Why Does Bartleby Say 'I Would Prefer Not To' In 'Bartleby The Scrivener'?

Bartleby's famous line 'I would prefer not to' in 'Bartleby the Scrivener' is his quiet rebellion against the soul-crushing monotony of his job. As a scrivener, he spends his days copying legal documents without any real purpose or creative input. His refusal isn’t just about laziness—it’s a protest against the dehumanizing nature of modern work. The phrase becomes his shield, a way to assert control in a system that treats him as a machine. What’s chilling is how calm he remains, never angry or defiant, just persistently unwilling to comply. This makes him even more unsettling to his boss, who can’t understand why someone would reject the basic expectations of society without explanation. Bartleby’s preference for 'not' is his only form of agency in a world that offers him none.

In Melville’s 'Bartleby the Scrivener,' the protagonist’s repetitive refusal isn’t just stubbornness—it’s existential. I’ve always read Bartleby as a symbol of passive resistance, a man so detached from life that even saying 'no' feels like too much effort. His job as a copyist is meaningless repetition, mirroring the absurdity of human existence. The office represents society’s demand for blind obedience, and Bartleby’s quiet 'I would prefer not to' dismantles it brick by brick.

What fascinates me is how his resistance grows from small refusals to total inertia. He starts by rejecting extra tasks, then stops working entirely, and finally refuses to leave the office—or even eat. This progression mirrors how depression can paralyze someone. The lawyer’s attempts to 'help' only highlight society’s inability to understand those who opt out. Bartleby isn’t lazy; he’s so disillusioned that participation feels impossible. His final act—dying in prison curled in a fetal position—cements him as literature’s ultimate quiet rebel, a man who would rather vanish than pretend life has meaning.

For readers who enjoy this theme, I’d suggest 'The Metamorphosis' by Kafka—another masterpiece about alienation and the crushing weight of societal expectations.

Bartleby’s 'I would prefer not to' is the ultimate workplace mic drop. It’s not dramatic; it’s devastatingly polite. I see him as the original quiet quitter, rejecting hustle culture centuries before it had a name. His boss offers raises, threats, even pity—but Bartleby just... won’t engage. The genius is in how Melville makes his passivity more powerful than any outburst.

There’s also a hint of something darker. Before becoming a scrivener, Bartleby worked in the Dead Letter Office, handling undeliverable mail. That job broke him. His refusals might stem from knowing how little human connection matters in the end. Why copy legal documents when they’ll just gather dust? Why pretend work gives life purpose? His phrase isn’t refusal—it’s resignation from existence itself.

For a modern take on similar themes, check out 'Convenience Store Woman' by Sayaka Murata. It explores another character who baffles society by rejecting its scripts, though with more dark humor than Bartleby’s tragedy.