Authority and Rebellion

The narratives examine the tension between rigid authority (naval discipline, legal systems) and individual rebellion or passive resistance, as seen in Bartleby's refusal to work, the Great Mutiny, and the legal proceedings against Billy Budd.

Bartleby's passive resistance ('I would prefer not to') challenges the narrator's authority and the expectations of the workplace.

The narrator's rant against railroads, steamboats, and creditors expresses rebellion against the authority of industrial progress and financial systems.

The Dog-King's authoritarian rule, enforced by a canine army, is repeatedly challenged by rebellions, culminating in a successful mutiny that overthrows him and establishes a lawless 'Riotocracy.'

Oberlus establishes absolute authority over his enslaved sailors, who are too cowed to rebel despite being armed.