"Bartleby the Scrivener" by Herman Melville

Turkey, Nippers and Ginger Nut are introduced before Bartleby because they are stable employees at the man's work. The narrator introduces the characters chronologically. Bartleby's comment of "I would prefer not to" upsets the balance of the lawyer and his employees. The chain of command is broken in a sense. The lawyer expects all his employess to obey him as any boss would. Bartleby takes advantage of the fact that the lawyer is fond of him. This incident also lessens the appearance of power that the lawyer has. The employees are not exactly thrilled about the situation either. They know that if they would have spoken out in this way they would have been fired immediately.