“I would prefer not to.” Bartleby’s trademark line is passive yet courageous. It is a spark of rebellion against a society of unquestionable authority. It’s no surprise then that Melville uses Bartleby in, “Bartleby, the Scrivener” as a symbol for the many issues plaguing modern American society; especially depression and dissatisfaction among workers.
It’s hard to see Bartleby as anything but a representation because of his unrealistic portrayal. Described to be like “a very ghost” and an “apparition” with a “pale face,” Bartleby is more akin to a corpse than a living human being. The narrator even explicitly questions Bartleby’s humanity. “Had there been anything ordinarily human about him…” Bartleby didn’t seem to obey the laws of day and night either as he seemingly worked every hour of every day, never leaving the office. He worked like a machine, “silently, palely, mechanically.” Instead of a human, Bartleby is more suited to be a representation of someone’s modern routine; a daily cycle that continues for eternity like a machine, often leaving the individual in a comatose-like state.
Bartleby represents everything wrong about the way modern society works. The way he looks at the walls is symbolic of humanity’s inability to connect with one another. His tedious work as a copier is equivalent to that of a 9-5 cubical worker. Like the workers who come in on Mondays looking and feeling like zombies, Bartleby is more dead than alive. Finally, his trademark line is something every employee wished they had the courage to say. Another important line Bartleby says is, “Do you not see the reason for yourself.” While the lawyer assumes Bartleby’s eyesight has failed him due to the nature of his work, Bartleby’s real intention was to expose the emotional and physical draining nature of his job. His line can almost be taken as sarcasm. Can the lawyer not see the type of work Bartleby is forced to do? Can the lawyer not see the life-draining effect Bartleby’s job...