The Office is an American sitcom that uses a documentary style to capture the unseen mischief that takes place in an office environment. In Scranton, Pennsylvania, employees of Dunder-Mifflin, a paper company, get through their rather monotonous nine-to-five jobs by creating games, pranking one another, and having what seems like an endless number of parties. Three of the main characters are manager Michael Scott, salesman Dwight K. Schrute, and salesman Jim Halpert. Although all three characters exhibit qualities of both an Enlightenment thinker and a Romantic figure, Michael Scott more so embodies Romanticism with his character’s emphasis on emotion while his two salesmen reflect Enlightenment ideals with their rational thinking. Through these characters, the television series takes on a Realist approach as it uses a satiric tone to place emphasis on characterization while also touching on issues faced by the middle class. Nonetheless, events that progress in the show should be taken with a grain of salt as the scenes are scripted, thus not producing a perfect correspondence to the real world.

A large amount of the liveliness in The Office is credited to Michael Scott. Through his many accents and sometimes racist remarks, Michael comes off as someone who is more so the entertainer than the manager of the office. The first episode, “Pilot,” starts off with Michael speaking to Jim in a Chinese accent. He does not seem to understand the negative impact of his accent, and instead does it for comedic effect. Other episodes also show how Michael attempts to resolve problems without understanding the potential consequences. For example, in “Diversity Day,” Michael goes about the issue of racial ignorance by telling his employees to treat each other as if they were different races. His lack of pragmatic thinking is evident in the way he tries to fix racial ignorance with more racial ignorance. Michael also values emotion over reason, and it is apparent through his romantic relationships that he lets his feelings guide his decisions. In “Back from Jamaica,” Michael comes back from a vacation with his boss Jan. Despite her being his superior, Michael continues their relationship, and soon enough, their incompatibility is clear. In “Dinner Party,” Michael and Jan invite Jim and Pam over for dinner, where Jim and Pam see the problems present in Michael and Jan’s relationship. Jan is portrayed as overbearing, and Michael succumbs to her desires in order to prevent their relationship from falling apart. He cannot let go of his emotional connection despite the negative impact it has on him. In the next episode, “Chair Model,” Michael reveals that he broke up with Jan and wishes to pursue a chair model from a magazine. Although it is irrational to go after a woman he has never met before, Michael longs to fill the empty hole that Jan left in his heart. While he embodies Romanticism in The Office, at times Michael channels his use of emotion into making rational decisions, exhibiting some qualities of an Enlightenment thinker. In “Michael Scott Paper Company,” Michael starts his own company and manages to steal clients from Dunder Mifflin by making personal connections with them. He combines his skills as a salesman with his social skills for profit, ultimately resulting in him returning to his job at Dunder Mifflin. Michael also uses his social skills to forge relationships with each of his employees, making them loyal and more likely to continue working at Dunder Mifflin. Most of the time, Michael Scott’s actions seem irrational, but he continues his unprofessional attitude because to him, being a manager is about more than just being a boss; it’s about being a friend.

Dwight K. Schrute believes that he is Michael’s right-hand man, but he is different from Michael in that his character stems from a foundation of overly rational thinking, with his actions sometimes having little emotional factor. While Michael can be said to portray a more extreme embodiment of emotion over reason, Dwight is a more extreme embodiment of reason over emotion. Aside from being one of the most successful paper salesmen at Dunder Mifflin, Dwight displays rational thinking as he understands that his loyalty to Michael can lead to future work benefits. Dwight works closely with Michael, subjecting himself to satisfying each of Michael’s desires in hope of becoming assistant regional manager. In “Health Care,” Michael chooses a healthcare plan that gives the most to his employees but is far too expensive for Dunder Mifflin. Dwight tries to remedy this issue by choosing a healthcare plan that saves the most money, albeit with minimal services. Dwight’s plan is an overreach for practicality, and he takes the entire company into consideration instead of focusing on what is beneficial for the employees. Nevertheless, Dwight’s overreach seems to be worth it in “Livin’ the Dream,” when he becomes regional manager, finally seeing the fruition of his loyalty. Dwight’s personal life is often a mystery to his coworkers, and his fascination with nature brings forth Romantic aspects of his personality. His love of nature and idealization of rural life is clear simply from where he lives: Schrute Farms. Dwight tends a 60-acre farm where he raises animals and grows beets to sell to local markets. His coworkers all live in somewhat urban areas, but he stands out because of his unique lifestyle. His enthusiasm for the irregular also comes out in “Dutch Christmas,” when he dresses up as Belsnickel for Christmas. Dwight’s unusual version of Christmas and appeal for Belsnickel, a somewhat grotesque figure, reflect attributes of a Romantic figure. However, Dwight’s presence in The Office is more so that of an Enlightenment figure, and his practical plans for Dunder Mifflin balance out Michael’s impractical approach to managing the office.

Jim Halpert, the salesman who is arguably Michael Scott’s actual right-hand man, makes rational decisions despite having some emotional reasoning behind them. Jim’s story starts with him working as a paper salesman at the Dunder Mifflin Scranton branch, five feet away from receptionist Pam, a woman he would be in love with for all nine seasons of the series. Unfortunately for Jim, Pam is dating Roy, a warehouse worker for Dunder Mifflin. Jim rationally chooses not to interfere with their relationship. He continues to work in Scranton until “Casino Night,” the last episode of Season 2, when he decides to move to the Stamford branch after stating, “I have no future here.” Here, his emotion takes over and he tells Pam how he feels, even going so far as to kissing her in the building. Pam rejects Jim, which pushes him to work in Stamford, where he has a higher paycheck, but feels empty without Pam. After Stamford is shut down, Jim, along with a few other workers, is transferred to Scranton, where he has to deal with his feelings for Pam yet again. Soon, a position in corporate opens up, giving Jim an opportunity to escape his feelings yet again. In “The Job,” he leaves for the corporate interview, but instead of going into the room, Jim goes back to Scranton and asks Pam out on a date. His previous restraint disappears, and he is able to act on his emotions. While he uses his feelings as a guide, like a Romantic figure, Jim’s moment of epiphany in “The Job” shows his reevaluation of life, making him closer to an Enlightenment thinker. Jim realizes he has a future both in the company and in his relationship with Pam. His relationship strengthens, and while it has its ups and downs, Jim proposes in “Weight Loss,” and they get married in “Niagara.” His previous line, “I have no future here,” is ironic because his future formed around Dunder Mifflin Scranton, which led to him being married with two kids and becoming co-manager of the office. He realizes this in “Finale,” when he says, “Everything I have, I owe to this job.” Jim also adds to The Office with his imagination. His pranks on Dwight not only make the series more enjoyable to viewers but show the lengths to which he goes to make the office more enjoyable for his coworkers. The pranks evolve as the show progresses, with the stapler in jello in “Pilot” being one of the simplest yet most iconic. Jim expands in “Andy’s Ancestry,” when he conspires with Pam to hire an Asian actor to pose as him, making Dwight believe that Jim has always been Asian. Jim’s last prank in “Finale” reveals his brotherly love for Dwight as he brings Michael to the wedding to take his place as best man, or “bestisch mensch.” Jim’s imagination also shows when he starts Athlead with a few college friends. At one point, the office job seems more practical and the company is only a dream, but its potential success could lead to a better future for Jim and his family. As the company expands and relocates to Austin, Jim is encouraged to move but decides not to do so because of the strain it might put on his family. Hence, Jim proves to be the balance between Michael’s more Romantic qualities and Dwight’s Enlightenment qualities as he reaches conclusions based on both his own desires and what is best for his family.

While The Office is a scripted sitcom, it does touch on aspects of Realism as it emphasizes characterization and addresses social, political, and financial issues faced by both the middle class and society. In The Office, other than the mentioned characters above, there is Angela, Kevin, Oscar, Toby, Stanley, Phyllis, Andy, Erin, Gabe, Nellie, and others. Each character has their own timeline, and their story is known by viewers despite not being the focus. Angela is the small, religious woman with many cats and a complicated love life. Stanley is the angry but nice man who looks forward to small events like “Pretzel Day” to get through each work day. Andy is a Cornell graduate who seeks validation from the people around him and wishes to fit in at the office. And then there is Nellie, a lonely woman who fakes her way into getting high positions like manager of Dunder Mifflin Scranton. By characterizing and exploring the idea of truth being relative to different individuals, The Office successfully portrays Realism. Many do not take The Office seriously because of its comedic elements, but the series includes middle class characters whose difficulties are revealed to the audience. Michael’s financial issues come to surface in “Money,” where viewers see that Jan spends excessive amounts of his money. To combat this, Michael gets a second job working as a telemarketer until 1am, making him tired for his job at Dunder Mifflin. The Office is not a show where people would expect to see financial issues, but it allows the audience to relate with Michael on a personal level. The series also introduces ethical issues that viewers may find relatable. One such issue is Stanley’s relationship with his nurse, Cynthia. In “Gossip,” Michael finds out that Stanley has been cheating on his wife Teri while she is out of town. Stanley explains that Teri has been traveling a lot, and that it makes him lonely. He addresses the situation by telling Michael that he is going end the affair because he does not want to risk his marriage. Cheating is a well-known occurrence for married couples, and while it is unethical to break the trust in a relationship, it is important to recognize that it is possible to repair the relationship, which is emphasized in The Office. Another cheating situation is Angela’s relationship with Dwight, which is rather odd. Angela gets married to senator Robert Lipton, but they are cheating on each other: Angela with Dwight and Robert with Oscar. Angela also has a child out of wedlock, and Dwight is the father. In recent times, it is less unusual to have a child out of wedlock, but when those episodes aired, the occurrence was less common. Concerned with the possible controversy and negative attention, Angela tells everyone that the senator is the father of her little boy. The senator also struggles with the conflict as society was not as accepting of the LGBTQ+ community at the time. He addresses the issue later in the series by coming out during a press conference, and his response parallels with society as the United States was progressing and accepting LGBTQ+ relationships. The Office addresses issues that go further than those that persist in an office environment, and instead delves into personal problems faced by people in the real world. Nonetheless, the series does not show every possible outcome, instead focusing on those that would appeal to the audience, representing a break from Realism.

The Office thus incorporates characters with qualities of both Romantic figures and Enlightenment thinkers to create a strong correspondence to life. The characters experience issues and ethical dilemmas that are like those faced by individuals in society. Characters like Michael, Dwight, and Jim show how one’s decisions can be guided by both emotion and practicality, and that people often must evaluate the outcomes to distinguish between right and wrong. These decisions can take time, and sometimes the right choice is not clear. It takes Pam three seasons to realize that Jim is “the one” for her; it takes Michael seven seasons to be with Holly, “the one” for him; and it takes Dwight nine seasons to finally get the girl. It may be unrealistic for multiple characters to find love in one office, but it is true that the office can be an environment where many friendships are formed. Through many pranks, parties, and jokes, the employees of Dunder Mifflin show that while it may be difficult to get through a nine-to-five work day, the little things make it all the more worthwhile.