“Watching ‘Mad Men’ With My Mother”
English 1101.909
Professor Flores
June 22, 2014
“Watching ‘Mad Men’ With My Mother”
Elisabeth Donnelly’s short story “Watching ‘Mad Men’ With My Mother” reminds us that it is important to remember our history because hard won battles are easily forgotten by the next generation. The story begins with the daughter, Elisabeth, telling us in an almost incredulous voice, that despite all of its popularity and critical acclaim, her mother refused to conform and watch “Mad Men”. When they go shopping and Elisabeth praises a dress from the trendy “Mad Men” collection at Banana Republic, she is shocked by her mother’s reaction when she says, “Why would you want to go through that again? I really like wearing pants”.
When Elisabeth presses her to find out why she seems to have such strong feelings about anything related to this show, her mother explains that it is a painful reminder of her past. Instead of looking back and feeling nostalgic about the type of dress or hairstyles worn in her day, she felt as if she were watching the most painful part of her life flash before her eyes. She describes to her daughter an era of rampant chauvinism and sexism, one in which her main goal in life was serving her husband and making him happy. This was a revelation to Elisabeth because she always observed her parents as equals and was just beginning to understand that it wasn’t always so. Her mother’s life didn’t begin the day her daughter was born, and there was a painful journey to get to the well rounded woman that she was today. Elisabeth convinces her mother to watch the show with her so that she can get to know her better and understand the obstacles that she faced growing up.
Elisabeth belongs to a generation of women that enjoys limitless choice and they need to be reminded that it was not all that long ago that women were relegated to minding the children and swapping recipes regardless of their aspirations or level of intelligence. In an effort to garner ratings,
Professor Flores
June 22, 2014
“Watching ‘Mad Men’ With My Mother”
Elisabeth Donnelly’s short story “Watching ‘Mad Men’ With My Mother” reminds us that it is important to remember our history because hard won battles are easily forgotten by the next generation. The story begins with the daughter, Elisabeth, telling us in an almost incredulous voice, that despite all of its popularity and critical acclaim, her mother refused to conform and watch “Mad Men”. When they go shopping and Elisabeth praises a dress from the trendy “Mad Men” collection at Banana Republic, she is shocked by her mother’s reaction when she says, “Why would you want to go through that again? I really like wearing pants”.
When Elisabeth presses her to find out why she seems to have such strong feelings about anything related to this show, her mother explains that it is a painful reminder of her past. Instead of looking back and feeling nostalgic about the type of dress or hairstyles worn in her day, she felt as if she were watching the most painful part of her life flash before her eyes. She describes to her daughter an era of rampant chauvinism and sexism, one in which her main goal in life was serving her husband and making him happy. This was a revelation to Elisabeth because she always observed her parents as equals and was just beginning to understand that it wasn’t always so. Her mother’s life didn’t begin the day her daughter was born, and there was a painful journey to get to the well rounded woman that she was today. Elisabeth convinces her mother to watch the show with her so that she can get to know her better and understand the obstacles that she faced growing up.
Elisabeth belongs to a generation of women that enjoys limitless choice and they need to be reminded that it was not all that long ago that women were relegated to minding the children and swapping recipes regardless of their aspirations or level of intelligence. In an effort to garner ratings,