Herman Melville is an American author who was born in 1819 and died in 1891. This SparkNotes guide offers treatments of three of his shorter works from the 1850s: the 1853 short story “Bartleby the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street,” the 1854 novella “The Encantadas, or Enchanted Isles,” and the 1855 novella “Benito Cereno.”

Characters

See a complete list of the characters in Melville Stories and in-depth analysis of Bartleby.

Literary Devices

Here is where you will find analysis of some of the key themes, motifs, and symbols in Melville Stories.

Quotes

Find the quotes you need to support your essay, or refresh your memory of the book by reading these key quotes.

Deeper Study

Go further in your study of “Bartleby the Scrivener,” “The Encantadas, or Enchanted Isles,” and “Benito Cereno” by reading background information about Herman Melville and as well as mini essays on key topics.