Refusing a yes-or-no question can invalidate the question’s own terms

Evidence

Bartleby, the clerk famous for repeating the phrase, “I would prefer not to,” uses a linguistic strategy to invalidate the requests of his boss. Not only does he not comply; he refuses the terms of the question itself. — Jenny Odell, How to Do Nothing, 256

Categorization

• XREF: Links to the third-space strategy in paragraph 255 — Bartleby is offered as its canonical literary instance.