Hi Students,
I hope you've been enjoying our viewings of Mad Men, and that at the very least, they're proving thought-provoking, or giving you some questions about US history and culture.
Here are a few questions to reflect on and respond to episode 2, Ladies Room:
1) What makes the the Ladies Room a significant or sacred place? What do we see happening there, specifically in terms of Peggy's character development?
2) What challenges are Peggy and Betty facing in this episode? Do you think that young women face the same pressures and fears today?
Hey! First of all, I like the show! One of my favourite things is that there are many implications or suggestions, and that not everything is openly said.
ReplyDeleteAnd now, my answers:
1)- To me, what makes the ladies' room significant in episode 2 is that it gives a sense of privacy as oppossed to the office, where women are considered public objects to be used and discarded by men. Concerning Peggy, when she first sees the woman crying in the ladies' room, she asks her "Are you OK?", while Joan couldn't care less about her. However, when Peggy enters the toilet for the second time (without Joan) and sees the same lady crying, she chooses to ignore her and, instead, faces her own reflection on the mirror, as a sign of self-assurance.
2)- It seems to me that one of the biggest challenges Betty and Peggy have to face is what is their places in the world are. Both of them are in an identity crisis (a break-off from their previous lives) and trying to figure out how to deal with their new situations. Undoubtedly, young women face similar pressures today. If not, why are they -and not men- asked for pictures in job applications? Doesn't this tell us what is expected from us?
2)- It seems to me that one of the biggest challenges Betty and Peggy have to face is what is their places in the world are.
ReplyDeleteVery insightful! I like the idea that they're both trying to find a niche in a world where women's roles are simply and rigidly defined.
As for the photos on job applications. Is that really true? In the US we learn not to attach a photo, nor list our age or marital status on job applications because discrimination based on these factors is explicitly outlawed. Check out some of the rules and see how English legal jargon looks at: http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/index.cfm
Yes, it is sadly true. Check out the local newspaper!
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