The Logic of Suicide in Bartleby One of the most strikingly confusing details of Herman Melville's "Bartleby" is the repetitive use of the specific form of his waste; "prefers" not to comply with the demands of his employer. Bartleby never supports his beliefs, instead rejecting them based on his preferences. Such extensive repetition, along with its inherent perplexity, leads me to believe that the current wording is symbolic in nature. When someone is asked his or her preferences, the question is directed at the individual's inner motivations and desires. Any question approached as a matter of preference usually warrants consideration of one's innermost inclinations. The lawyer never asked Bartleby whether or not he wanted to obey, yet the latter continues to respond with the same preferred term; a choice of words that demonstrates that Bartleby does not view the requests made of him as intrinsically valid, rather he questions them in light of his own inclinations and responds accordingly. The lawyer, on the other hand, views his requests as intrinsically valid. The lawyer represents the company with all its needs and requests. Society expects us to work to live according to the terms and conditions it sets, but what happens if we choose not to? * The lawyer doesn't care much about Bartleby's choice of words, he doesn't recognize the real problem; that is, Bartleby is neither interested in nor subject to the rules of society. Bartleby's status is further clarified by the symbolic use of the walls and the dead letter office described in the epilogue. First, throughout the story he is depicted over and over again looking and staring at a wall. Staring at a wall can mean... middle of paper... As much as we all try to "see half the glass full", for some people the half is empty, or not full enough. While those of us who have an incentive for life cannot understand how it could escape someone else (in the way that the Lawyer could not understand Bartleby), each reason for getting out of bed each morning is unique and personal. Apparently not everyone has a reason, and the mere loss of a reason is a short step from the loss of life.* The assumption of the jurist, and for that matter of society, that its values ​​and needs are intrinsically a priori valid, are the subject of another interesting research, but it diverges too much from our point. Work cited: Melville, Herman. "Bartleby, the Scribe: A History of Wall-street." 1853. Bartleby.com. October 30, 2000. http://www.bartleby.com/129/.