Evolution of Michael Scott: Selfish Boss to Endearing Leader

 Michael Scott

Michael Scott is a character from the TV show, “The Office.” He is the manager of the Dundee Mifflin Paper Company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He usually exhibits inappropriate behavior such as rude remarks, lack of professionalism, being disruptive etc with his employees. Despite being a comic-relief character, Michael Scott undergoes significant character development throughout the show. He goes from an ill-mannered and selfish boss to a kind and helpful leader. 

Family

Rather than seeing his employees as purely people who work for him, Scott starts to view them as his family and cares for them. An example of this would be when he gives Jim advice about Pam because Jim liked Pam a lot but she was engaged which stopped them from getting together. He behaves like an older father figure for them and helps matchmake their relationship. Eventually, they do get together and one of the reasons as Michael Scott’s advice motivating Jim. 

Being Inclusive

Initially, he made many offensive comments and didn’t care about the harm they may cause. He starts off with problematic behavior during the first diversity training in his workplace but starts to become more aware. Firstly, he becomes better friends with diverse colleagues like Oscar Martinez, who is gay, and Kelly Kapoor, who is Indian, and exposes himself to their perspectives of live. Ironically, he also attends diversity training, later in the show, and appears to be open to learning about other cultures. 

Learning

Being the boss, Michael Scott was often the arrogant character and deemed himself superior to others. It seemed as though he believed this trait made him a better leader. Although, he started to seek feedback from other colleagues, especially Dwight. He would ask them for advice, both professional and personal, and wanted to learn from the much more. This development showed his willingness to become a better leader which suited his employees’ standards and just his. It showcases him being more selfless. 

Connection to class: I believe the character development of Michael Scott showcases the theme of “This is Water” by David Foster Wallace. It illustrates the importance of being selfless and conscious and how it can benefit you in life. Scott is a realistic example of this message. I also analyzed his behavior and found evidence to support my view on his character development. 






Comments

  1. Pranayi GhorpadeSeptember 17, 2023 at 2:09 PM

    I like how you talked about the importance of being selfless and conscious about Micheal Scott and had subcategories that went further in depth about him.

    ReplyDelete

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