As 2011 approaches, I was a bit reflective, and wondered about the past season of MM, and if these characters that we’ve come to know and love really change.
Some of the changes have been oh so subtle, some not. Some surprisingly quicker than others, while others change at a snail’s pace, to the point of frustration and disappointment at times. I’d like to think I’ve cheered for the quiet, subtle changes as much as I’ve jeered the backward steps I think some of the characters have sometimes taken. Pete and Peggy have made obvious changes, although I do wonder how Peggy will react when she finds out Joan is pregnant. Joan is different from when we first met her in S1. Betty seems to hopefully be shifting in her view on things since Henry is more honest and open with her than Don was. And Don seems to be making attempts to try and make his life more open. He falls a lot, but he does get up and try again. As for Roger, well, I’m still hopeful for him too, though he seems resistant to change.
Change isn’t easy for the Roger’s, Don’s, Betty’s and Joan’s. They’re older, and more resistant to what change can bring. And change is easier when you’re younger, like peggy and Pete. But the human condition is a funny thing. It gets tested, and we sometimes rise to the occasion or we fall. But we get up and try again. Some slower than others. But we try and hope for the best. I don’t think I’d love MM if it were a show where everyone solved their problems in an hour. I love seeing these very flawed, complex characters try to take their baby steps or jump in, so I can root for all of them when they succeed. And even if they don’t, they get up anway and try again.
A healthy and happy New Year to all of you. See you in 2011!!
5 Responses to “Do People Ever Really Change?”
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Short answer: No, people don’t really change because the average person is full of self-loathing.
Long answer: The imperfect nature of the world and people alike means we’re always going to be looking for ways to make our lives better. Some people look deep within themselves and ask tough questions about why they do what they do. These people are in the minority.
The vast majority of folks will, thoughout their lives, look to the outside world to solve their personal ills. Often enough, people need to do this, especially if life dealt them a raw deal. I’m talking about those folks who were born into poverty, had some terrible thing happen to them because of someone else’s bad behaviour or what have you.
Yet for those folks that have grown into a world of entitlement and easy living, they’ll look to buying stuff to solve their problems. It’s never a way to fix things, but it’s sure easier and self-medicating to do so.
In another way, especially in the 20th century and the rise of our media culture, capitalism has thrived on the ability to exploit people’s insecurities and self-loathing by fostering that desire to buy more stuff.
It is in the capitalist interest to keep people unhappy and to not really change. Real change is possible when you are happy with yourself. If you like yourself, it’s remarkably easy to change aspects of your behaviour.
This, at the core, is why Don Draper will never change. He hates himself in a very fundamental way. His life is a lie and he’s constantly doing things to reinvent the Big Lie. Marrying Megan is his latest attempt to do so.
The moral of the story: Lies create moral vacuums for people. They destroy a person’s soul over time. They become creatures of nihilism.
At this point, we can only hope he’ll reveal the truth to Megan and she will accept the true Don/Dick. If she does, he may finally be happy. If she doesn’t, we’re back to square one with Don.
To sum it up: People don’t change unless they a) absolutely have to, or b) dig deep and face some scary shit about themselves.
I think people can change their behavior. They can’t change their very essence, but they can definitely change the way they react to things and learn to be more accepting and relaxed and so on.
I totally agree about the very flawed, complex characters. Almost all of them are very intriguing in their own way.
Happy New Year to you too, Lianne!
I think some people can change to one degree or another, but I think it’s such a very rare thing that it’s pointless to *expect* it. A piece of fiction should have one, maybe two characters who make significant changes if it’s going to hold any kind of mirror up to nature.
My wise old Grandma, who worked as a home care worker for the elderly, used to say, “People never change; they just become more like they used to be and ger worse and worse at hiding it.” This was in the context of helping grown children cope with what they saw as sudden changes in their aged parents, but what Grandma recognized as the parents letting out what they’d felt all along but kept toned down for their kids’ and propriety’s sake. That one old guy didn’t become a racist lecher overninght; he was just no longer able to be subtle about it. The old gent who used to give away all has candy and spare change started giving away his valuables because it was a natural extension of his life.
That’s kind of how I see Peggy. I think she was always Peggy, but in Bay Ridge under the thumb and watchful eye of Ma, Anita, and the neighborhood ladies, she never did any of the things we’ve come to hink of as her basic characteristics. She didn’t change; her circumstances allowed her to be more Peggy than they had before.
Yes, I believe we all change with life experience – usually for the worse. With MM we’re seeing many characters heading down the chute, a few static personalities and one elevation.
Don’s behavior has degraded from that of an opportunistic social climber to a sociopath capable of cannibalizing anyone he deems capable of filling his emotional void. Peggy, no longer a do-good girl Friday, has assumed the role of “worldly broad” looking out for her own best interests. Joan has thrown it in with the masses and our formerly independent woman now lives for her man. Roger’s gone obsolete, a shredded document only hanging around until the next incinerator burn. Lane’s rendered himself pointless and undeserving of respect by his peers. Betty, sucked dry by Don long ago, spits dessicated ashes of her former self in a sad attempt to assert a place in the living world.
Watching the core MM characters implode over the past 4 years has been like a peering into black hole of emotional failure.
I’m guessing only our minor planets can expect to survive the trip. Pete, who discovered himself and now plays hard but plays straight. Ken, who at least understands real priorities. Henry, who escapes the mess by living in a separate universe. And finally, Sally who will realize it isn’t her – it’s them, and then write the memoirs.
Change can be singular, as discussed above, but do not ignore the dynamic of the duo. Change can be the result of the symbiosis of the pairing. Would Pete’s change be different if without Trudy? Would Peggy’s change be different without Freddie? Would Bert’s change be different without Ernie?