Thinking about the Text - Havrilesky and Mad Men

1. Heather Havrilesky’s main insight about Mad Men can be found after she asks the question, “What’s missing from this pretty picture?” First she describes the change and backwards evolution of the “American Dream”, portrays each of the characters and their stories, and then she goes into what we are left with. She answers the question in the final paragraph, “What’s missing…is empathy.”  She goes into that more deeply and brings up our discontent as a nation, and how perhaps we are losing our souls.

2. Havrilesky establishes her authority to write about this show throughout the article. She uses both exact facts about the show, like the actors and actresses names, as well as precise information. Someone familiar with the show can tell she knows what she’s talking about, but she’s also done it in a way that the unfamiliar folks can understand it.

3. Havrilesky appeals to readers’ emotions by tying the story in with American’s expectations and dreams. The first couple paragraphs have a universal element to them, anyone who reads them can understand and feel what she’s talking about. She closes this section with the statement that we are always falling short, and describing the impact this has on our young children.

4. I was not familiar with the show Mad Men when I read this essay. I feel like I have a pretty good grasp of its premise, although it’s hard for me to remember which character is which with having no faces to remember and very complex facts regarding their relations. I might watch this one; the way Havrilesky described each of the characters and their surroundings gave it a lot of depth. I want to see it myself now and find out what happens to the characters. I almost never watch TV shows, so getting me to want to watch anything is quite an accomplishment.