My honors project is a literary analysis of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick and “Bartleby, the Scrivener.” I will be working with Dr. Keegan Finberg to evaluate how uses of isolation and silence impact interpretation within both stories as well as examine what those interpretations reveal about the characters and larger thematic schemes within the narratives. I will be examining the stories with several different literary theories in mind with a focus on the portrayals of imperialism, capitalism, disabilities, and religion. While researching the prevalence of these themes, I will be comparing and contrasting both stories. Via comparisons between Ahab and Bartleby as well as Ishmael and the Lawyer, I hope to find themes that span across both narratives.