Hi from Charlie.

“Orientation” emphasizes the monotony of office life. Short sentences make the instructions disconnected, brusque, and not personal. The narrator’s voice is detached, simply feeding the reader information. Sentences begin with “those,” “these”, “this” and “that” (484), further breaking the flow and making them sound uninterested and flat. Even when discussing the love interests of all the office workers, the narrator makes a list: “Amanda Pierce...is in love with Albert Bosch...Albert Bosch...has eyes only for Ellie Tapper….Ellie Tapper...would walk through fire for Curtis Lance” (485). Their passions are only briefly mentioned in a disinterested way. Furthermore exciting, interesting, or important things are mentioned in an understated, showing how the monotony of office life transcends the cubicles. For example, the fact that Colin Heavey is doomed after buying a drink for Anika Bloom is mentioned along with the fact that, as a colleague, the listener should never give him any work (485). Similarly, as the narrator describes Barry Hacker’s wife’s death, he notes that the comprehensive medical coverage paid for her half-year hospital stay (487). In addition against the monotonous backdrop of the office, tales of the worker who can predict people’s deaths (485) and the serial killer (488) are more shocking and amusing.