While reading Herman Melville’s, “Bartleby the Scrivener” there was a short phrase that stood out as important. This phrase read “I would prefer not to” (p21). While this might seem like a simple phrase the meaning of it contributes to the whole theme of the story. To get a better understanding we must first establish that Bartleby is a scrivener whom was hired by a lawyer. At first Bartleby is a good employee who carries out all tasks when asked for and does everything his job requires him to do. As the story goes on, however, Bartleby is not the same worker he once used to be. He refuses to carry out tasks by responding “I would prefer not to.”
This response might seem simple and meaningless but in reality it has a lot of meaning behind it. By saying “prefer” instead of outright refusing to do something Bartleby portrays himself as a polite individual. He doesn’t actually refuse to do the job, but instead he politely says that he would prefer not to do it. The response has such importance in the story that it leaves Bartleby’s employer “The lawyer” speechless. He can’t believe that an employee would actually refuse to do something, and also say it in such a polite and calm way. Throughout the story Bartleby continues to use this same phrase when asked to do something job related, and even later, he uses the same phrase when asked just about anything.
Bartleby’s use of the saying begins to drive the Lawyer crazy; it leaves him puzzled and confused. When the Lawyer catches himself using the word prefer in a conversation it bothers him immensely. Bartleby uses this phrase as a way to slowly distance himself from society and the world as a whole, and the Lawyer begins to question his own sanity when he utters the word prefer. The repetition of this phrase, by not only Bartleby himself, but by the Lawyer as well shows its importance in the piece. Though it may seem simple at first glance, it actually highlights one of the major themes of the story, Bartleby’s rejection of the workplace and society in general.
