Themes and message

Job satisfaction

In some ways, "Pill Pusher" is a story about job satisfaction, and how to find value in the work that you do - a theme which fits the story's focus on Millenials. The narrator feels disillusioned and thinks of her work as a waste of her talents, which might even be potentially harmful and cause addictions. She is tired, stressed out and she hates the people she are meant to help.

However, when she is offered a glimpse of the terrible hardships that one of her customers face, she realises both that her own situation is not as bad as it could be, and - more importantly - that she is actually in a position to offer genuine help to people in desperate need. After her kind interaction with the woman at the end of the story, we get the sense that she is able to see the value of the work that she does, and that this new perspective will help her find satisfaction in her work in the future.

Misconceptions

Another important theme of the story is the way people perceive each other. The text reflects how first impressions can lead to false assumptions about the intent and character of another person.

The narrator has a dismissive attitude towards her customers and makes assumptions about them based on the way they look or b...