Bartleby, the Scrivener

In the writings of Bartleby, the Scrivener I would have to say that the most important phrase said through out the later half of the story is "I would prefer not to". Although it is a line that is most used and can be considered a cliche line to select for its importance, this line becomes the most significant line that I can point out and also has become the most popular sentence.

The main reason why I chose this line was because of it's importance to spark the curiosity of the narrator.  Curiosity is a thing that everyone has more than once in their life and especially at birth, its what drives our desire to learn which in turn helps us to survive on this mysterious planet. Bartleby was constantly asked questions after he began to say this phrase and thus it helped continue the plot. If he did not say this more than once then the plot would cease and there would be no story to read.

The answer "I would prefer not to," sparked the interest in the narrator in the beginning and continued to harnest that spark into a flame leaving us all in question and in a unsatisfied curiosity.  More questions were asked such as 'what was Bartleby's past' and many others. The only real information we later get out of Bartleby is the fact he did not want anything to change, which meant something in his life got to the point he found it perfect leading him to say these words. Although what was perfect and why the simplest tasks seemed to effect that perfection are only known to Bartleby which measly drove me insane with curiosity. Alas it drove him to his death leaving us all without knowing what it was that drove him to say "I would prefer not to."

Image source: [link]

Small video on curiosity: [link]