In the opening scenes of the movie, a man by the name of Bartleby is searching for a job. He is constantly rejected until finally an owner of a company decides to give him a chance. This decision would become one that would cause him deep regret later on.
Bartleby settles into his position with apparent ease. Everything seems to be going smoothly until he begins to develop "moods." When his boss sets certain tasks for him to complete, Bartleby simply responds with the phrase "I would prefer not to," which becomes quite prevalent throughout the film. His boss is taken aback by these words, but not enough to cause him to fire Bartleby.
While having lunch with a fellow friend, the boss explains that Bartleby is a superb worker. He tells him of how is the first to arrive and the last to leave. Little did he know that Bartleby was actually ling in the building. When the boss eventually tells his friend about Bartleby's peculiar melancholy attitude, his friend's immediate suggestion is to "sack" him. The boss quickly retaliates with his belief that if he can somehow deter Bartleby's sudden moods, he will become a great asset to his company.
Even through all of the boss's efforts, Bartleby's moods persist until finally the boss cannot take them anymore and decides to fire him. He tells Bartleby that he will be gone on vacation for a week and that he had better be gone by the time he gets back. Much to the surprise of the boss, Bartleby is still in the building when he returns. Realizing that Bartleby might never leave, the boss decides to move into another office building. Soon the boss receives a complaint from the new owners of his old building about Bartleby. They are unable to extract him from the building and ask for the boss's assistance. The boss tries to help Bartleby by offering him a ride to see a doctor. As might be expected, Bartleby's response consisted of the words "I would prefer not to.
