I think that's the point, he's the prisoner there is no developing story as he's totally at the mercy of his captors, people change, there is no point to fix on, it's the psychology of being captive and with no control over the situation.
Also is it just a reflection of his crumbling mind, lost in his own psychosis, not developing relationships, pushing against conformity.
Whatever he does to escape he finds himself back at square one, as the series develops we see how psychologically that takes its toll.
I see it as a reflection of humanity caught in a situation they can't escape, work, tax, government that it has no control over, he repeatedly says he's not a part of the machine, not a number.
I guess it's not as groundbreaking now, seeing as that's the reality we live in, we are all just numbers now.
As you can probably tell i'm a massive fan of the show, watching it as an impressionable teenager certainly helps.
