Character Relationship Map: Bartleby

Characters

• Bartleby (played by Crispin Glover) — protagonist

  Bartleby is the enigmatic applicant from the overpass who is hired by The Boss after describing eight years at a dead letter office. He initially excels, then repeatedly refuses requests, lives in the...

• The Boss (played by David Paymer) — supporting

  The Boss manages a public records office and hires Bartleby when no other applicant appears. He repeatedly tries to understand and help his employee, moves the office to escape the problem, searches f...

• Vivian (played by Glenne Headly) — supporting

  Vivian is The Boss's receptionist and one of the three established office employees. She is described as verbose, flirtatious, and bluntly honest, and becomes irritated by Bartleby's refusal to work....

• Ernest (played by Maury Chaykin) — supporting

  Ernest is one of The Boss's three employees and is described as overweight, neurotic, and clumsy. He works alongside Vivian and Rocky while Bartleby's conduct increasingly frustrates the office. As pa...

• Rocky (played by Joe Piscopo) — supporting

  Rocky is one of The Boss's office employees, characterized by dressing and acting like a mobster. He is part of the staff disturbed by Bartleby's increasingly complete refusal to work, and he particip...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• The Boss → Ernest (Professional Manager And Employee) — Ernest works under the Boss in the public records office.

  Ernest is described as one of the three people employed by the Boss at the office.

• The Boss → Rocky (Professional Manager And Employee) — Rocky is a member of the Boss's office workforce.

  Rocky is one of the three people employed by the Boss in the public records office.

• The Boss → Vivian (Professional Manager And Receptionist) — Vivian works as part of the Boss's small office staff.

  Vivian is identified as the receptionist employed in the Boss's public records office.

• The Boss → Bartleby (Professional Employer And Employee) — The Boss initially employs Bartleby and later attempts to dismiss him.

  The Boss interviews Bartleby and hires him for a position at the public records office.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Rocky → Ernest (Alliance Coworkers) — They share a workplace and experience the disruption caused by Bartleby.

  Rocky and Ernest are both members of the office staff employed by the Boss.

• Vivian → Ernest (Alliance Coworkers) — They are colleagues within the Boss's office team.

  Vivian and Ernest are both employees in the same public records office.

• Vivian → Rocky (Alliance Coworkers) — They share membership in the small office staff.

  Vivian and Rocky are both listed among the three employees working in the Boss's office.

• Ernest → Bartleby (Social Coworker) — Ernest is a coworker whose workplace is changed by Bartleby's conduct.

  Ernest works in the same office and belongs to the staff distressed by Bartleby's repeated refusal to help.

• Rocky → Bartleby (Social Coworker) — Rocky is directly affected by Bartleby's disruptive behavior as a fellow employee.

  Rocky is part of the office staff that becomes dismayed and irritated when Bartleby refuses most requests.

• Vivian → Bartleby (Social Coworker) — Vivian shares the workplace with Bartleby and reacts negatively to his withdrawal from office duties.

  Vivian works in the same office and is among the staff dismayed and irritated by Bartleby's refusals.

Story Analysis

A manager's attempt to control an inexplicable employee becomes a tragic examination of isolation, institutional responsibility, and personal transformation.

Plot Progression

1. The Isolated Applicant — The Boss encounters Bartleby on an overpass and later hires him as the only applicant for a new office position. Bartleby initially appears highly productive despite his unsettling manner.
2. The Refusal Takes Root — Bartleby begins refusing requests with the phrase "I would prefer not to." His limited work, fixation on the vent, and secret residence increasingly disturb the office.
3. A Workplace Without Exit — Bartleby stops filing and is fired, but he refuses to leave the office. The Boss relocates after realizing that ordinary authority cannot remove him.
4. The Cost of Refusal — Bartleby remains in the old building, rejects possible work, and is eventually arrested and released. The Boss finds him starving in a homeless camp.
5. A Dead Letter Remembered — The Boss tries to obtain food, but Bartleby dies before he returns. Later, the Boss's rejected memoir and repeated refusal show how deeply Bartleby has changed him.