Mad Men: 5 Things We Learned From Don Draper (& 5 We Learned From Pete Campbell)

While Mad Men was often praised for its immaculate period details, the character work proves just as dexterous and interesting. Containing some of the most memorable characters in television history, the series often served as an intimate character study about how different people reacted to massive sociopolitical changes.

Leading the pack is Don Draper, the arguable main protagonist in the ensemble cast. Following close behind is Pete Campbell, who is given perhaps the greatest character arc in the entire show. Audiences can learn a little something from both characters, their flaws, and their many tragic mistakes.

10 Don: Cherish Family

One of Don’s biggest character flaws is his complete inability to feel secure in one place – or in one family. He is always on the run (both literally and figuratively), and this often results in him finding something (or someone) new.

Don seemingly has the perfect family back home, and while it’s obvious that he and Betty don’t especially love each other, they still share an intimate connection. And when Don’s family is taken away (as a result of his constant lies, deceptions, and absences), he turns into a messy alcoholic.

9 Pete: Cherish Family

In many ways, Pete Campbell serves as a mirror to Don Draper, and one of Don’s worst traits that he tragically inhabits is his penchant for skipping out on his family. Like Don, Pete is also prone to cheating on his wife and spending time away from the family – whether with other people or at work.

Unlike Don, Pete eventually gets over this tragic character flaw and reunites with Trudy at the end of season seven, resulting in them flying to Kansas to begin a new life. Pete was never happier than when he let go of his ego and accepted his humble family life.

8 Don: There’s No Running Away From Problems

Don’s defining character trait is his penchant for running away from problems. He ran away from his tragic home life and stole Don Draper’s identity to begin anew in New York. Whenever his past is revealed (or threatened to be revealed), he flies into a panic and runs away. Even when he joins McCann at the end of season seven, he runs away to avoid being a corporate cog.

However, his flights never result in peace of mind or happiness. It’s only when he accepts his problems, his flaws, and his place in the world that he returns to McCann and makes the greatest ad in history (maybe – the ending remains ambiguous).

7 Pete: Money Isn’t Everything

Pete seemingly has a perfect life. He has a loving wife, a young daughter, a great home with the latest and greatest in technology (like the stereo he’s proud to show off to Don and Ken), and a fantastic job that earns him a very solid living. Yet, he still isn’t happy.

When he’s listening to his fancy stereo, he’s often listening to it through headphones, alone in a dark room. There’s a lot of symbolism in this image, and it’s not until Pete returns to Trudy that he earns true happiness.

6 Don: Pretending Never Works

If there’s one character trait that defines Don outside of his penchant for running away, it’s his constant need to pretend. This is perhaps most succinctly represented through his very name – Don isn’t Don. He’s actually Dick Whitman pretending to be Don Draper.

There are numerous instances of Don pretending throughout the series, and in many ways, Don is the very definition of “fake it till you make it.” Unfortunately, Don doesn’t truly “make it” until he finally accepts who he is at both the spiritual retreat and the veterans’ dinner and earns some peace of mind.

5 Pete: Ambition Can Be Dangerous

Aside from maybe Peggy and Joan, Pete is the most ambitious character on Mad Men. He wants it all (like Don), including a good job, lots of clients, lots of money, and his name on the front door. Unfortunately, this often comes at a major cost to his personal life. He’s constantly stressed at work, he grows distant from Trudy, and the other employees find him less “ambitious” and more “annoyingly persistent.”

It’s not until that he lets go of “wanting it all” and accepts a humble life in Kansas with his family that he finally attains true happiness.

4 Don: Lying Never Works

Part of Don’s penchant for running away and pretending to be someone he’s not is his constant lying. Don rarely opens up to anyone, and he’s arguably the most emotionally closed-off member of the cast.

However, it’s interesting to note that Don’s relationships tend to grow stronger after he opens up, admits some type of truth, or reveals some type of vulnerability. Megan, Peggy, Joan, Betty, Anna, even Faye – are all women that Don has opened up to, most of whom know his true identity, and all of whom Don was closest to throughout the length of the story.

3 Pete: The Suburbs Can Be Soul-Crushing For Some

Mad Men wasn’t afraid of the harsh truths behind suburb living. Both Don and Pete weren’t very keen on living in the suburbs, but Pete took a particular hatred to the idea. As he hilariously told Trudy, “It’s an epic poem for me to get home!” Signal 30 is a great Pete-centric episode, and it nicely details the ways that suburban living is slowly chiseling away at Pete’s happiness.

The episode tellingly ends with the sound of a dripping faucet – a beautiful symbol for Pete’s broken soul. No matter what he tries, there’s no fixing something that is fundamentally broken.

2 Don: Real Healing Comes From Within

Don never wants to look inward. He constantly lies, runs from his problems, and tries to pretend that everything is fine when the truth is far darker and more menacing. Even when Don arrives at the spiritual retreat, he seems like a broken man. He doesn’t take it seriously, and when he calls Peggy, he seems on the verge of suicide.

However, he meets a kindred spirit in the disillusioned father and realizes that real happiness and peace can only come from within – and by connecting with others.

1 Pete: No Brown-Nosing

Early in the series, Pete is one of the most unlikable characters – a trait that certainly isn’t helped by his constant brown-nosing. He tries currying favor with Don (perhaps a little too unsubtly), only for Don to favor Peggy, owing to her strong work and work ethic.

And when he can’t connect with Don, he goes straight to Bert Cooper and reveals Don’s secret – only for Bert to shoo him away with a curt “who cares?” It’s only then that Pete starts taking his work seriously and realizes the right way to get ahead.

About The Author

Nathan Sharp
(852 Articles Published)

Nathan Sharp is a writer from outside Toronto, Ontario. He has a love of movies and television, having enjoyed them for more than twenty years. His preferences include drama, action, and horror, with the former being a particular point of interest and fascination.

He also has a love of video games, particularly those of Rockstar.

Whether it be about film, television, or video games, Nathan loves a good discussion and has written hundreds of articles for Screen Rant.

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