Week #9 Blog Post

Hi, Karen Chau here.

"Orientation" by Daniel Orozco is a narrative that is addressed to the reader through the use of the word, "you." The story is structured upon guiding the reader through an orientation of the office. The story begins with the reader's cubicle as the starting point. The narrator then moves on to talk about other parts of the office and other employees. Using this format yields a choppy tone. The narrator does not dwell on any particular employee or location very long. This indicates the dynamics of the office setting. Although the narrator's descriptions are short and to the point, they also provide context clues to other characters' lives. For example, the narrator mentions that Amanda Pierce "comes to work exhausted and freshly wounded each morning, wincing from the abrasions on her breasts, or the bruises on her abdomen..." (485). This allows the reader to infer that she is abused, is possibly mentally unstable and has a weak character. The descriptions about the love circles in the office also shows how much the narrator knows about relationships in the office or how obviously the characters display their affection for each other. Much of the information is not necessary, to the extent of an orientation, but the narrator says it anyways. For example, the narrator states, "we have our Biannual Fire Drill twice a year, and our Annual Earthquake Drill once a year" (486). These drills' names already consist of the frequency that they happen. By mentioning these details, the author seems to be mocking the relevance of most of the details of this orientation and whether they are necessary.