"Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-Street" by Herman Melville is a short story about a lawyer who hires a peculiar scrivener named Bartleby to copy legal documents. Bartleby initially works diligently but soon begins refusing tasks with the phrase, "I would prefer not to." The story explores themes of isolation, work, and the human condition, set against the backdrop of Wall Street in the 19th century.
