The Plight of the Common Man in Herman Melvilles Bartleby, the Scriven

George Edward Woodberry, author of the Heart of Man, published in 1899, emphasized the significance of the role of the individual as an active and equal partner in American democratic rule: The doctrine of the equality of mankind by virtue of their birth as men, with its consequent right to equality of opportunity for self-development as a part of social justice, establishes a common basis of conviction, in respect to man, and a definite end as one main object of the State; and these elements are primary in the democratic scheme. Liberty is the next step, and is the means by which that end is secured. It is so cardinal in democracy to strive for a balance between the individual and the mass, so that the identification of the common man as an American ensures him of the promises proposed by the government. (226-227). During the early 1800's, America struggled with the search for identity and the shift toward Liberal Individualism. The revolutionary words of freedom, equality, and brotherhood gave birth to the doctrine of government by the people, for the people, and of the people. These principles were the substance of democracy; these tenets, though fundamentally sound and idealistically honorable, seemed elementary, but to assume that the ideals of democracy were rudimentary and easily attained was a national betrayal. This betrayal, depicted as the futility of the individual to achieve political and representational inclusion in the government and, more importantly, the realization of his importance, belied the struggle. The shift toward Liberal Individualism created the need for a balance between the individual and the community. The election of 1828, which propelled Andrew Jackson to national prominence, marked... ...ye, Thomas R. and L. Harmon Zeigler. The Irony of Democracy. Belmont: Wadsworth, 1970. Hancock, Ralph C. ?Tocqueville?s practical reason.? Perspectives on Political Science 27 (Fall 1998): 212-19. Hans, James S. ?Emptiness and plenitude in Bartleby the scrivener and The crying of lot 49.? Essays in Literature 22 (Fall 1995): 285-99. Hudson, William E. American Democracy in Peril. Chatham: Chatham House, 1995. Stovall, Floyd. American Idealism. Port Washington: Kennikat, 1943. Strong, Douglas M. Perfectionist Politics: Abolitionism and The Religious Tensions Of American Democracy. Syracuse: Syracuse UP, 1999. Strout, Cushing. Making American Tradition. New Brunswick: Rutgers UP, 1990. Wilentz, Sean. ?Striving for Democracy.? The Wilson Quarterly 23 (Spring 1999): 47-54. Woodberry, George Edward. Heart of Man. London: Macmillan, 1899.