Edgar Allan Poe's William Wilson and Herman Melville's Bartleby the Scribe are useful examples for discussing the difficulties of self-representation. While the narrator of Poe's tale implores us to “let me call myself, for the present, William Wilson,” the complex self-representation here is prevalent even at the heart of Melville's story. West's Encyclopedia of American Law tells us that "courts usually discourage self-representation...even lawyers would be wise to hire another lawyer." The same problems with self-representation occur in literature. The unnamed narrator in Melville's tale shows the complexities of self-representation through age, his relationship with Astor, anonymity, deception, and his complex values. Poe's narrator also reveals a lot about himself; that his name is false, that he shares similarities with Poe, and that he has a peculiar memory. Both stories are great examples of the complexity of literary self-representation – and how narrators, like lawyers, should not represent themselves. In Melville's story, the narrator immediately states that he is “a rather old man” (p.1483). This introduction leads readers to conclude that he is an authoritative and respectful person – based on the common stereotype that age leads to wisdom – but due to the complex nature of self-representation, it can also lead readers to be skeptical of his narrative . reliability; forgetfulness is another factor associated with old age. The literal representation of the self here as elder is clearly important. It's the first line of the story he tells. The narrator wishes to impress readers and serve as a contrast to the "young" Bartleby he has yet to introduce. He wishes to appear as the exact opposite... half the newspaper... n Anthology of American Literature. 8th ed. vol. B. Norton, 2012. P.1483-1509. Print.ONLINE BIBLIOGRAPHY:"Self-representation". West's Encyclopedia of American Law, Edition 2. 2008. The Gale Group. October 29, 2013 http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Self-RepresentationARTICLES:Pinsker, Sanford. "Bartleby the Scrivener": Language as Wall." College Literature 2.1 (1975): p.17-27. October 29, 2013 http://www.jstor.org/stable/25111055 Accessed: 05/11/2013Unrue, Darlene Harbor “Edgar Allan Poe: the Romantic as Classicist.” International Journal of the Classical, vol. 1.4. Studies in Romanticism, vol/25600010: 05/11/2013