Michaela Pacheco

Speech Outline

Purpose: To persuade the audience on why The Narrator in Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of
Wall Street is so devoted to his job that he neglects his own employees and does not consider the
mental state of Bartleby.

PART ONE: INTRO

A. Attention Getter: In all aspects of life, opinions vary. When reading Bartleby,
the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street, opinions of the Narrator varied.
B. Thesis: The Narrator is the type of person who is so devoted to his job that he
neglects his own employees and does not consider the mental state of Bartleby.
C. Initial Preview of Points: I will talk to you about how the Narrator notices
something is off with his employee and chooses to do nothing, how he completely
ignores the signs that Bartleby is suffering mentally and physically from
overwork, and why he doesn’t understand why his actions are harmful.

PART TWO: BODY

Transition

I. Main Point I: the Narrator notices something is off with his employee, he chooses to do
nothing.
a. Sub point: Bartleby clearly has a change in actions and in the work he used to do, and
it goes to show that the Narrator didn’t put aside his pride and either help or do something about
the Bartleby situation right away.
b. Sub point:For example, “ I pondered a moment in sore perplexity. But once more
business hurried me. I determined again to postpone the consideration of this dilemma to my
future leisure. With a little trouble we made out to examine the papers without
Bartleby”(Melville 9).
c. Sub point: Even his other employees question his actions, which makes sense due to
the odd route he takes as to handling them. It is unfair not only to Bartleby, but to the other
employees as well.

Transition

II. Main Point II: The Narrator does not care for others when he completely ignores the
signs that Bartleby is suffering mentally and physically from overwork.
 a. Sub point: “Reduced functioning can take many forms, including poor cognitive
performance, problem behavior directed towards other colleagues, lack of attention to the core
tasks of the job”(Race & Furnham 6).
b. Sub point: The sudden shift from being almost too hard working to outright refusing
to do work is not a typical action that The Narrator has seen before.
c. Sub point: Instead of getting him help, they treat him as though he is an
uncooperating burden.

Transition

III. Main Point III: The Narrator doesn’t understand why his actions are harmful.
a. Sub point: “ Overemphasis on what is good for the company's bottom line may create a
masochistic environment that leads to short-term success, but long-term chronic disease in terms
of worker stress, ill health, lack of commitment, disloyalty, and poor performance”(Couser).
b. Sub point: There is a sense of ignorance that is reflected in the Narrator. When
Bartleby is getting ready to leave, The Narrator then realizes that Bartleby’s vision was harmed
at the beginning of his time at the company.
c. Sub point: The Narrator didn’t put enough time into thinking about Bartleby and the
things that were right in front of him.

Transition: To summarize,

PART THREE: CONCLUSION

A. Final Summary: The Narrator is a man who neglects a coworker for the
company. He proves to be so devoted to his job that he does not provide an ounce
of humanity for a man who is showing signs of a mental illness. The Narrator
showcases what it is like to be in the trenches of Wall Street and corporate
America.
B. Closing Strategy: It is always important for people to reach out when
something is wrong, and it is seen throughout this story that some people do not
give humanity for others.
Sources:

Couser, Gregory P. MD, MPH Challenges and Opportunities for Preventing Depression in the

Workplace: A Review of the Evidence Supporting Workplace Factors and Interventions, Journal

of Occupational and Environmental Medicine: April 2008 - Volume 50 - Issue 4 - p 411-427

doi: 10.1097/JOM.0b013e318168efe2

“Introduction.” Mental Illness at Work a Manager's Guide to Identifying, Managing and

Preventing Psychological Problems in the Workplace, by Mary-Clare Race and Adrian

Furnham, Palgrave Macmillan, 2014, pp. 6–6.

Melville, Herman. “Bartleby, The Scrivener: A Story Of Wall-street.” The Piazza Tales,

1856, pp. 9.