclude with a sentence that links these characters to Bartleby's own silent rejection of the same routine. Students will submit this paragraph.

   Exit ticket

   In two sentences, explain what Ginger Nut's role in Chapter 2 adds to Melville's portrayal of office hierarchy that Turkey and Nippers alone do not provide.

4. Lesson 4: Walls, the Tombs and the Dead Letter Office: Setting as Argument in Chapter 3

   60 min · ch. 3

   Do now

   Look at the three settings named in Chapter 3: the Wall Street office (now vacated by Bartleby), the Tombs prison, and the Dead Letter Office mentioned in the final paragraph. Without re-reading, jot down one word that comes to mind for each setting, and then write one sentence about what they all share.

   Teacher input

   Model a reading of the final paragraph of Chapter 3 — from "Dead letters! does it not sound like dead men?" to the story's closing "Ah, Bartleby! Ah, humanity!" — illustrating to students how to analyze the Dead Letter Office as both a structural and thematic element. Highlight how the Narrator's sudden emotional outburst in this section marks the first instance where he expresses a sense of grief for Bartleby. Discuss how the repetition of "On errands of life, these letters speed to death" merges Bartleby's fate with a broader human experience. Guide students in crafting a sentence that identifies the technique, explains its impact, and ties it to the story's themes of loneliness and despair.

   Independent task

   Students should re-read the passage in Chapter 3 starting from Bartleby's arrival at the Tombs — "The yard was entirely quiet. It was not accessible to the common prisoners" — all the way to his death. After that, they need to write two analytical paragraphs totaling 200–250 words. The first paragraph should discuss how Melville uses the physical description of the Tombs yard to illustrate the theme of confinement. The second paragraph must analyze how the last paragraph about the Dead Letter Office reinterprets Bartleby's entire life in hindsight. Each paragraph should include at least two embedded quotations and at least one comment on a specific language technique. Students are to submit both paragraphs.

   Exit ticket

   Write one full sentence explaining why Melville ends the story with the Narrator's speculation about the Dead Letter Office rather than with Bartleby's death itself — what does this structural choice achieve that ending on the death scene would not?

5. Lesson 5: Sustained Argument: Writing the Full Essay on Melville's Vision of Loneliness and Despair

   60 min · ch. 1, 2, 3

   Do now

   • Claim to keep: Importance of critical thinking in problem-solving.
   • Quotation to use: "Critical thinking is the key to unlocking potential."
   • Connection between chapters: Link between the themes of resilience in Lesson 3 and collaboration in Lesson 4.

   Teacher input

   Model the construction of an essay introduction and the first body paragraph based on today's question set. On the board, write a concise thesis statement that identifies Melville's technique (the unreliable narrator who fails to recognize his own complicity), the central theme (loneliness stemming from the commercial world's indifference), and the structural progression (Chapters 1 to 3). Then, draft the opening body paragraph in real-time, demonstrating how to transition from the thesis to the topic sentence, followed by an embedded quotation from Chapter 1: "I am a man who, from his youth upwards, has been filled with a profound conviction that the easiest way of life is the best." After that, provide commentary and create a connection leading into Chapter 3.

   Independent task

   Students are tasked with writing a full essay of 500–700 words in response to the question: "How does Melville use the figure of Bartleby and the voice of the Narrator to explore loneliness and despair in Bartleby the Scrivener?" The essay should include an introduction that presents a clear thesis regarding Melville's methods and intentions. It must contain at least three body paragraphs, each starting with an argumentative topic sentence and including two embedded quotations from at least two different chapters. Each paragraph should also comment on at least one language technique, such as the anaphora of "I would prefer not to," the spatial metaphor of the folding doors, the structural irony of Turkey and Nippers, or the anaphora in the Dead Letter Office paragraph. Finally, the essay should conclude by revisiting the thesis and making a final evaluative point about what the story's ending — "Ah, Bartleby! Ah, humanity!" — implies about the Narrator's self-awareness. Students should submit their complete essays by the end of the period.

   Exit ticket

   Re-read your thesis sentence and your conclusion. Write one sentence explaining whether your conclusion genuinely develops your thesis or simply repeats it — and if it repeats it, write the one word you would change to make it do more analytical work.

Activities

Assessment

• Lesson 1 exit ticket checks whether students can identify unreliable narration — looking for a specific textual detail, not a general claim about 'bias'.
• Lesson 1 paragraph checks whether students can embed two quotations and push to a second-order inference about power or class, not merely paraphrase.
• Lesson 2 annotated extract checks whether students can track how a repeated phrase shifts in meaning across chapters, looking for commentary on the power dynamic rather than just listing refusals.
• Lesson 3 paragraph checks whether students can write a comparative topic sentence and connect comic characterisation to the story's darker argument about dehumanisation.
• Lesson 4 double paragraph checks whether students can analyse setting as a structural device and connect the Dead Letter Office coda to the story's thematic arc.
• Lesson 5 exit ticket checks whether students can evaluate their own thesis development — looking for genuine self-assessment, not self-congratulation.

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
• RL.11-12.3 — Analyse the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama, including where a story is set and how the action is ordered.
• RL.11-12.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyse the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
• RL.11-12.6 — Analyse a case in which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g. satire, irony, understatement).

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Develop a thesis that makes a defensible claim about an interpretation of literature and use evidence and commentary to support and develop that claim.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Explain the function of specific words and phrases, including extended metaphor and repetition, in a literary text.
• Narration (NAR-1) — Explain the function of point of view, including the reliability of the narrator, and its effect on the reader's understanding of character and theme.
• Structure (STR-1) — Explain the function of structure, including the placement of the Dead Letter Office revelation at the story's close, in a literary text.

AQA

• AO1 — Read, understand and respond to texts, maintaining a critical style and developing an informed personal response with a thesis sustained across an essay.
• AO2 — Analyse the language, form and structure used by Melville to create meanings and effects, including the anaphora of 'I would prefer not to' and the spatial metaphors of the Wall Street office.
• AO3 — Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written and received, including mid-nineteenth-century commercial culture and the conditions of clerical labour.
• AO4 — Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.

Edexcel

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, with reference to Melville's use of an unreliable first-person narrator and the structural irony of the Dead Letter Office coda.
• AO5 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are produced and received, including the dehumanising routines of mid-nineteenth-century office work.

IB Lit

• Criterion A — Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the literary work, including accurate and relevant reference to Bartleby's refusals, the office foils and the story's three-chapter arc.
• Criterion B — Analyse the ways in which the author's choices of language, structure and technique shape meaning and produce effects, including the function of repetition and narrative unreliability.
• Criterion C — Develop and sustain a line of inquiry, presenting a coherent argument supported by well-chosen evidence from the text.