'Bartleby, the
Scrivener' by Herman Melville is a tale about a crazy old fool who tells of the his time with Bartleby. The
narrator owns a copy house for law papers (mostly). He has two aids and one
apprentice. Of the two aids, one, Turkey, is a drunkard in the afternoon, and the other, Nippers, is a some kind of crook with a bad temper. The apprentice, Ginger Nut, is a young lad who does little but run out for the small cakes, which he was named after.
Bartleby arrives when the
narrator is in search of more help. This scrivener is a wonderful worker until he refuses to check his own copies. At this point, the narrator notices that Bartleby will do only as he wishes. His constant reply is some version of, 'I prefer not to.'
The story is a comment on the ever growing city and the changing world. At the time of this story, machines were beginning their impact and cities were growing to enormous populations. Melville denounces both with this hilarious classic story.