The Bartleby Result I Would certainly Favor Not To

I'm checking out the brand-new autobiography So, Anyway by Monty Python participant, John Cleese. While telling a story, he conjures up Bartleby, The Scrivener by Herman Melville. As well as the quote he conjures up is, "I would book writing program prefer not to". Bartleby says this when his manager asks him to do something. When he says, "I would prefer not to," the one in charge is shocked. It got me to considering ways in which to utilize the phrase "I would certainly choose not to."


 * "I would favor not to" pay attention to anymore lying politicians. (An oxymoron, if you ask me.).


 * "I would like not to" ever once more eat cuttlefish.


 * "I would certainly like not to" ever again have to place a pet to rest.


 * "I would choose not to" ever again need to pay attention to a couple bicker in public.


 * "I would certainly favor not to" ever once again have a male pole dancer called Flabio, who considers 300 extra pounds, provide me a lap dance.

Those are merely a smidgen of my "I would favor not to's". Those were not the "I would certainly prefer not to" declarations that Melville was discussing. He was speaking about the tension induced by Bartleby on his employer by merely refusing to do his task. Exactly what would take place to one's marriage if one partner decided the "I would favor not to" regulation applies?


 * Dear, would certainly you mind not investing a lot money? "I would certainly favor not to" do that.


 * Dear, would you mind not staring at every six pack that strolls by? "I would prefer not to" quit looking at every one of the handsome men that stroll by.


 * Then can you avoid ceaselessly whistling "way down yonder in the land of cotton" while I'm listening to Pitbull? "I would certainly prefer not to" stop whistling this memorable tune so you can hear Pitbull.


 * Dear, would you please clean up the pet cat's puke and looseness of the bowels? "I would certainly choose not to" clean up the pet cat's puke and looseness of the bowels.


 * Dear, what WOULD you favor to do? "I would certainly choose not to" do anything that requires me to do something.

I would not attempt this with a spouse. They may "favor not to" be wed to you any longer. And that is what got Bartleby in problem. He refused to do anything. The landlord offered the building. He chose not to move. In charge asked him to relocate with him. He refused to do anything. Poor Bartleby ended up behind bars and also died from starvation since he chose not to eat. He "would certainly choose not to.".

The only moral to this story that I could see is that doing something is always better than not doing anything. Exactly what would certainly you "favor not to "do?

An aside ... Once upon a time in my past life, I showed Advanced Placement American Lit to HS juniors. It was a real hassle after discussing this story since, undoubtedly, I 'd hear from my students, "I would certainly favor not to.".