There is a paragraph on page 1482 of Bartleby, the Schivener that gets at the question of how far humans’ pity for another human being will extend. The narrator posits that “up to a certain point the thought or sight of misery enlists our best affections; but in certain special cases, beyond that point it does not.” He goes on to define that shifting point as “when at last it is perceived that such pity cannot lead to effectual succor.” This indicates that in general, we have empathy and care for people who are struggling, but once we feel as though we have lost control of the situation or can’t figure out some way to rectify it, we start to care less. 

This idea is shown through the narrator’s behavior throughout the story. He gets increasingly fed up with Bartleby refusing to complete any tasks, and as this sentiment grows so does his pity. He feels as though because Bartleby is obviously struggling with something, he can give Bartleby a pass. He continues to reach out in different ways (asking if he wants to help look over documents, insisting he look over documents, asking him to do other errands that may work better for him, etc.). This goes on until he realizes he cannot control or help Bartleby, and this is when he officially moves out and leaves Bartleby as someone else’s responsibility. While he still has some sympathy for the man, it is clear that his pity is not successful at helping Bartleby, and when this becomes clear, he quits. Despite the fact that he goes back to try to help him later on, the times at which he is most interested in helping Bartleby is towards the beginning when he still believes he can help or “fix” him. 

This reminds me of how society has treated mental health problems in the past. Everyone is willing to say they support people struggling with mental health until it becomes clear that there isn’t one easy fix for their depression or anxiety or eating disorder, etc. That is when people become frustrated, lash out, and refuse to continue “enabling.” This connects back to the narrators original point that pity runs out when it is not an “effectual succor,” which, when analyzing through the lens of mental health, I believe to be an accurate view of human nature.