Why Did Bartleby Decide To Say I D Prefer Not To?

“I’d prefer not to” Bartleby was fed up with his work, and it wasn’t just because he was worked at a restaurant. Everyday he went to work and did his best. He was polite to even the rudest of customers, he cleaned the filthy grease traps without being asked to, and he did everything the demanding head chef told him to, which usually consisted of grunt tasks such as peeling several pounds of potatoes or washing the endless amount of dirty dishes that came into the kitchen. But then one day Bartleby noticed something. Not once had he ever received a thank you for his efforts. Not from his boss, not from his coworkers, not even from a customer. He had been doing his best, but he had nothing to show for it, not even a thank you. So, determined to get the recognition he deserved, Bartleby hatched a plan.

A woman had waved Bartleby over to her table and asked for a refill. Bartleby looked at the woman’s empty glass for a long time before replying with “I’d prefer not to.” The woman, slightly confused by what he had said, wasn’t sure what to do. She hadn’t been expecting that sort of response, and her mind simply went blank. By the time she had recomposed herself, Bartleby had already disappeared back into the kitchen. So, she just asked another waiter to assist her. Several similar instances occurred in the following days, most of which went unnoticed by anyone except Bartleby and the customers he had been waiting on. But then one day Bartleby did something big. Or, rather, he didn’t do