I found myself increasingly interested in Bartleby’s character, and trying to figure him out, but I never really did. I think it is interesting how so much of this story is spent reflecting on the narrator, in this limited point of view. The reader ends up with so much perspective on him, but not much on any of Bartleby’s internal dialogue. Certainly the wall, Bartleby’s preferred location to work, is his way of separating himself from the other employees, and symbolizes his isolation and alienation from society. But I found myself wondering what exactly the wall symbolizes here- why a wall? Why not a cubicle or a window? It certain seems like the most pertinent symbol for a dead stop or dead end, and the blankness of it must be symbolic as well. The one phrase we do hear from Bartleby repeatedly is, “I would prefer not to”. This is an interesting example of a kind of passive resistance, which is definitely him defying what is expected of him (both socially and professionally) and precedes his acts of resistance to this oppressive system, but also seems to reflect an aire of defeat and even an odd politeness. The comparison of the narrator to Bartleby was a striking duality, and it was surprising and fascinating to me how much the narrator did try to circle back towards a place of empathizing or understanding the way that systems had been oppressive and caused Bartleby to struggle, even despite his frustration. The contrasting personalities of Turkey and Nippers was also an interesting layer. It definitely emphasized to me the message that human behavior can be unpredictable, and the effects of a strenuous work environment like this one on individuals can certainly vary.