The Coworker

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses death by suicide.

“Dawn isn’t at her desk this morning when I walk into the office, which means the world is coming to an end.”

The first lines of Chapter 1 are delivered from Natalie’s first-person perspective. They immediately reveal information about the two protagonists’ contrasting traits. Natalie’s wry observation suggests a light-hearted attitude to life while also conveying Dawn’s rigid punctuality. Her humorous comment also proves ironic, as Dawn’s disappearance will have a life-changing impact on Natalie.

“Okay, I’m not going to say Dawn isn’t a little strange. Or even very strange. Sometimes, people at the company make fun of her behind her back. And yes, she does like turtles more than any fully grown adult rightfully should. But she’s a very nice person. If they got to know her a little better, they would be nicer to her.”

Here, Natalie describes Dawn’s quirks and establishes her symbolic association with turtles. While portraying her coworker in terms of her differences from other people, Natalie presents herself as a defender of Dawn. McFadden therefore creates an environment that raises questions about the reliability of Natalie’s perspective, for Dawn’s emails suggest a completely different narrative.

“Seth and I have an understanding—he gives me a long rope, and I kick ass at sales.”

The theme of The Intricacies of Office Politics emerges as Natalie describes the management techniques of her boss, Seth. Admitting that Seth gives her preferential treatment over other colleagues, Natalie implies that he does so in recognition of her superior sales skills. However, she withholds the information that she and Seth have had an affair, and this omission proves her unreliability as a narrator.