- description
- # Narrator's attempts to dismiss Bartleby and Bartleby's continued refusals
## Overview
This section, titled "Narrator's attempts to dismiss Bartleby and Bartleby's continued refusals," is an extracted portion of the text from Herman Melville's short story "[Bartleby](arke:01KG8AJK1PKEBJJCANV911N8JS)". It spans lines 1343-1475 of the source file "[the_piazza_tales.txt](arke:01KG89J1F4D8P9BBX9AMGZ7TX7)".
## Context
This section is part of the larger "[Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW)" collection. It follows the section "[Bartleby's occupation of the office and the narrator's discovery](arke:01KG8AK3EN75G108JRVKV1RR8H)" and precedes "[Bartleby's Refusal to Write](arke:01KG8AK413D9TACK8K0TW42TTH)" within the narrative of "Bartleby."
## Contents
The section details the narrator's growing frustration and attempts to dismiss Bartleby from his employment, which are consistently met with Bartleby's characteristic phrase, "I would prefer not to." It covers the narrator's internal struggle with pity and annoyance, his initial resolution to offer Bartleby money and assistance to leave, and Bartleby's subsequent refusal to answer personal questions or comply with requests. The section also illustrates how Bartleby's peculiar refusal begins to subtly influence the language and behavior of the other clerks, Nippers and Turkey, further exasperating the narrator.
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- 2026-01-30T20:48:54.095Z
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- Narrator's attempts to dismiss Bartleby and Bartleby's continued refusals
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- 1475
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- 2026-01-30T20:47:52.603Z
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- title
- Narrator's attempts to dismiss Bartleby and Bartleby's continued refusals