Sun, Surf and Diligent Note-Taking: Pam's Experiences at Beach Day
During season three of The Office, Pam Beesly undergoes a gradual transformation from a timid, passive secretary into a self-reliant, assertive artist and human being. This transformation begins off-camera, sometime before the third season, the moment she decides to call off her wedding to Roy Anderson. That decision leads her down a path to develop her independence and ultimately forces her to confront her true feelings for Jim Halpert. She realizes what she lost when Jim transferred to Stamford and that his return is not complete; she has lost her best friend. She tells him this on Beach Day in front of the majority of the office staff. There are many moments throughout the season that contribute to this transformation, but without the events of Beach Day, Pam's declaration to Jim would have either been delayed or not happened at all.
Beach Day is the creation of Michael Scott, the office boss, who wants to treat his coworkers before he leaves the branch for the corporate world. He takes them to Lake Scranton for a day that the staff is led to believe will include "just having fun at the beach." But Michael's plan is to put his workers through a series of rigorous tests to determine a suitable replacement. While most workers do not take these activities seriously and squeeze a dollop of enjoyment out of the day, Pam is saddled with an absurd duty. Michael tells Pam she must "find out about people's character...their humor, and their charisma, and the indefinable quality that makes you all glad to follow me." This is an arduous assignment that will require obsessive attention to detail and insight into human behavior, both which Michael clearly lacks. Jim is one of the candidates that Michael has selected, and Pam must contemplate Jim's attributes. What behaviors show that he would be good in a leadership position? What actions show possible negatives for a boss? Pam does not dive into the assignment -- she is drawing pictures on the bus while Michael talks -- but she does take many notes. While these notes include observations of several staff members, Pam is also keeping an eye on Jim. Certainly, she is answering the questions posed above, but she is probably also answering questions that are much more personal. These thoughts are about the friend she once had and what she truly wants -- his friendship.
Pam is given many opportunities to consider her strained relationship with Jim from a distance throughout the visit to the beach. Michael splits the staff into four "tribes" headed by his four potential replacements. The leaders of the tribes are told to pick their members, but Michael explicitly prohibits Pam from participating. Her responsibility for the day excludes her from interacting directly with the rest of the office and everyone is made aware of this. Yet nobody questions it, for multiple reasons. Michael's actions are not always questioned -- or else there would have been much more trouble for Toby to deal with -- so it makes sense for the staff to focus instead on the ridiculous games they'll be forced to play. Another reason is much more important in terms of its effect on Pam. Nobody cares enough for her to contest Michael's decision; nobody is concerned that Pam can not participate. The staff of the office is not a big group of friends, but Pam has already seen how close they can be on the bus ride to the lake. When Kevin begins to sing "The Gambler," slowly all of the other members of the bus either join in or smile in appreciation of the moment. They tolerate each other enough to join in when one person begins a song and, in this case, most of the staff appears to be enjoying the moment -- except for Pam. Her head repeatedly looks to her lap, likely completing her duties assigned by Michael. She would have to be deaf to be unaware of the sing-a-long occurring on the bus and knows that she is not completely connected to these people around her. The one person in the office who she had a strong connection to is Jim, and he is sitting rows away. Later on the beach, Pam sees Jim and Karen bump chests, a sign that she has been replaced as Jim's favorite in the office. This is further confirmed when she sees Karen playfully throw an egg at Jim. This is even more of a blow, because it is the friendly flirting that was a major part of their relationship before Jim left for Stamford. Pam has lost her favorite person in the office and her only human interaction during Beach Day is with Michael, a dismal thought considering that Michael has said that Pam's breasts are what he likes most about her while Jim preferred her humor and warmth.
Clearly, Michal does not show great respect for Pam -- even though her painting is hanging outside his office. He shows this lack of support throughout the day. When Andy displays particular patriotism, Michael tells Pam to note it. If Michael is so capable of identifying people's strengths, he should be handling the note-taking. But Michael prefers to abuse his secretary simply because she is a secretary. He later admonishes her for talking to the cameramen by whining, "You're missing things!" Michael adds to the stress that Pam is under when he asks her to cook 800 hot dogs in about ten minutes. When Michael takes credit for having "personally…cooked up enough" hot dogs for everyone to break the hot dog eating record, Pam is visibly slighted. After having completed a seemingly impossible task, she does not even receive any recognition. Pam is aware that her boss is negligent of such things and these events reinforce the idea that she has been taken for granted -- not only by Michael, but by everyone else in the office.
After constant relegation to a subservient status, Pam is visibly delighted to see Jim knocked over by Stanley. Her facial expressions are essential for understanding her later confession. Pam is not ridiculously infatuated with Jim, wanting to tend to his every injury and spend her life with him in romantic bliss. She recognizes that he is not worthy of blind idolization and she likely is happy to see him take a spill. After seeing him express his romantic feelings for Karen, Pam gets to see Jim knocked off his feet. This momentary display of weakness makes Jim accessible again. He's not on an untouchable cloud with his fantastic girlfriend, but on a level where Pam can reach him. Confessing her feelings suddenly becomes much easier.
Pam's courage has grown throughout the episode, as shown when she wants to do the coal walk. Michael claims that courage is essential for his replacement to possess, yet prevents Pam from following through on her plan to do the coal walk. She is clearly excited about doing this, though she "fully expect[s] to burn my feet and go to the hospital." Michael thoughtlessly dismisses her with the same lack of caring that he displayed earlier when he told her to cook 800 hot dogs. By saying her doing the coal walk is "pointless," he is saying that she is not an important member of the office staff. What she saw on the bus on the way to the lake, what she saw when the staff split into tribes, is confirmed with one word. When she stands up for herself, he ignores her feelings by babbling nonsense. Yet even though her competency was dismissed, Pam still offers Michael encouragement to do the coal walk by offering to count to three. This is not an overt olive branch, but it does show that Pam, even though she is neglected by others, is capable of helping the same people who have hurt her. This helps her reach out to Jim even though he hasn't treated her incredibly well for the past few months.
Then comes the moment that defines how the day will conclude: Pam does the coal walk. She initially displays signs of hesitance by testing the heat with her hand, then mentally preparing herself for the act. Then, with a smile to the camera, she takes off, leaping across the coals swiftly with a few hoots of pain. After leaving the coals, she turns to the camera, sighs open-mouthed in accomplishment, and runs over to the rest of the staff who have abandoned her for Dwight's poor telling of The Aristocrats. She knows she is the only one who completed the coal walk and her joy drives her to show her honest feelings. Pam interrupts the group and begins to tell everyone "a few things." Having been Michael's workhorse for the entire day, which required her to watch everyone else participate in the games while sitting on the side, she points out one of his shortcomings: he failed to do the coal walk. She does not dwell on this, but uses it as the first piece of a long confrontation with the staff. Then Pam confronts the entire group by asking why nobody came to her art show, accusing them of "act[ing] like I don't even exist." She is frustrated that she no longer has a strong, healthy connection to anyone in the office, but does not blame them for what has happened. Jim is her target, and Pam turns her attention to her once-best friend in the office. She pauses for a few seconds, glaring intensely at this man who is no longer a major part of her life, preparing herself for the most important statements she has made since that unseen conversation with Roy. Pam makes an astounding confession, that she broke her engagement to Roy because of Jim. This confirms what many people likely thought -- the events during Casino Night triggered Pam to reevaluate her life, leading her ultimately to this confessional confrontation. She doesn't attack Jim, but simply says that she misses him as her best friend. When she acknowledges being with Roy was wrong, she shows the determination that she likely possessed when she broke her engagement, the same determination when she stepped onto that elevator in "Women's Appreciation" and the same determination that let her do the coal walk. This is not the meek Pam of earlier seasons, who said "please" when asking Michael not to throw trash at her. This is a Pam who is going to be honest, regardless of the consequences. Pam momentarily loses her balance when denying that she has romantic feelings for Jim; this stumble makes her initially include "everyone else in the circle" when she tells Jim she misses having fun with him. She recants her inclusion of the others, and is visibly proud of what she has done. She walks off to cool down her feet triumphant.
What must be acknowledged is that Pam is unaware of the potential for loss she faces. While she is preparing herself for the coal walk, Jim tells the staff that he will be applying for the corporate position. Pam has lost Jim before, something that has clearly devastated her. But her confession is not the product of fear of losing him for the second and possibly final time, as if she were making her last stand. Instead, she is truly being honest, regardless of what happens. She misses Jim and she let him know that. This solidifies the idea that she has progressed greatly from being a meek, dependent secretary to an independent woman. While this is a transformation that has occurred gradually throughout the year, it bears fruit only because of the events that occur on Beach Day.
-Paul
Beach Day is the creation of Michael Scott, the office boss, who wants to treat his coworkers before he leaves the branch for the corporate world. He takes them to Lake Scranton for a day that the staff is led to believe will include "just having fun at the beach." But Michael's plan is to put his workers through a series of rigorous tests to determine a suitable replacement. While most workers do not take these activities seriously and squeeze a dollop of enjoyment out of the day, Pam is saddled with an absurd duty. Michael tells Pam she must "find out about people's character...their humor, and their charisma, and the indefinable quality that makes you all glad to follow me." This is an arduous assignment that will require obsessive attention to detail and insight into human behavior, both which Michael clearly lacks. Jim is one of the candidates that Michael has selected, and Pam must contemplate Jim's attributes. What behaviors show that he would be good in a leadership position? What actions show possible negatives for a boss? Pam does not dive into the assignment -- she is drawing pictures on the bus while Michael talks -- but she does take many notes. While these notes include observations of several staff members, Pam is also keeping an eye on Jim. Certainly, she is answering the questions posed above, but she is probably also answering questions that are much more personal. These thoughts are about the friend she once had and what she truly wants -- his friendship.
Pam is given many opportunities to consider her strained relationship with Jim from a distance throughout the visit to the beach. Michael splits the staff into four "tribes" headed by his four potential replacements. The leaders of the tribes are told to pick their members, but Michael explicitly prohibits Pam from participating. Her responsibility for the day excludes her from interacting directly with the rest of the office and everyone is made aware of this. Yet nobody questions it, for multiple reasons. Michael's actions are not always questioned -- or else there would have been much more trouble for Toby to deal with -- so it makes sense for the staff to focus instead on the ridiculous games they'll be forced to play. Another reason is much more important in terms of its effect on Pam. Nobody cares enough for her to contest Michael's decision; nobody is concerned that Pam can not participate. The staff of the office is not a big group of friends, but Pam has already seen how close they can be on the bus ride to the lake. When Kevin begins to sing "The Gambler," slowly all of the other members of the bus either join in or smile in appreciation of the moment. They tolerate each other enough to join in when one person begins a song and, in this case, most of the staff appears to be enjoying the moment -- except for Pam. Her head repeatedly looks to her lap, likely completing her duties assigned by Michael. She would have to be deaf to be unaware of the sing-a-long occurring on the bus and knows that she is not completely connected to these people around her. The one person in the office who she had a strong connection to is Jim, and he is sitting rows away. Later on the beach, Pam sees Jim and Karen bump chests, a sign that she has been replaced as Jim's favorite in the office. This is further confirmed when she sees Karen playfully throw an egg at Jim. This is even more of a blow, because it is the friendly flirting that was a major part of their relationship before Jim left for Stamford. Pam has lost her favorite person in the office and her only human interaction during Beach Day is with Michael, a dismal thought considering that Michael has said that Pam's breasts are what he likes most about her while Jim preferred her humor and warmth.
Clearly, Michal does not show great respect for Pam -- even though her painting is hanging outside his office. He shows this lack of support throughout the day. When Andy displays particular patriotism, Michael tells Pam to note it. If Michael is so capable of identifying people's strengths, he should be handling the note-taking. But Michael prefers to abuse his secretary simply because she is a secretary. He later admonishes her for talking to the cameramen by whining, "You're missing things!" Michael adds to the stress that Pam is under when he asks her to cook 800 hot dogs in about ten minutes. When Michael takes credit for having "personally…cooked up enough" hot dogs for everyone to break the hot dog eating record, Pam is visibly slighted. After having completed a seemingly impossible task, she does not even receive any recognition. Pam is aware that her boss is negligent of such things and these events reinforce the idea that she has been taken for granted -- not only by Michael, but by everyone else in the office.
After constant relegation to a subservient status, Pam is visibly delighted to see Jim knocked over by Stanley. Her facial expressions are essential for understanding her later confession. Pam is not ridiculously infatuated with Jim, wanting to tend to his every injury and spend her life with him in romantic bliss. She recognizes that he is not worthy of blind idolization and she likely is happy to see him take a spill. After seeing him express his romantic feelings for Karen, Pam gets to see Jim knocked off his feet. This momentary display of weakness makes Jim accessible again. He's not on an untouchable cloud with his fantastic girlfriend, but on a level where Pam can reach him. Confessing her feelings suddenly becomes much easier.
Pam's courage has grown throughout the episode, as shown when she wants to do the coal walk. Michael claims that courage is essential for his replacement to possess, yet prevents Pam from following through on her plan to do the coal walk. She is clearly excited about doing this, though she "fully expect[s] to burn my feet and go to the hospital." Michael thoughtlessly dismisses her with the same lack of caring that he displayed earlier when he told her to cook 800 hot dogs. By saying her doing the coal walk is "pointless," he is saying that she is not an important member of the office staff. What she saw on the bus on the way to the lake, what she saw when the staff split into tribes, is confirmed with one word. When she stands up for herself, he ignores her feelings by babbling nonsense. Yet even though her competency was dismissed, Pam still offers Michael encouragement to do the coal walk by offering to count to three. This is not an overt olive branch, but it does show that Pam, even though she is neglected by others, is capable of helping the same people who have hurt her. This helps her reach out to Jim even though he hasn't treated her incredibly well for the past few months.
Then comes the moment that defines how the day will conclude: Pam does the coal walk. She initially displays signs of hesitance by testing the heat with her hand, then mentally preparing herself for the act. Then, with a smile to the camera, she takes off, leaping across the coals swiftly with a few hoots of pain. After leaving the coals, she turns to the camera, sighs open-mouthed in accomplishment, and runs over to the rest of the staff who have abandoned her for Dwight's poor telling of The Aristocrats. She knows she is the only one who completed the coal walk and her joy drives her to show her honest feelings. Pam interrupts the group and begins to tell everyone "a few things." Having been Michael's workhorse for the entire day, which required her to watch everyone else participate in the games while sitting on the side, she points out one of his shortcomings: he failed to do the coal walk. She does not dwell on this, but uses it as the first piece of a long confrontation with the staff. Then Pam confronts the entire group by asking why nobody came to her art show, accusing them of "act[ing] like I don't even exist." She is frustrated that she no longer has a strong, healthy connection to anyone in the office, but does not blame them for what has happened. Jim is her target, and Pam turns her attention to her once-best friend in the office. She pauses for a few seconds, glaring intensely at this man who is no longer a major part of her life, preparing herself for the most important statements she has made since that unseen conversation with Roy. Pam makes an astounding confession, that she broke her engagement to Roy because of Jim. This confirms what many people likely thought -- the events during Casino Night triggered Pam to reevaluate her life, leading her ultimately to this confessional confrontation. She doesn't attack Jim, but simply says that she misses him as her best friend. When she acknowledges being with Roy was wrong, she shows the determination that she likely possessed when she broke her engagement, the same determination when she stepped onto that elevator in "Women's Appreciation" and the same determination that let her do the coal walk. This is not the meek Pam of earlier seasons, who said "please" when asking Michael not to throw trash at her. This is a Pam who is going to be honest, regardless of the consequences. Pam momentarily loses her balance when denying that she has romantic feelings for Jim; this stumble makes her initially include "everyone else in the circle" when she tells Jim she misses having fun with him. She recants her inclusion of the others, and is visibly proud of what she has done. She walks off to cool down her feet triumphant.
What must be acknowledged is that Pam is unaware of the potential for loss she faces. While she is preparing herself for the coal walk, Jim tells the staff that he will be applying for the corporate position. Pam has lost Jim before, something that has clearly devastated her. But her confession is not the product of fear of losing him for the second and possibly final time, as if she were making her last stand. Instead, she is truly being honest, regardless of what happens. She misses Jim and she let him know that. This solidifies the idea that she has progressed greatly from being a meek, dependent secretary to an independent woman. While this is a transformation that has occurred gradually throughout the year, it bears fruit only because of the events that occur on Beach Day.
-Paul