Authority, work, isolation, and mistaken assumptions about others.
Herman Melville (1819–1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet. His work as a sailor supplied material for Typee (1846) and Omoo (1847), which were popular with readers. Moby-Dick (1851) received mixed reviews and sold poorly during his lifetime. He later worked as a customs inspector in New York while continuing to write.
His shorter fiction often examines authority, work, and isolation. In “Bartleby, the Scrivener,” a Wall Street lawyer struggles to respond when an employee begins refusing his requests. “Benito Cereno” follows a visiting captain trying to understand the conditions aboard a Spanish ship. Both stories show how a character's assumptions can prevent him from understanding the people around him, even when he believes he is acting reasonably.
From a quick encounter to a longer story.
A Wall Street copyist answers every request with "I would prefer not to" — and never leaves.
