Society and fate often restrict individuality and freedom of choice, and Melville (in "Bartleby") uses images of confinement, communication/lack thereof, and instances of fate vs. free will to prove this. 1. The restriction that society and fate put on people's individuality and freedom of choice can be seen through the images of confinement that Melville uses in "Bartleby". 2. Bartleby exercised his freedom of choice when he "gently disappeared behind the screen" in the narrator's office, …showed first 75 words of 1628 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1628 total…same answer, "I would prefer not to", no matter what he was asked to do or say, that was his answer. 3. Bartleby's life was greatly influenced by this phrase that he so loved, so it could have easily been either free will, or fate. 4. To sum it all up, Melville's instances of fate vs. free will help show the reader that because of fate and society people's individuality and freedom of choice are often restricted.