1. Engoron’s evaluation begins with an appreciation of the positive qualities of the television series Mad Men. How does this strategy help establish her ethos? How does praising some parts of the show allow Engoron to be more critical in later parts of the essay? (See “Consider how well reasoned a piece is”, and Chapter 21, “Critical Thinking”.)

2. At what points in her essay does Engoron rely on literary analysis to evaluate the success of Mad Men? (See Chapter 7, “Literary Analyses”) What other aspects of the show would lend themselves to this strategy? Pick one such aspect and write a paragraph analyzing it as though it were literature.

3. What is Engoron’s underlying assumption about how television characters (especially women) should be depicted? What criteria does she use to determine if the depiction of characters is fair, and how does she support these criteria? (See “Establish and defend criteria” and Chapter 21, “Critical Thinking”.)

4. Has your opinion of any television show changed over time? How has your opinion changed? Form a thesis statement that states how your opinion has changed about this television show. (See Chapter 24, “Thesis” and “Expect your thesis to mature”.)

5. WRITING: Choose a television show that depicts your own generation and evaluate it based on what it says about gender roles. Concentrate on characters one at a time, as Engoron does. Does this show do a good or bad job of representing you and your peers? Why do you think so?