![]() Melville's telling of Bartleby's story highlights the futility of language and the true impossibility of real human communication. Do these characters communicate at all with each other? Why or why not?īartleby's refusal to explain himself or his actions make his lone statement – "I prefer not to" – more powerful.Do you think that language, as presented by Melville, is able to sufficiently express ideas?.What is the significance of the infiltration of the word "prefer" into the language of everyone else at the office?.Does Bartleby's repetition of the phrase "I would prefer not to" make said phrase more or less meaningful?. ![]() Questions About Language and Communication In "Bartleby the Scrivener," the mysterious central figure, Bartleby, has his own catchphrase of sorts – "I would prefer not to." He uses this phrase in response to pretty much everything, and the more we hear it, the more we believe him Bartleby's slogan fully communicates his philosophy and his whole outlook on life in five short words. ' Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street ' is a short story by the American writer Herman Melville, first serialized anonymously in two parts in the November and December 1853 issues of Putnam's Magazine and reprinted with minor textual alterations in his The Piazza Tales in 1856. And why are they effective? Well, simply because the more you get used to hearing something, the more you believe it, right? Slogans and catchphrases are a way of instantly communicating a message or belief (think Barack Obama and "Yes we can!"), and their powerful punch really demonstrates the power of language. ![]() They jump out at us from commercials, from billboards, from t-shirts – really, they're all over the place. ![]()
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