Pamela Beesly- a character analysis.
The Office is a staple when discussing situational comedy television series. The show was created in 2005 and was inspired by the UK version of a show by the same name. The premise of the show is very basic. Dunder Mifflin is a paper-products company in the USA that deploys a camera crew in one of its branches in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The objective of the camera crew is to make a documentary about the company by gathering footage from the Scranton branch’s everyday activities and one-on-one interviews. The show spans nine seasons depicting the nine years in the office.
The Office gave birth to some of the most lovable characters on television. From the Regional Branch Manager, Michael Scott, and his quips to Dwight Schrute and his no-nonsense behaviour while following nonsensical rules, the show keeps on giving. However, the character that stood out to me the most and spoke to me the best was the office receptionist, Pamela Beesly.
I do realize the irony of Pamela Beesly, the most average character on a show, being the highlight of the TV series. However, Pam’s timidness and shy character are the most relatable parts of the show. Her well-executed character growth throughout the seasons is what every show should aspire to have in at least one of its protagonists. So, without any further ado, let us discuss why Pam’s mundane character is an inspiration to all and is never boring.
I don’t think it’s many little girls’ dream to be a receptionist.
In the pilot of the show, Pamela Beesly says the above line. And she was right, no one grows up with the receptionist career path on their vision-board. In the earlier seasons, Pam is at her boring 9 to 5 job that she doesn’t particularly covet, but it’s the only thing she has going on for her at the moment. She is engaged to Roy Anderson, who works at the garage but their relationship is devoid of any love. In fact, one could even go out on a limb and say that she was emotionally snubbed by Roy. Her demands were never taken care of by him, she was hardly ever respected. He even made fun of her art; something that she genuinely enjoyed. Roy would often treat her as someone he is engaged with because he couldn’t find anybody else- the last resort. As the receptionist, Pam was often tossed around by her work associates. She always felt inferior to them and her self-worth issues didn’t help this situation. Her colleagues toyed around with her and took advantage of her timid behaviour to make jokes at her expense. Everyone, except Jim Halpert. He was her rock who supported her every step of the way. Their friendship was flirtatious in nature but Pam knew her loyalties lied with Roy and their 5-year long practically loveless engagement. Do take the word ‘friendship’ with a grain of salt because Jim was helplessly in love with Pam and Pam was unknowingly falling for Jim.
Pam started taking control of her own life once Jim moved away to work at another branch and she was free of Roy. It took her great courage to call off her engagement and start taking herself seriously. She started getting art classes and even moved into her own apartment. Her self confidence growth took a little setback when none of her colleagues showed up to her art show except her boss, Michael Scott who praised her endlessly. She, however, bounces back as is seen in the episode ‘Beach Games’ (Season 3, Episode 23).
The ‘Beach Games’ episode is a turning point for Pamela’s entire character. In this episode, she truly starts standing up for herself. In this episode, Michael challenges the office workers to do a Coal Walk, a walk on hot coal blocks, and whoever wins gets to be the next regional manager. Pam decides to go for it. Her efforts are stopped by Michael, but she doesn’t give in. She does the coal walk and walks up to the rest of the teammates and pours out her heart and all the baggage that has been on her ever since she broke off her engagement. At this point, Pam realizes her true potential. She calls out her colleagues for not showing up for her art show. “It’s like for some you act like I don’t even exist”. She tells Jim that she misses him and their friendship. Later that season, she and Jim get together. Later in Season 4, she and Jim get engaged.
Pam starts going to art school to learn about her interests. Even though Pam fails her art classes, she retakes them until she realizes that some part of her misses working as a receptionist. She even stands by her boss, Michael Scott when she decides to leave Dunder Mifflin for a paper company- but only if she gets to be a salesperson and not some washed down receptionist. This is a great depiction of how much Pam has grown over the course of five seasons. When she becomes the office administrator, she also uses her authority to make the necessary changes in the office for the well-being of everyone else. Although Pam is sufficient on her own, she has friends like Dwight Schrute and her husband Jim Halpert.
Just like every relationship, Pam’s marriage also has its own problems. She often feels like she isn’t enough for Jim and that she is a burden to him. In these seasons, Pam often feels lonely having to balance her two kids and life at the office while Jim is away for days on his new job. She even breaks down on camera a few times. But she does realize that communication is key and with the help of her new colleague-turned-friend, Nellie Bertram, she sorts her stuff out with Jim. This takes courage and determination, something she has since developed despite her insecurities.
As the documentary starts to develop, the show comes to an end. And with that, we see a much more mature Pamela Beesly-Halpert. We see Pam grow from a timid receptionist who never maintains eye contact to the ambitious and headstrong saleswoman that she is today. One of her final quotes on the show is her repenting her old, insecure self and wishing she had snapped out of it sooner.
It took me so long to do so many important things. It’s just hard to accept that I spent so many years being less happy than I could have been…..But… it would just… just make my heart soar if someone out there saw this and she said to herself “be strong, trust yourself, love yourself. Conquer your fears. Just go after what you want and act fast, because life just isn’t that long.
Until much later, Pam didn’t stand up for herself or fight for herself. Her confidence in the beginning seasons was so low that never even fought for herself or fought for what she wanted. She thought that all the insults that were thrown at her were something that she deserved simply for being who she was. She later breaks free of the shackles of insecurity and self-deprecation that she was bound in for so long. It is safe to say that Pamela Beesly-Halpert is a role model for every young person out there and her character arc is a good example for anybody interested in creating something.
