To finish with the example of elements of characterization present in the Mad Men series , we are going to recover one of the features that we mentioned in the first article dedicated to this topic: the hidden past.
The hidden past is one of the most interesting characteristics of a character. This hidden past can be:
- unknown to the other characters and to the viewer
- unknown to the viewer, but not to the other characters
- unknown to the other characters, but not to the viewer
- unknown to the same character of whom nothing is known: cases in which a memory failure has occurred, as in Memento(2001) or Unknown (2011).
In the case of Mad Men, the hidden past of the protagonist, Don Draper, is one of the central themes in the first season , but also the theme that unites the rest of the seasons . Although in the first season both the viewer and Pete Campbell discover that Don’s real name is Dick Whitman, the rest of the characters – like Betty Draper – will take a little longer to really know who Donald Draper is, including some of his « best friends »will never know Don’s true identity.
What use is a hidden past? Basically to create intrigue in the story . We know that a character does not tell the whole truth and that in that hidden past there is something dark that, if revealed, would cause a sudden change in the relationships between the affected characters . Although this past must remain hidden for much of the story, it is good that the viewer has some indications of what happened. If it is kept completely secret, there is a risk that it will not interest you. At the end of the day, what matters is that the viewer is aware that at any moment everything can change.
This is precisely what is accomplished with Don Draper’s past. Although some characters find out Don’s true story, his most powerful environment will never be discovered. And yet Don is haunted by this past throughout the series , be it through the memory of his brother’s suicide, be it through the flashbacks of his childhood in the brothel, or through existence first and death after Lt. Donald Draper’s real wife. In fact, Don Draper would not be the same if he did not have that dark past, since the cynicism of the advertising creative only makes sense if it is understood as a mask .
In these four posts dedicated to the basic elements of characterization, we have mentioned some of the best reflected in what could be considered the best television series of the last decade: Mad Men .
