Bartleby analyzation

“With any other man I should have flown outright into a dreadful passion, scorned all further words, and thrust him ignominiously from my presence. But there was something about Bartleby that not only strangely disarmed me, but in a wonderful manner touched and disconcerted me. I began to reason with him” (Melville 35).  This statement by the narrator of Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street, written by Henry Melville, sets an early tone for the way he is a big time enabler.  The narrator never seems to fully understand or be able to fix problems with certain people in his life; he instead makes excuses and lets others walk all over him.  His two other scriveners together basically only make up one functioning employee, yet he finds excuse to keep them around.  He expresses how he is clearly greatly annoyed by Bartleby’s ways, yet he still finds room to reason with, or “help,” him.  Bartleby is clearly suffering from some sort of mental disorder, but the narrator does nothing to truly help him, such as take him to a counselor or doctor.  He instead tries to do things such as bribe or relocate Bartleby as a cure.  To be fair, it is likely not completely the narrators fault for his ignorance.  He is a mere product of the time period in which he lived, where people weren’t nearly as aware of mental health problems as we are today.  Also, in fairness, the narrator really does (feebly) try to dismiss his employees due to their shaky performances.  With that being said; he still let Bartleby, as well as Turkey and Nippers, stick around entirely too long for their own good.  This allows them to continue their unproductive ways, which isn’t healthy or good for anyone.  He clearly admits in my opening quote, as well as many times throughout the story, that there is plenty valid reason to get rid of them.  For some reason he doesn’t have it in him to let people go. This in turn enables them to continue in their ways, instead of forcing the people to change, which would actually be the best help he could give them. 

For more  information on why I view his enabling to be so serious, visit: http://www.lclpa.org/denial-and-enabling/the-dangers-of-enabling/