“I am one of those unambitious lawyers who never addresses a jury, or in any way draws down public applause; but in the cool tranquillity of a snug retreat, do a snug business among rich men’s bonds and mortgages and title-deeds.” Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-street    pg. 4.
    This passage sets the tone for a main theme that I found in the story. The theme being one of money and power that was rarely found in this time. But, the power also drove those who had it to have certain expectations of how some should act. Later in the story we see that these expectations of response are smashed and “disobeyed” by Bartleby, throwing the lawyer into great confusion.
    The story is told in first person by the lawyer who gives his account of a scrivener whom he took on for hire named Bartleby. The lawyer speaks of Bartleby as different from the other copyists and scriveners he has had in his employment before. The lawyer skips talking about most scriveners and goes straight to comparing Bartleby to the three others that he has in his employment.
    The theme that is found to be very prominent in this story is Bartleby’s desire to not conform to what is seen as the proper working man in the society he lives in. In the story the lawyer asks a task of Bartleby, to which he simply replies “I would prefer not to.” Among this statement and a earlier back and forth between Bartleby and the lawyer where the lawyer is asking Bartleby what he would like to do for a profession further drives this theme home.
    While the story can be very confusing, I found the theme of non-conforming to be the main overlying theme of the story. I saw that it was very well laid out and was not at all concealed by Bartleby with his words and actions toward the lawyer.

                                                 Herman Melville 1846 by Asa Twitchell