I prefer not to," also tells the reader about Bartleby isolating himself. The phrase shows his lack of involvement, another form of isolation. The narrator tells the reader exactly what he did to Bartleby, very vividly, as shown below. In the novella, the author tells the reader, down to the smallest detail, what he did to Bartleby to isolate him from the world. He tells us in this passage, "I placed his desk close up …showed first 75 words of 585 total…

…showed last 75 words of 585 total…abnormal life. By not fitting into mainstream society, Bartleby left himself open to isolation. The three literary elements, symbolism, descriptive passages, and irony, described how Bartleby's isolation from society fit in the novella. Jawahrlal Nehru said that isolation is dangerous, as in Bartleby's case. Isolation can drive a person insane, make him mute, or even kill him. The theme is not to let yourself succumb to the prejudice of others, and let yourself be isolated.