A Matter of Preference: A Review of "Bartleby, The Scrivener"

    In Herman Melville's short story "Bartleby, The Scrivener," the character of Bartleby haunts the reader with his repeated phrase "I prefer not to" as a response to various requests from his boss, the lawyer. The response seems curiously comical if not audacious at first. However, as the plot continues to unravel towards Bartleby's ultimate end, his repeated phrase of "I prefer not to" begins to feel like a protest that his boss fails to fully recognize. This phrase grows more significant each time the boss loses himself in his own internal ego driven monologue that keeps him from thoroughly inquiring into Bartleby's mental state. By "reserving it for [his] future leisure," the lawyer creates an ongoing, silent tension while simultaneously confirming that it simply isn't that urgent of a matter to him. (Melville 7). The lawyer's deliberately selective, conditional interest in Bartleby further highlights the difference between his own perceived status and that of the lowly worker. More disturbing is the ease with which the lawyer rouses his other employees, Turkey, Nippers and Ginger Nuts, into degrading Bartleby as an attempt to gain Bartleby's compliance. This personally resonates for me since I've seen similar tactics used against employees in various office jobs I've had over the years. Granted, the corporate America machine is far more "efficient" these days and a response of "I prefer not to" would likely result in immediate termination with physical removal. From a future teaching perspective, I think it would be interesting to ask students to consider what this short story is saying about capitalism and whether that lens changes the meaning of the story for them.