Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street is a short story written by Herman Melville, first published in 1853. The story is narrated by a lawyer who runs a law office on Wall Street and hires a quiet, peculiar scrivener named Bartleby. At first, Bartleby works diligently, but soon he begins to refuse tasks with the passive but firm phrase, “I would prefer not to.” As Bartleby’s behavior grows more unusual and withdrawn, the narrator struggles to understand and deal with his employee’s quiet rebellion.

The story explores themes such as isolation, free will, the dehumanizing effects of modern work, and the limits of charity and empathy. Bartleby’s passive resistance and mysterious nature have made him a symbol of existential discontent and societal alienation. Bartleby, the Scrivener remains one of Melville’s most famous works and a powerful commentary on the human condition within the confines of capitalist society.