Bartleby, the Scrivener

An elderly Manhattan lawyer, whose office is on Wall Street, and whose clients include John Jacob Astor, hires a scrivener to copy legal documents by hand. Bartleby becomes a huge asset to the business, as he is able to handle a large volume of work. Then, one day, Bartleby responds with "I would prefer not to," when asked to proofread a simple document. From then on, Bartleby's output comes to a screeching halt and the lawyer discovers that he is living in the office. Taking pity on his employee, the lawyer allows him to stay, until he is forced to relocate, leaving Bartleby behind for the next tenants to deal with. But what will become of Bartleby? Will he get help, or sink further into depression? Join us for Herman Melville's classic psychological tale, ranked among the most noted American short stories.