69 pages • 2 hours read
Post Office
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Essay Topics
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of substance use.
How does Bukowski present Hank Chinaski as both a product of and a rebel against the labor system of the US Postal Service? In what ways does the novel critique work as dehumanizing, and in what ways does Hank resist?
Post Office is often interpreted as a critique of the American Dream. How does Bukowski use Hank’s experience as a postal worker to expose the myth of meritocracy and upward mobility? To what extent does the novel suggest that hard work is meaningless within oppressive bureaucratic systems?
Consider Jonstone as an antagonist. How does his cruelty, use of disciplinary write-ups, and reliance on bureaucratic rules embody the soul-crushing authority of the institution? Does Jonstone represent a single figure or a larger cultural system? Finally, how does Bukowski’s depiction of Jonstone differ from Hank’s other supervisors?
