Bartleby, the Scrivener · Characters
Character guide
Key figures in Bartleby, the Scrivener by Herman Melville.
The Lawyer
major
The unnamed narrator and employer of Bartleby, a conservative and elderly man who runs a law practice on Wall Street.
Bartleby
major
A pale, forlorn scrivener hired by the lawyer, who gradually begins to refuse all work with the polite but firm phrase "I would prefer not to."
Turkey
minor
An elderly, efficient scrivener in the lawyer's employ who becomes irritable and error-prone in the afternoons.
Nippers
minor
A young, ambitious scrivener who suffers from indigestion and irritability in the mornings, but is calm and useful in the afternoons.
Ginger Nut
minor
A twelve-year-old office boy who runs errands for the scriveners and is named for the cakes he often fetches.
The Grub-man
minor
A man who works at the Tombs prison, providing food and small comforts to the inmates for a fee.