The Individual & Society in 3 Stories

In "The Red Convertible" by Louise Erdrich, the automobile of the title becomes a central symbol for the relationship between the two Chippewa brothers and for the relationship of the American Indian to the modern world, specifically to the larger white society which has excluded them. The narrator is the younger brother, Lyman, and he describes himself as unusual in some respects for a Chippewa. He says for one thing that he has always found it easy to make money, and he details a number of ways in which he has been able to do this, often simply because the ruling white society allows him to do so--he was the only kid allowed to shine shows in the American Legion Hall, for instance, and he sold bouquets at the mission door at Christmas time, encouraged by the

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outside, never hearing anything in Bartleby's own voice except the repeated, "I would prefer not to." Our view of Bartleby is through the eyes of his puzzled employer, a man who wants desperately to understand but who ultimately is left as uncertain as we. The narrator of the story is a lawyer on Wall Street in New York City, a representative of society and part of what we today might call the Establishment. He stands as an important contrast to Bartleby and as the average man working in the business world of the day who is confronted with a puzzle in the form of an employee whose strange behavior is disconcerting precisely because it does not fit the image of his position as clerk. It is most unusual for a clerk to refuse to do anything, though Bartleby never actually refuses. He simply says, "I would prefer not to." The lawyer is a man who likes things to work smoothly and who at the same time tries to greet every event with equanimity. He seems to have a nice position, but in truth he has followed the usual route in life--he has compromised with his dreams. Bartleby may also be a man with failed dreams, though if he has dreams we never learn what they are. The lawyer does not take offense at Bartleby's actions as some
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1695
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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