domingo, 29 de agosto de 2010

"Mad Men" Episode 3: Marriage of Figaro

Hi guys! These are Brian's questions for this week's episode. Answer them, please.

1) How do the different characters relate to the idea of marriage?Compare/contrast the opinions of at least two people.

2) Based on all the three episodes we've seen so far, which behaviorsor vices do the characters find unacceptable? Which behaviors have weseen that are taboo or shocking by today's standards?

3) Why do you think the housewives feel so threatened by Helen Bishop?

6 comentarios:

  1. Hi everybody! Let´s start for the first question. I think that the idea of marriage has different effects on different people. For instance, in the one hand, Pete Campbell, the one who just got marry, sees marriage as an objective to achieve, as the right thing to do and as something secure. He affirms this when he says: “Marriage is pretty swell!” or when he says something like “Dinner is waiting for me when I get home”, so marriage, in a way, gives him security that something (the meal, in this case) or someone is waiting for him. Besides, he respects his wife when he tells Peggy that they have nothing more to do with each other because now, he is a married man.
    But, on the other hand, it is Don who shows very different behaviors from Pete. For example, he does not even believe in love. How will he see marriage as something swell then? He says that love is product of advertisements. So, as he doesn´t believe in love, he is always cheating on his wife. Despite he has a “perfect family”, a beautiful house, and even a dog, he doesn´t feel comfortable living in that way. We can see this at his daughter´s birthday when he goes to look for the cake and he ends up alone in his car watching the world go by. In conclusion, I can say that while Pete does believe in marriage, Don doesn´t.

    Concerning the second question, I can say that there are more vices than virtues in the main characters. For instance some of the vices are cheating on a relationship, smoking everywhere (even in the consulting room), drinking, thinking about oneself, greed and sex (in men when they talk about the Playboy magazine, and in women when Joe shows the book that was carrying in her bag).
    I consider that the most shocking behavior in the actual society was when the woman was smoking and she was pregnant! Or when the doctor was also smoking in the consulting room. It seems to me as if the room was unhealthy or something like that.

    Well, finally, the last question. For me, women feel so threatened by Helen Bishop because she is divorced and seems to have a strong personality and the capacity to live by her own. I believe that the housewives, in a way, envy the ability and strength that Helen possesses which help her not to depend on any man. She is an independent woman and has the right to do whatever she wants, that is why women see her as the “enemy”.

    That´s all for today… see you on Friday to go on watching the next episode!

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  2. Hello class!I have to say I´m enjoying all these episodes and I also hope all of you too!I will choose the second question to discuss.My view is that in the third episode, I cuold see several vices.For example, men as well as women smoke,drink,cheat their couples.That could be seen in many scenes all over these three episodes we have seen so far.Another shocking scene is when a woman(I don´t remenber who)hits a little boy in his face and,as luz said before,when a woman that is conscious of the fact that she is pregnant,smokes regularly.Furthermore, selfishness and greed are present as there is some kind of influence on the behaviour of both men and women because of the decade they are living.All these kind of actions show us a particular aspect of society which,in fact,is really ahrdo to change.That´s all,see you tomorrow in EDI!

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  4. Hello everyone! I´m Vale! Ok, let’s see the fist question. On the one hand I would say that Don (who has a different opinion from Pete) finds MARRIAGE unacceptable. He doesn’t feel happy and that there is no way out. Although he has a “perfect family”, he cheates on her wife and fells that he is oppresed. This attitude is which prevent him from being happy, so that is why I think that he doesn’t believe in marriage and finds it awful.
    On the other hand, I would say that some people in the movie, specially women, are against DIVORCE and find it unacceptable, because they think it is a sin, that is why they look down the poor divorced woman. (who in fact-answering the third question- is distinguished by being very strong, and by possessing the “ability” of living without a husband. I strongly believe that the women of the serie feel threatened by her. Perhaps, as Luz has just said, they are envy of her attitude towards life without being married)
    As far as the question concerning the attitudes and behaviours that are considered taboo or shocking by today’s society standars, I would say that a clear example is that people smok everywhere, including restaurants, offices, bathrooms, trains, and even consulting rooms. They are not aware of the smoking problems, and the fact that when someone smokes in an indoor place, not only affects his/her own health, but also affects passive smokers health. Personally speaking, seeing a pregnant woman smoking is one of the most mean things I’ve seen.
    Well, that’s all. See you at six, bye!

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  5. Hello Everybody!!! How are you???
    1-Well, I am going to consider two characters so as to answer this question. On the one hand, Don who doesn´t enjoy being married at all. In spite of having the perfect family with a perfect house as well as a beautiful wife, he is unfaithful and he seems to be lost when he is at home with his family. On the other hand, Peter, the man who has just returned from his honeymoon, seems to be happy of being married. Moreover, he feels well when he thinks that he is going to have the dinner done when he comes back from work. He also shows that he doesn´t want to go on with the relationship with Peggy.
    2-Considering the second question, from my point of view, most of the characters in “Mad Men” have bad habits such as to smoke everywhere as well as drinking a lot no matter where and with whom they are. Taking into account this aspect, it is unacceptable for us these days to smoke while you are pregnant or when a doctor is working.
    3-Well, taking into consideration Helen Bishop, she is a special woman because she is divorced and she seems to have a different personality and way of life. Moreover, for me, the other women in “Mad Men” in a way envy Helen Bishop´s life. I think that what they want is to have a personality as strong as Helen´s.
    See you soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Luci… =)

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  6. Hi mates! How are you doing?
    Well, these are my opinions…
    1) I decided to compare Don and Betty, husband and wife. On the one hand, Betty feels marriage is a sort of salvation, not only economically but also from criticism. She thinks marriage is what every woman should live and look for. On the other hand, Don feels marriage as a burden he can’t get rid of. When we watched the scene of the train I thought about a metaphor: Don not only considered escaping, but, personally speaking, he also watched his life passing by before his eyes not being able to do anything about it.
    2) Well, we have seen a lot of vices so far! Above all smoking and drinking. Some behavior Betty find unacceptable are being single or divorced and looking fat or have a scar (remember her daughter?). I was shocked by the scene in which the pregnant woman was smoking and drinking. And she also asked Don to have a shower together!
    3) They feel threatened because she is divorced and strong enough to go on with her life alone. She can also look after two children and be in charge of a house by herself. I think they feel divorce is contagious or something like that.
    That’s all for now! See you!!!!

    Loli!

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