- description
- # Bartleby, The Scrivener
## Overview
"Bartleby, The Scrivener" is a short story by Herman Melville, presented here as a distinct entity within a larger collection. The story details the increasingly bizarre and passive resistance of a scrivener named Bartleby, who, after being hired by a narrator, begins to refuse tasks with the phrase "I would prefer not to."
## Context
This short story is part of the [Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW) collection. It was extracted from the file [bartleby_the_scrivener.txt](arke:01KG89J1CRGPEZ66W67EZPAMPE). The narrative unfolds through a series of segments that detail the narrator's introduction of his office and staff, Bartleby's arrival and initial employment, his escalating refusals, the narrator's internal conflicts and attempts to manage the situation, and Bartleby's eventual removal and demise.
## Contents
The story begins with the narrator introducing his law office and his existing employees: Turkey, Nippers, and Ginger Nut. Bartleby is hired as a scrivener and initially performs his duties diligently. However, he soon begins to refuse tasks, starting with simple requests and escalating to outright refusal to leave the office. The narrator grapples with Bartleby's passive resistance, his own pity, and growing fear, attempting various strategies to resolve the situation. The narrative explores Bartleby's increasing isolation, the discovery of his living situation within the office, and the narrator's eventual decision to move offices to escape him. The story culminates in Bartleby's removal to the Tombs and his subsequent death, leaving the narrator with profound reflections on humanity and isolation.
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