The document analyzes how Mad Men portrays female characters within the social norms of 1960s America. It discusses three main female character archetypes: the housewife (Betty Draper), the sexual object (Joan Holloway), and the career woman (Peggy Olson). While constrained by the male-dominated society and workplace, the female characters are interesting, dynamic, and fully developed. They strive to find companionship and financial support while enduring misogyny and humiliation from men.

1. GENDER REPRESENTATION IN MAD MEN
THE WOMEN OF THE 1960s
How does Mad Men, a modern drama series, progressively
portray its female characters within the social constructs
of the 1960s American world in which it takes place?
•Focuses on the business and
personal lives of 1960s advertising
executives
•Male-dominated workplace/home
•However, the female characters are
interesting, dynamic, and fully
developed.

2. THE HOUSEWIFE
•Begins series defined by husband, family, and home
•Connected through imagery within the home
•Washing machine, kitchen, car, etc.
•Begins to break away from Don
•Questions his fidelity and identity
•In doing so she breaks away from her own
identity
•Divorces Don and immediately remarries
•Constricted to the expectations of the time
period

3. THE SEXUAL OBJECT
•Overly sexualized in the office
•Desired by everyone; even a woman
•However, has power other than her sexuality
•Controls other women in the office
•Later even has power over some men
•But still dominated by men
•Raped by her fiancé
•Control over her body
•Has an affair with a married man
•Has an abortion

4. THE CAREER WOMAN
•Physical & professional evolution
•Becomes increasingly beautiful and
successful over the course of the series
•Correlation?
•From secretary to copywriter
•Focuses on career over other aspects of life
•Very few romantic relationships
•Ends them due to work
•Gives away baby from unplanned
pregnancy
•Don as professional mentor but
personal equal

5. "The women - Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss), an aspiring copywriter… and
Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks), a head secretary at Sterling Cooper -
are a fascinating, heterogeneous group. They are divided by their class
status, interests and professional aspirations, yet connected by their
desperate attempts to escape solitude and somehow reconcile their career
plans with the controlling presence of men in their lives. These women strive
for companionship, financial support and protection, and endure humiliation
and misogyny, fearful about opposing the rhetoric and actions of their
colleagues, lovers and bosses. Suburban married life, on the other hand, is
presented as a synonym for misery and depression. The experiences of Betty
Draper (January Jones), Don's wife and a former model… are all cleverly
juxtaposed with the everyday events in the office.”
- Boris Irbic
Mad Men’s depictions of women in the
1960s is as progressive as it can be while
CONCLUSION: remaining realistic for the time period. The
several female characters on the show
provide opportunities for diverse portrayals
of different female lifestyles of the era.