Bartleby the Scrivener

"I would prefer not to," he said, and gently disappeared behind the screen." page 650


Bartleby reminds me of the character Adrian Monk from the tv show Monk. Monk has O.C.D. so he is always making sure everything is perfectly in place. He has a million fears of things ranging from milk to bridges. He refuses to drive or shake people's hands. Bartleby reminds me of Monk because they are both socially awkward. Everyone around them thinks that their antics are weird but both Bartleby and Monk see nothing wrong with what they are doing. When Bartleby refuses to do something for the lawyer, he doesn't get angry or upset. He just says "I would prefer not to" and returns back to his desk. I think that Bartleby lives in his own little world. He doesn't go out of his way to meet people or make friends. Another way that Bartleby reminds me of Monk is that their obscure ways make them very good at their jobs. Monk's attention to detail makes him a great detective. Bartleby is very diligent as a copier, although he refuses to do anything else but copy. I feel like there was a part of Bartleby just waiting to come out. I feel like he was just waiting for someone to break through his shell and understand who exactly he was.