Peter The Ideal Job example essay topic

The Life of Peter: Idealism vs. Realism When asking a child what they want to be when the grow up, they will most likely tell you a doctor, teacher or some other public service occupation. They have the ideal that a career helping people is the best job a person could have. When those same kids get into high school their ideals become even greater (this really only applies to middle-upper class). They want to be artist, musicians, actors, or free lance writers who travel the world for the next big story. In college the ideals of the student are usually pushed to the back burner so that there is room for reality. Peter's character in the movie Office Space is an example of the ultimate idealist.

Throughout the movie we are shown his conflict between "good and evil" (otherwise known as idealism and realism). Peter's character is placed in the toughest battle zone to live out his ideals: the corporate world of cubicles. Americans have the idea of an "American Dream" which in tales having a good job, family and happy home (for most people this is all that is needed to be content in life). Peter though can't accept the idea of the "American Dream" and comes to make his own idealistic ideas a reality that most would laugh off as being a nothing but pipe dreams. It must be hard to spend 40-50 hours a week in a little box with no windows or connection to the outside world. Office workplaces tend to invent annoying saying like " Do you have a case of the Mondays?" that in itself would cause people not want to be there (especially on Mondays).

Peter thought so also, he loathed every minute of work. The job was not too hard for him and paid decent money (but as an idealist it was not money Peter was after). For a realist money is usually the driving force in a person choosing a career. Finding the "American Dream" is no easy task when it comes to one's profession. How many people do you know who are truly working at a job they love?

After being hypnotized -occupational therapist- Peter has a revelation that he does still have the ability to change the control his job has on him. Instead of finding a new job that might have some meaning or interest to him, he decides to turn his cubicle job into his ideal job by showing up when he feels like it and wearing whatever he wants. Understand that to Peter the ideal job is none at all. Although the idea seems great Peter does still have a small ounce of reality that doesn't allow him to quit his job so instead he goes to work on his own schedule and with his own agenda.

Peter has a rotten girlfriend in the movie. She could be the mascot for the realist as Peter is the idealist. The girlfriend doesn't understand the internal conflict's Peter is going through so she makes him go to a therapist. Instead of supporting - or even try to understand Peter- when he doesn't show up to work one Saturday she yells at him. Everyone in Peter's life seems to know about his girlfriend's cheating as well. Peter though as the true idealist thinks that everything will work out and they will be together forever.

The relationship ends with a loud blast of reality from the girlfriend by her dumping him. This seemed to awaken Peter's idealism though by giving him the motivation to ask out the waitress he had always had his eye on, Joanna. Joanna is the complete opposite of Peter's first girlfriend. When Joanna asked", What is your job" Peter's reply was: "To do nothing, maybe not go in at all anymore".

She was not turned off in fact this idea seemed to inspire her own ideas of what her work was to her. Joanna was not willing to throw her job away as Peter was, but she was understanding and accepting of his ideas. Realism will always win over idealism when it comes to Peter's two work friends Michael and Samir. They are all around good guys-maybe a bit on the geeky side- who want nothing more in life than job security and a few beers over the weekend. As Samir says over lunch " I can only hope I am still working at this job in 30 years". This has become the "American Dream" for most of our society today.

The idea of having a job you love often takes more sacrifice of time and money than the average college graduate is willing to give. Michael and Samir are perfectly happy to spend 40 plus hours a week for the rest of their lives in that one office. The two guys are sadly shaken from their comfort zone though when they are laid off do to restructuring. Peter tempts them with his idealism and they join in a plot to rob money from the company. The crime is short lived though and they find new jobs, although they are doing the same thing in the same kind of cubicle. The movie ends with Peter working a construction job.

Michael and Samir stop by and let Peter know they can get him a job at there new office. With a shovel in his hand and a beautiful day outside to work in he simply says " No thanks" to the thought of ever going back to the office.