In Herman Melville’s short story Bartleby, the Scrivener, the term “tombs” is used to describe the dreary, oppressive environment of the office where the narrator works. The office is situated in Wall Street, surrounded by towering buildings and the hustle of the business world, which creates a stark contrast to the lifelessness of the office itself.
When the narrator mentions the “tombs,” he is referring to the physical and psychological confinement that both he and his scrivener, Bartleby, experience. The office is filled with the papers of dead cases, representing the soulless nature of the work that takes place there. This morbid imagery suggests that the office is not just a place of labor, but rather a graveyard for the ambitions and lives of those who work there.
Throughout the story, Bartleby’s passive resistance to the demands of his job—most famously, his repeated response of “I would prefer not to”—highlights the theme of isolation and the struggle against the dehumanizing forces of modern capitalism. The “tombs” symbolize a place where individuals are trapped, not only in their jobs but also in their own lives. In this context, Melville critiques the relentless pursuit of profit at the expense of personal fulfillment and human connection.