Dwight Kurt Schrute has shown himself to be,
at various points, both terribly misguided and an unexpected voice of reason on "The Office."
More often than you might expect, the eccentric beet farmer and assistant to the regional manager
played by Rainn Wilson on the classic NBC sitcom is actually worth listening to.
Despite his strangeness, Dwight often shows a knack for problem-solving
and critical thinking that proves indispensable in the workplace.
At one point, he brings his spud gun into work in a duffel bag, just to test the office
park's security. Who else would take that initiative? Plus, he's all about loyalty.
"But, if there were somewhere else that valued that loyalty more highly,
I'm going wherever they value loyalty the most."
Don't think about that one too hard.
By all accounts - particularly his own - Dwight is a force to be reckoned with and an asset to
be paid attention to. But the people around Dwight don't regard him this way very often — or at all,
really. Dwight isn't actually treated fairly in most instances. His boss and idol Michael
Scott repeatedly spurns him, both in terms of friendship and the promotions Dwight craves.
Consider Michael's Rolodex entry on Dwight, which reads simply, quote:
"Tall. Beets." Might Dwight, the resident weirdo of "The Office," be its underappreciated hero?
There are many signs that point to this being true, but something that
happens during "The Office" Season 2 really drives this point home. Here's the "Office"
conflict that has fans reevaluating [RE-aval-u-a-ting] Dwight - and Jim.
Of course, nobody wants to dislike the big hero Jim. And it is entertaining
to watch Dwight swing wildly between oblivious incompetence,
frustration, and genuine dominance where he uses his intelligence to command a
situation and the people in it. Over time, however, it's hard not to notice how often
Dwight is met with dismissiveness and even full-on antagonism no matter how he behaves.
That's not to say he doesn't sometimes instigate problems himself.
The incessant prank war between Dwight and Jim Halpert, the time Dwight put the
entire office in real danger to prove a point about being prepared in the event of a fire,
the verbal jabs he throws at his fellow Dunder Mifflin employees — that's just the tip of the
iceberg. But the issue is that Dwight isn't always to blame, and when he feels uncomfortable at work
and turns to his company for help, he is, at best, laughed at. At worst, he's ignored.
One of the worst examples of the lack of respect Dwight gets comes from human
resources representative Toby Flenderson in the Season 2 episode "Conflict Resolution."
The episode sees Dwight approaching Toby with some very legitimate claims about Jim's behavior.
It's Toby's job to hear Dwight out, address his concerns appropriately,
and resolve the conflict between Dwight and Jim. Unfortunately, Toby neglects him,
sticking all of Dwight's complaints in a box rather than taking them seriously.
"The Office" is a comedy, of course, but if we're thinking in terms of real-life companies,
Toby's actions are almost certainly a violation of procedure,
and outside of a professional context, it's just a jerk move.
As many fans have pointed out, Toby kind of lets everyone down in the episode,
as it reveals that he's kept a massive file of unresolved complaints from Dunder Mifflin
employees held back. But it's particularly hard on Dwight, who's clearly complained about Jim
for years and been ignored basically every time. Sure, Dwight's a lot to handle on his own, but if
an employee is that concerned about a coworker, ignoring it probably isn't the best response.
Dwight is visibly distressed by Jim's actions. He doesn't find Jim's antics funny, and the
show doesn't depict their prank war as harmless fun between friends. Jim's behavior messes with
Dwight's sense of his own sanity, his emotions, and his ability to do his job. At one point,
Jim even tricks him into going into the women's restroom. This adds up to a textbook
hostile work environment, but Toby never lifts a finger to do what he is literally paid to do.
Fans of "The Office" are now looking back on the episode and feeling sympathy for Dwight,
seeing him as a complicated character who deserved some kindness here.
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