Characterization 4 - Bartleby the Scrivener

"I would prefer not to." pg. 653

I thought that Bartleby was so incredibly annoying. He started off as a quiet but hard worker. But then when he was asked to do something, he just responded, "I would prefer not to." I don't understand why he kept saying that every time he was asked to do something. I also don't understand why the Lawyer never fired him. If Bartleby way my employee, I would have fired him right away. His annoying nature made me not be able to sympathize with him even though he had know where to live.I am so curious as to why he wouldn't do anything that he was asked to do, even when it came to basic needs of life. My only thought is that he was trying to assert that he made his own decisions at all costs. He wouldn't let people persuade his life in anyway, but in reality that is what happened. By not doing things he was asked to do, he died.