Question

ART B: Which quotation from the story best supports the answer to Part A?A."had there been any thing ordinarily human about him, doubtless I should haveviolently dismissed him from the premises. But as it was, I should have as soonthought of turning my pale plaster-of-paris bust of Cicero out of doors."(Paragraph 11)B."I heard a slow scrape of his chair legs on the uncarpeted floor, and soon heappeared standing at the entrance of his hermitage." (Paragraph 14)C."But there was something about Bartleby that not only strangely disarmed me,but in a wonderful manner touched and disconcerted me." (Paragraph 21)D."He briefly gave me to understand that on that point my judgment was sound:Yes: his decision was irreversible." (Paragraph 25)

Answer 1

The best supporting quotation for the narrator's inability to dismiss Bartleby is the one describing how Bartleby disarmed and emotionally affected the narrator, preventing decisive action.

The quotation that best supports the answer to Part A regarding the narrator's inability to dismiss Bartleby is "But there was something about Bartleby that not only strangely disarmed me, but in a wonderful manner touched and disconcerted me." (Paragraph 21). This quote reflects the complex feelings that the narrator has toward Bartleby, indicating both a sense of disarmament and an emotional response that prevents the narrator from taking strong action against Bartleby. The narrator's conflict is further evidenced by the continued attempts at rationalizing with Bartleby and the emotional turmoil that arises from Bartleby's refusals.

The quotation from the story that best supports the answer to Part A is: "But there was something about Bartleby that not only strangely disarmed me, but in a wonderful manner touched and disconcerted me." This quote, found in paragraph 21, shows the narrator's emotional reaction to Bartleby. It suggests that Bartleby has a unique and unsettling effect on the narrator, which supports the idea that Bartleby is an unconventional and enigmatic character.