Melville's "Bartleby the Scrivener": Humorous or Tragic?

If ever there are two opposite themes offered in the telling of one tale, it is in Herman Melville's short story, "Bartleby the Scrivener". As his perspective swings between the objective and subjective, so swings the theme from comedy to tragedy. Regardless of the two perspectives from which Herman Melville relates the story of Bartleby, the telling of a tragic story with humorous subjectivity, the story's plot and outcome determines the categorization. In fact, had …

…exclaiming, "Ah Bartleby! Ah humanity!" "Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-street", should be considered a tragedy, if not in the nature of the story-telling, then in the unfolding of the plot. The characters' eccentricities, when coupled with the narrator's take on them, have allowed Melville to present the tragedy in an amusing manner but Bartleby has lead such a sad life ending in such a regrettable way, this short story is tragic in theme.