There are several ways to try to instill life lessons in today's society, whether in the form of films, books, or perhaps even songs. Television is the most common way we seem to learn life's lessons today. We can see these valuable lessons being endorsed by television series like “Modern Family” and “Friends.” It's television series like these where life lessons like individuality and respect for others come into play. The American version of 'The Office' is an example of one of the many television series out there. The show follows the quirky employees of Dunder-Mifflin, a paper supplier in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The mockumentary format with one-on-one discussions with employees and awkward/peculiar but relatable plots have actually made this series very popular. The show's crew portrays life's most difficult/embarrassing situations, not only to make audiences relate and laugh, but to teach valuable life lessons. I specifically chose to deconstruct the unforgettable episode "Goodbye, Michael" from the seventh season of "The Office." The episode follows the main character, Michael, on his last day at the office. Through symbolism, narration, and extreme close-ups Michael demonstrates the episode's intended theme that sometimes goodbyes can be difficult, even for the toughest people out there. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Throughout the series, one of the factors that sets The Office apart from other shows is that there is no designated narrator. The show is often narrated by all of Dunder-Mifflin's employees. Since there is no specific narrator, this allows audience members to see the characters' point of view and how they feel when it comes to certain situations they find themselves in. In this specific episode Michael is a key perspective in the plot. During one of his one-on-one discussions, it was revealed during his phone call with Holly that he was actually leaving later that day. While throughout his shift he continually tells everyone in the office that he won't be out until the next day. By lying to all his employees about the day he will actually leave, Michael is avoiding the final goodbyes that he knew would become too emotional for him. As a result, throughout the entire episode he plans all his goodbyes individually. Some greetings in the form of a gift and some with advice. Some employees were given gag gifts like the cheap scarecrow doll Oscar received, while other characters were given awkwardly sincere gifts like the letter of recommendation for Dwight. Instead of revealing the truth to his employees, Michael uses these gifts because to him they feel like a goodbye without having to be so emotional. With only the audience and Michael aware that these are goodbyes, we get a real sense of who these characters are and what their relationship with Michael has developed into over the course of the series. Even though Michael plays obnoxiously, he learns to accept that he is using his humor as a defense mechanism, which is normal when it comes to people going through difficult situations. As discussed by Sovereign Health, “Humor can be a useful defense mechanism used to cope with unpleasant circumstances or past trauma. However, this habit can become destructive if used to hurt others or hide an individual's insecurities or anxiety. Michael as the day passes through his individual discussions. As the episode continues, there are many forms of symbolism that are displaced and thatdescribe how difficult this process is for Michael. One of many, including his new trophy for World's Greatest Boss. Throughout all 7 seasons of The Office, Michael had a "World's Best Boss" mug that he had to go out of his way to buy. However, in this episode he reveals early on how everyone in the office helped buy him a trophy awarding him "Best Boss in the World 2011". After receiving such an award, he throws away his beloved cup, which is a big problem in the show. Before this episode the mug symbolized Michael's dedication and love for his employees and his work. But after finally receiving a trophy from them all, Michael enters a new realm where his employees finally appreciate him as he has always appreciated them. This alone makes things worse for Michael as he has finally achieved what he has always wanted in his career, to be appreciated and loved by his employees. As the goodbyes start to get too surreal and difficult, Michael is asked a simple question by Oscar which is, "What address should we send your last paycheck to?" This simple question sends Michael into meltdown as Michael isn't sure where his home is in Colorado. For many years the office has been a place where people felt safe, and according to Allumniportal, “Home can give us direction and serve as a safe anchor in these fast-moving times. But there are many people who feel homeless because they have had to leave their home.” Essentially for many people like Michael a house symbolizes stability, strength, ownership and refuge. Because he didn't know where his new home was located, he felt very vulnerable. For a long time his home was the office and his employees were his family and at that point he realized that his "home" is no longer his home. Finally, a significant factor in many episodes of The Office are extreme close-ups. of employees to emphasize their reaction or emotion towards something. In this specific episode there are a lot of close-ups of Michael. In one specific scene where Michael is sitting eating alone in the break room, the cameraman zooms in on Michael's emotionless face. Instead of sitting down with everyone, he sits on the sidelines analyzing and absorbing everything one last time. Although throughout this episode Michael is trying to act strong and say he's not emotional, this scene says otherwise. Somehow they manage to express this by simply zooming in on Michael's face while everyone is just minding their own business eating. Through his facial expression and presence, the audience sees that he will miss the environment and being with everyone, even though he tries really hard not to express such emotions. Please note: this is just an example. Get a customized document from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In summary, The Office is more than just a sitcom. The show is a work of art. Since the show is a mockumentary, it really stands out from other shows as it makes it much more real. The characters often ask the audience questions and talk to the camera about their problems, which makes it very easy to forget that you're watching a TV show. The show demonstrates many relatable issues that people face in real life, which gives many people a chance to learn from the characters' experiences. Little things that often go unnoticed, such as narration, symbolism and close-ups, tell much more about the story of Michael's departure than the audience might have thought. Through key factors like these, the plot of the episode unfolds beautifully and that's what makes the show so unique..