Critique of Ashley’s “Application for Employment”

At first the piece seems to be an ordinary barista application for a 16-year-old Pendledton Roberts, but as soon as it is revealed that the applicant has an impairment that would interfere with her to perform, the experimentation begins.  The narration, told from Pendleton’s point of view in the response boxes, clearly demonstrates that the applicant is emotionally unstable and hints to her hiatus from school.  The explanation for her impairment is withheld until the final page, where the reader realizes that the former high school student experienced a breakdown after losing her position in the student body government, attempted suicide in the art room, and was subsequently asked to leave school.  Though she will likely not get the position, Pendleton’s job application makes for a great experiment with text.  The story, however, only covers a small portion of the whole text, so it may be beneficial to spread it across several applications to the same establishment.  This would allow for more narration and reinforce Pendleton’s instability.