This was a strange little short story. Remember Moby Dick? Remember it's depth and symbolism and all that yada yada? Well, this was written by the same person. People have come up in arms to defend this short story and explain all its depth and symbolism and yada yada.
It's about a Wall Street lawyer who hires a copyist (scrivener) who doesn't want to do anything. There. Done. Finis.
But wait, there's more! We are drawn into this character and want to understand him. His name is Bartleby. And whenever he is asked to do anything, he replies with the simple phrase, "I would prefer not to."
