As hard as Jim tries to start a new life with a new girlfriend and promotion, he can't escape the emotional baggage that trails him no matter what path he travels. Instead of acknowledging the heavy load, Jim opts to pretend it doesn't exist as he implements his self-preservation model with fierce determination. Just as Michael paraded through the office in his straight jacket mangled in chains, Jim walks around with the same restraints, but they are invisible. Jim is trapped by continuing to keep himself in perpetual limbo. Ever since Phyllis's Wedding, Jim has been literally throwing himself into his relationship with Karen. His attention to his relationship has absolutely nothing to do with having growing feelings for Karen. The paradox continues exists in that he cares about her and needs her, but he won't let her in all the way. It can never be the real relationship he needs. He's still hiding behind Karen to avoid dealing with his feelings for Pam. The dam broke in PW and he's desperately trying to bottle up the water. Jim is determined to not feel any pain. Thus, he's keeping himself in a position where he doesn't have to deal with overly strong emotions and can be somewhat numb.
On another parallel, just as Michael's key slipped from his grasp, Jim lost sight of his key as well. Stepping on Michael's key with his foot which is strikingly symbolic. He's doing the same thing internally, only he's letting Karen hide the key. Jim has yet to discover that the key lies with emotional honesty. Lately, Jim has abandoned this, despite his gains in The Return, in order to escape the pain of his broken heart. Watching Pam leave with Roy in PW sealed the deal that Jim would return to his self-preservation and build the wall even higher and thicker. However, that wall is not geared only at Pam, as Karen has undoubtedly noticed Jim's lack of emotional output, in this instance (she had to prod him 3 times to get a "boyfriend" response to her previous "conquests.") and in their relationship as a whole.
The parallels between Jim and Pam's behavior continue as Jim perpetuates his illusion of his relationship with Karen. Pam enacted a similar tactic with Roy, but saw through it much quicker. Jim had a brief moment of clarity in A Benihana Christmas but has yet to watch the illusion shatter around his feet as Pam did in the bar with Roy, (in this respect FNB is ahead of Jim). However, there is a remarkable parallel between their experiences. Pam saw Roy for what he really was, while Jim was faced with the possibility that Karen isn't what he thought, nor is his relationship. The fact that Jim was forced to question his relationship is a huge step. It may open up some doors for him to question his motives and emotional attachment, (or lack thereof), to Karen.
Karen Tells Jim About Drake:
Karen pulls Jim aside and directs his attention to Drake. She goes on to tell Jim that she dated Drake at one time. Jim responds very casually, " Oh, okay. Cool. Thanks for telling me." Karen was probably hoping for a stronger reaction, but Jim does not oblige. His lack of emotion relates directly to his self-preservation model. Jim is shut off to a certain degree with Karen, in order to protect himself from getting hurt.
The sting of his broken heart from Pam is still burning, both from CN and the rawness left over from PW. Jim can't let himself get too emotionally involved or jealous with Karen. Pam got all of him and he's not about to make the same mistake with Karen. Jim allowed Pam in all the way and it lead to nothing but pain. This the same pattern of behavior he's demonstrated since he started dating Karen in that he's keeping her at arm's length as a result of his very leery heart and need for an escape. The fact that he's thrown himself back into Karen, does not mitigate his original motivations for the relationship.
When Karen doesn't get the jealous response she's hoping for, she prods Jim a little more with, "it didn't end well." He looks at her a little surprised, but it's not rooted in jealousy. He's wondering why she's telling him this, considering he got all he really needed or wanted to know from her original statement on the subject. As a result, Jim's indifference takes over his response to her comments. He says, "Gotcha" as a signal to Karen that he's done talking about Drake. This response is primarily the result of self-preservation (who wants to hear about their significant other's ex?), but it also translates to something much deeper.
From the start of their exchange, Jim's answers have been very short and close-ended statements. He's purposely leaving very little room for Karen to elaborate as a means to prevent more "long talks" which may once again force him to be open with Karen beyond his comfort level. Even more importantly he's trying to preserve his image and foundation of the relationship. Jim needs his relationship with Karen, not because he loves her, but because he needs something emotionally easier to deal with than Pam. Karen is essentially bringing chaos into Jim's haven when she drags her supposed "ex" into the mix. Jim has spent enough of his past seeing and picturing someone (Pam) he cares about (ahem, loves!) with someone else. Karen inadvertently hit a sore spot and opened an old wound.
Jim's body language furthers his cue that he's done with the conversation. Immediately after he delivers, "Gotcha" he shoots a glance at the camera, rather than at Karen. On more than one occasion Jim has delivered similar glances to the camera when is annoyed or trying to detach himself from a situation (usually this applies with Michael). Jim is practically sending out an SOS. After finding no rescue, Jim looks away from the camera and briefly directs his attention to the floor. The floor is traditionally Jim's focal point when he finds himself in a tight spot.
The identical behavior showed up in The Merger when Michael interrupts Jim and Pam's awkward conversation in the break room. Another indicator of Jim's discomfort is apparent when he rocks back on his feet while viewing the floor. He is uncomfortable and worried the topic of conversation is going to continue. Rocking on his feet is the equivalent of trying to wiggle out the circumstances. Jim's discomfort makes itself know verbally when he softly says "Alright." It's another signal to Karen that he's finished with this topic. He doesn't make eye contact as his gaze is directed at another part of the room. He doesn't want to risk Karen divulging any further details.
If anything, this scene helps to further illustrate that Jim's heart is not invested in his relationship with Karen. His indifferent reaction to Karen's "news" is a stark contrast to his reaction when Pam simply alluded to dating other people in Ben Franklin. All Pam had to do was mention it and his face was gripped with jealousy. Karen didn't even get close to garnering a reaction that matches his face from the break room that day. Jim's heart still lies with Pam despite all his efforts to deny and escape his feelings. If jealousy were to occur in regards to Karen, it is more about protecting his stake in the relationship and will never reach a degree higher than simply defending his territory. It will not emanate from love.
On the Couch With Karen:
Even though Jim is sitting on a plush and presumably comfortable couch, his body language exudes discomfort. However, his current discomfort is not rooted in his earlier encounter with Karen. Instead, Jim is carrying out his lack of enthusiasm for attending the party. Earlier in the day, Jim stated several reasons (with his trademark sarcasm) why he didn't want to go. As Jim sits on the couch with slouched shoulders, fidgeting hands, and a vacant stare, it's obvious that he'd rather be somewhere else. He's bored out of his mind.
His body language also offers some insight into his feelings regarding Karen. The last time Jim was sitting next to a woman on a couch was in E-mail Surveillance. In a couple of scenes, Jim and Pam are sitting so close to one another they are practically joined together. Jim is leaning slightly towards her and is obviously receptive to her being so close to him. Granted, the couch was full creating tight quarters, but Jim wasn't tense or closed off with his body language when Pam was next to him. His arms and legs are loose and open, while his shoulders are loose yet genial, (this even remains in place even after Michael is annoying him with karaoke).
Jim exhibits the same body language in The Dundies as he sits close to Pam on the bench outside of Chili's, despite the extra room. In contrast, Jim and Karen have distance between them as they sit together. In terms of their relationship it might as well be the continental divide. They aren't really touching and Jim isn't receptive towards Karen. Jim is giving off a very closed off vibe with his legs crossed away from her and his aloof stance. A naturally close and unspoken connection simply does not exist.
As Jim and Karen end a conversation with another couple, Karen takes another opportunity to inform Jim of another aspect of her (supposed) past. She tells him that she dated a married man while he was separated. Jim is again a little surprised but his initial reaction is similar to the one he had in their first conversation, in that he's thinking "Wow, didn't need to know that." Jim shifts his gaze from her and becomes a little annoyed at her revelation, "not this again." Just as before he's not anxious to get into a discussion about Karen's previous relationships. His self-defense mechanism of indifference is once again in play. As before, he employs the use of a short and close ended response to discourage further discussion with, "Oh ... didn't notice." Jim's response is still indifferent, but there is more emotion attached to his reaction this time.
Karen hit his sore spot again and it's a little harder to hold in all the emotions that surround the wound. Part of him is weirded out that Karen has dated two people at the party. However, jealousy still hasn't shown it's face. Jim is more disappointed than he is jealous. Up to this point, Jim has placed Karen on a pedestal as someone who can save him. He has invariably hitched his future well being to Karen. Karen's so-called revelations have called Jim's image of her into question. He's starting to believe she's not what he thought, thus knocking her off the pedestal. This in turn causes Jim to subconsciously worry about his relationship and the safety net it provides. Oddly enough, Jim's illusion of Karen shares some of the same motivations Pam had for her illusion of Roy. Both Jim and Pam expect other people to save them from their pain.
Karen doesn't pick up Jim's cue to let it be and is compelled to push at Jim further. She is apparently still trying to extrapolate a "boyfriend" response from Jim. She tells him, "Really, I thought it was so obvious. I'm glad it didn't make you uncomfortable." He again breaks eye contact and redirects his attention to his lap and across the room as he says, "No. It was before I knew you, so it's fine." On the exterior, Jim is very indifferent and casual. However there are a couple of deeper levels. First, this is another attempt to close down the topic. He's telling Karen he's fine with it to prevent any further details or explanation. He simply doesn't want know anything more. His image of her is already shaky.
The exterior indifference is really a subconscious ploy to discourage Karen from pushing it any further. Secondly, Jim is telling himself he's fine with it in order to preserve the safety net and escape features in his relationship. He needs this relationship to work or he all the hurt and pain will return. He's trying to convince himself he's "fine" with Karen falling off the pedestal, even though doubt is beginning to pervade his thoughts.
Essentially, Jim's long held uncertainties (The Convict, Back From Vacation) about his relationship with Karen are still alive and kicking. He's still unsure about where the relationship is going. His uncertainties surrounding Karen in general have only been compounded by her statements at the party thus far. His indifference is not only a defense mechanism, but also a mask for his confusion. The last thing he needs is Karen getting a whiff of his uncertainties and confusion, so he whitewashes it with indifference to throw her off the scent. He is a master at masking his feelings. He did it for years with Pam.
Karen Fixes a Man's Tie:
Jim's uncertainties only increase as he watches Karen fixes a tie for another man, (oddly, his tie is as loose and disjointed as ever throughout the party!). Jim's mind is indubitably pondering the possibility that Karen dated the "tie man" as well. He is puzzled immensely by what he is seeing, "another one?" Again, jealousy is not the dominant force in this scenario. Instead, worry is dancing across Jim's face for the same reasons listed above. He feels the illusion of Karen and the security of his relationship slipping away a little bit more. On another level, he doesn't want to be added to Karen's list of exes. Jim can't handle another rejection and event he remote possibility of being tossed aside by Karen is enough to ignite the principles of his fear paradox. He knows his heart isn't in the relationship, but he's still desperate to maintain the relationship out of fear of pain, facing his bottled up emotions and rejection.
Karen's Prank:
After Jim is rescued by David Wallace with an invitation to shoot hoops outside, he walks over to Karen to let her know where he is going. The fact that Jim is willing to leave Karen alone in a room of supposed exes heavily indicates that Jim is not consumed by jealousy. Men consumed with jealousy hang around their girlfriends/wives like a bad smell with an evil eye scanning the room. Jim would've been glued to her side if Karen was truly in his heart. On another note, PDA is noticeably absent, (and has been the entire time). This furthers the paradox that Jim is not fully invested in the relationship, despite his efforts to make it work. Jim never once held her hand or put his arm around her. The casual observer would have difficulty ascertaining the status of these two; friends or a couple? Jim may be worried about the relationship, but not jealous enough to feel the need to reinforce his presence with PDA.
Karen takes another shot at Jim's sore spot by alluding she and Wallace dated at one time. For Jim, this is the fourth instance (Drake, the husband, the tie guy), of Karen with another man. However, it's still not enough to ignite jealousy. Jim's meltdown, "What the hell! Have you dated every guy here," results from the insecurity he's been harboring throughout the evening in regards to his relationship with Karen. Jim's frustration level has hit it's pinnacle in that he's working desperately at a relationship with someone who seems to have a history of speed dating. Jim doesn't want a relationship that adds up to nothing more than him being pointed out as another one of Karen's exes, or worse, a reject. It all comes back to Jim's idea of Karen saving him. The image he held for Karen and his reliance on the relationship for a steady foundation and safe haven has all come crashing down.
Karen chooses the perfect moment to rescue Jim from his tailspin by smiling brightly to signal it's all a joke. Jim's expression shifts from one of despair to one of relief and mild amusement. He smiles slightly, lets out a brief chuckle, and says "Wow. . . Okay. You got me." Jim didn't laugh at Karen's prank. Part of him didn't find it funny as it jabbed at a wound left by Pam. He feels a little foolish for falling for her prank, hence the break in eye contact. The jokester in him should have caught on a long time ago, but his insecurity got the best of him. In all actuality, relief is the dominant emotion. All the uncertainty has been wiped away and his safe haven is back in place. Furthermore, Karen is back on top of the pedestal and Jim's image of her is restored. However, Jim still needs a little more reassurance. He redirects his eyes at her and prompts, "So, none of them." He needs to check the foundation under his feet and is again relieved when Karen confirms, "Of course not."
However, Karen takes this opportunity to mess with Jim's head a little more by referring to him as her "first." Jim is horrified. He is smacked with a huge reality check that Karen is much more emotionally serious than he is in the relationship. This dynamic threatens his motivations and need for the relationship. The safety can't exist in this scenario, in that the net allows Jim to keep his emotions turned off. It's another facet of the paradox that plagues Jim's behavior. Jim wants the relationship, but without the emotional attachment. If Karen were being truthful, Jim would find himself in the midst of a huge dilemma.
Ultimately, he'd have to "emotionally" choose between Karen and Pam. This is something he's currently unable or unwilling to do. Choosing Karen would mean taking a chance on giving his heart to someone else, while at the same time working through and eventually letting go of his feelings for Pam, (letting go of Pam is something in which he's never been successful). Choosing Pam would mean facing his feelings for her head on and essentially facing all his fears, which would in the process hurt Karen. Either way, Jim faces a world of hurt and emotional turmoil without the aid of a safe haven. Lucky for Jim, Karen was pranking him again, which allows Jim to breath a huge sigh of relief. It also allows him to return to the comfort of his self-inflicted limbo. Jim walks away from Karen with a relieved smile.
He walks away knowing the illusion he's constructed for himself is still in place bringing him the security and freedom to remain emotionally numb while he hides from the broken heart that just won't heal. Unfortunately, his constructed "world" prevents him from finding the emotional honesty that will release him from his invisible "straightjacket."
The Bottom Line:
The symbolism of Michael's straightjacket is uncanny in regards to Jim's emotional state. Jim's wall is so thick he's trapped inside and no one can reach him. The chains that surrounded Michael also weigh down Jim. Jim is emotionally exhausted and wants to shut down. The only way he can survive without losing his mind is to live in the limbo that his relationship with Karen provides.
- - -
Questions to Ponder:
1) At this point, how would Jim react if Karen told Jim she was in love with him?
2) Will Jim take notice of FNB? If so, how will he react to her?
3) What will it take to break down Jim's wall? Does he have to do it himself or can someone else send it crumbling to the ground?
4) Who is more emotionally fragile: Jim or Pam?
5) Pam finally saw through the illusion of her relationship with Roy. What will it take for Jim to see through the illusion of his relationship with Karen? Will his realization emanate via an act from Karen or within himself? Does Pam have a role in this process?
Chapter End Notes:
Commonly Used Acronyms:
PD = Pam Dichotomy,
JP = Jim Paradox,
CN = Casino Night,
FNB = Fancy New Beesly,
QTP = Questions to Ponder
This post was written nine years ago so go easy on me in terms of writing style! I’ve decided not to revise the original posts beyond filling in missing words or fixing wayward punctuation. Call it nostalgia if you will, but there’s something to be said for preserving this little snapshot of fandom.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
PD = Pam Dichotomy,
JP = Jim Paradox,
CN = Casino Night,
FNB = Fancy New Beesly,
QTP = Questions to Ponder
This post was written nine years ago so go easy on me in terms of writing style! I’ve decided not to revise the original posts beyond filling in missing words or fixing wayward punctuation. Call it nostalgia if you will, but there’s something to be said for preserving this little snapshot of fandom.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
