Bartleby

I enjoy Melville's story. But I don't get it.

At the beginning: (And perhaps this has to do more with my frustration about my current work situation. ) I thought that Bartleby was standing up for workers. He was hired to copy and copy he did. And apparently very well. But he was not hired to examine copies or fetch the mail or play errand boy or fetch other people. I liked Bartleby standing up to an overly demanding boss.

In the middle: When he gave up copying, I dismissed my previous decision and was totally confused. But maybe Bartleby had some deep connection to the place. Obviously he held the fourth key that the narrator had never known where it was. But if he was homeless, where did he stay before the narrator posted a want ad for another copyist? Was he there all along and no body noticed him?

At the end: I had given up trying to understand Bartleby and Melville alike. Until the last paragraph about Bartleby previously working in the Dead Letter office. Perhaps I'm just dense, but what does that have to do with anything? So it might be sad to work with messages that may have been important that never reached the rightful people. So? I find it hard to think that it can make one so sad as to kill them.

Overall, I am confused and annoyed. If anyone can help explain this story I would greatly appreciate it.