Bartleby, in contrast, is a character who plays one note and one note only: a steadfast refusal to perform any role others expect of him. Any examination of Bartleby that distills this character into a based anti-capitalist misses the forest for the trees - Bartleby refuses to perform not only the most mundane and ancient roles of socializing, but even the intrinsic role of life, which seeks to perpetuate itself. He has been cast as an actor on the stage of life but would prefer not to play any role at all.

A brilliant comedy that feels all the more timeless in an era where humans are expected to perform stranger and more numerous roles than ever.