A central theme of the narrative is the pressure to conform within American business culture, which suppresses individual creativity. The setting on Wall Street, the epicenter of American finance and business, is intentional. By concentrating on legal scriveners, Melville highlights the intellectually stifling atmosphere of the business world, where scriveners simply reproduce others' ideas instead of generating their own. Initially, the lawyer is attracted to Bartleby precisely because he seems to lack a strong personality and independent will, making him appear to be the perfect employee. Interestingly, when Bartleby starts to resist, he either cannot or chooses not to explain the reasons for his dissatisfaction. It is possible that Bartleby's ability for independent thought has been so diminished that he cannot even articulate his vague desires. Reflecting this theme, the lawyer himself is so afraid of nonconformity that he only takes action concerning Bartleby when he hears gossip about his office setup.