The characters in many poems, short stories, and other works of art act as critics or representatives of the author's society. American writers Benjamin Franklin and Herman Melville both commented on their respective eras using this method. Franklin uses poor Richard in "The Way to Wealth" to give voice to a new nation in the late 18th century. Similarly, Melville contemplates 19th-century industrialization and laissez-faire capitalism through an unnamed narrator in “Bartleby,” the Scrivener. The portraits of America illustrated by these two characters reveal a disparity between the two writers' visions of society. Franklin uses poor Richard to inspire people to take advantage of the economic opportunities opened up by the new America, thus creating an optimistic vision of society. In contrast, Melville's narrator, the Scrivener, is deeply troubled by Bartleby, a social outcast, and thereby criticizes the American capitalist ideal. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay To turn poor Richard into a glorification of American ideals, Franklin holds him up as a model citizen who garners the admiration of his fellow countrymen. Capitalist freedom of economic self-determination – although limited to white males – was developing into an American value during Franklin's time. Poor Richard's hard work and financial savvy reflect this ideology, and the social approval he receives honors the American system. Franklin begins to create the image of poor Richard by giving him the status of a pop icon. Richard is a writer who creates proverbs about economics for his readers to live by. He says that when walking about the city, "I often heard one or other of my adages repeated with 'as Richard says' at the end; this gave me some satisfaction, for it proved not only that my instructions were respected, but equally discovered a certain respect for my authority" (517). Richard is positioned as an economic model, just like Steve Forbes or Bill Gates today. Franklin then illustrates the audience's indirect respect for Richard's economic methodology through the character of Father Abraham, a wise old man. In a scene in which the villagers complain of their financial difficulties, they turn to Father Abraham for advice, and he plays the role of the stereotypical village elder, quoting one of poor Richard's adages: "If I had my advice , I'll give it to you in short, because a word is enough for the wise man, and many words are not enough to fill a bushel, as poor Richard says" (517). Here the word "wise" emphasizes the reliability of Father Abraham. This saying captivates the public and citizens clamor for it to continue, establishing their respect for Father Abraham. Since Father Abraham quotes Poor Richard, this respect is actually for Poor Richard's wisdom. Father Abraham continues to quote poor Richard with a series of sayings that instruct people on how to manage their finances. Most of these quotes advocate industry and frugality, values ​​in line with the freedoms of capitalism. For example, an adage states: "Idleness makes all things difficult, but industry makes everything easy" (518). After the sermon, the audience expresses their approval of Father Abraham's advice. Citizens' support for poor Richard's words gives him the image of an American leader and fosters feelings of nationalism, as people's faith in poor Richard translates into a faith in American ideals. . This was, no doubt, Franklin's intention, because thepoor Richard is truly an extension of himself. In “The Autobiography,” Franklin reveals his support for American social mobility and strives to be the financial advisor to his contemporaries, paralleling poor Richard. For example, on the advice of his friends, Franklin agreed to write the last part of his autobiography as a guide for young Americans. Furthermore, two of the thirteen virtues he recommends – which are comparable to poor Richard's proverbs – are industry and frugality, both notions linked to capitalism (592). Since Franklin is one of the founding fathers of American independence, it is natural to associate patriotic and nationalistic feelings with his name. While poor Richard is a trustworthy and admirable character, whose confidence is buoyed by the support of his countrymen, Melville's narrator in "Bartleby", the Scrivener, becomes a confused and troubled man when his notions of society are shaken . The resulting confusion and conflicts leave the reader wondering about the authoritative processes of American capitalism. Melville represents American capitalism through the narrator and his business, a law firm. The story's subtitle, "A Story of Wall-Street" (2330), creates an immediate image of American capitalism, as Wall Street is the nation's economic powerhouse. Before hiring Bartleby, Scrivener had found good order in American affairs. To him, the authority relations implicit in capitalism seemed perfectly natural: they were a stable and effective way to get tasks done. He feels very secure at the beginning of the story: "All who know me, consider me an eminently secure man" (2330). However, Bartleby's knowledge destroys his sense of security. Bartleby's character is something of an enigma: he's a terrible worker, with no concept of business relationships or basic social processes. Whenever the narrator asks Bartleby to perform the tasks expected of him, he responds with the refrain, "I would rather not" (2338), thus leaving the narrator perplexed. The narrator is then forced to confront the disparity between his belief in American authority and business, and his concern for Bartleby as another human being. On the one hand, the narrator blames Bartleby for causing a commotion, while maintaining his faith in the rules of good business. He thinks of Bartleby as "incurably desperate" (2335) and a "wanderer" (2349). On the other hand, the narrator wonders whether he should forget their business relationship - which means forgetting social expectations - and try to help Bartleby as his fellow man by keeping him employed and financially secure. Melville reveals the narrator's thoughts to illustrate the dilemma. An example of this internal struggle occurs when the narrator considers throwing Bartleby out into the street to fend for himself. Melville writes: What should I do? What should I do... Get rid of him, I must; go, he will. But how? Will you not cast him out, the poor, pale, passive mortal - will you not cast such a defenseless creature out of your door? will you not disgrace yourself with such cruelty? No, I won't, I can't do it (2349). The narrator's absurd solution to the problem - relocating the entire business office - only adds to the chaos. By distorting the narrator, a pattern of American capitalism, Melville exposes the dehumanizing aspects of the 19th century American workplace. The narrator's awareness of having to decide between Bartleby's rules of productivity and well-being forces readers to question whether capitalism is a civilized and just system. This question was more pertinent in Melville's time than it is today, because the uncontrolled, laissez-faire style of capitalism lacked social protections such as welfare and..