On Not Escaping Yourself: Jewish Conceptions of Memory, Time, and Redemption in Mad Men

Abstract

In this article, I explore the seven seasons of Mad Men for its religious content with special attention given to how Judaism is a constant undercurrent throughout the show. In particular, Matthew Weiner's exploration of memory and time draws on several Jewish theological themes that challenge linear and progressive notions of time's passing. The constellation of past, present, and future is most fully displayed in the hero of Mad Men, Don Draper's (John Hamm) narrative journey. Draper, in spite of his efforts to escape the past, is, in fact, shaped by complex and powerful memories that are always operative just beneath the surface of his struggles. His memories not only offer insight into his character, but they are fundamentally constitutive of his present identity, as past and present blend together. His present story likewise points to a future that is only partially revealed in Mad Men's finale. In this article, I hope to show how understanding Jewish conceptions of time and memory is also helpful in unpacking the show's enigmatic ending where, as I shall argue, Draper finds redemption through the ordering of time and memory.