Bartleby the Scrivener- Herman Melville (Bartleby)

"I would prefer not to." PAGE 653

This phrase was repeated by Bartleby several times throughout the story to the point where it got really annoying. Everytime he was asked to do something, he gave the same response. I started to wonder why he kept saying that. I still have no idea. I think the reason might have something to do with the dead letters mentioned at the end of the story, but I do not know what that connection would be. The pattern I saw was that he would do the things "He preferred not to" on his own, but when he was asked, he would not. Eating for example. He had been eating until he was asked to eat. Then he preferred not to. I think that in the end, he died because of the things that people asked him to do. He never did what people asked so when people asked him to perform things that are necessary for life, he could no longer sustain himself because he preferred not to do them. It seems to me that he acted the way he did out of defiance. In my mind, it seemed like he did not do the things that were asked of him because he did not want to be subordinate or follow orders. Whatever the reason for his behavior, it was annoying and I wish I knew the reason so maybe I could sympathize with him.