1. Havrilesy's main insight about Mad Men is how the idea of the American Dream is so far from the reality. In the fourth paragraph, she says; "Maybe this is why AMC's hit series Mad Men... resignates so clearly at this point in history, when the promise of the boom years has given way to two wars, a stubborn recession and a string of calamities that threaten to damage our way of life irreparably. Somehow Mad Men captures this ultra-medicated, postmodern moment, underscoring the disconnect between the American dream and reality by distilling our deep seated frustrations as a nation into painfully palpable vignettes."
2. Havrilesky establishes her authority to write about this show when she thoroughly describes specific events that happen in the show. This represents her authority because it shows that she knows enough about the show and watches it enough to gather a conclusion based on evidence.
3. She appeals to reader's emotions throughout the entire analysis because she includes the audience in her analysis by saying things like "we can see here...". This makes the audience feel connected to the author and includes them in the analysis. A good example of this is in the third paragraph on page 174 where she states; "Behind the impeccable facade, of course, we see the longing in Pete Campbell's tired face, we see the fear in Betty's eyes as she sits down to dinner with her brand new mother in law." By wording the analysis this way, any reader, even if they have never watched the show, can connect to what she is describing and feel involved.
4. I haven't watched Mad Men, but after reading this analysis I fell that I can understand the basic concept of the show as she described it. The author has inspired me to watch it simply to be able to further connect to this analysis and make an informed decision on whether I agree with her inferences or not.
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