Ayn Rand was evoked yet again on the finale. Putting aside any discussion of Objectivism, Atlas Shrugged opens with the question, repeated throughout the book, “Who is John Galt?” That’s really the central question of Mad Men. Who is Don Draper? As we learned, Don Draper was not actually Don Draper. But every character is hiding something. It may not be a change of identity like Don, but for each of them, their own secret is just as devastating. Salvatore is homosexual. Harry is living in his office after a falling out with his wife. (And was this a result of his election night hook-up with Hilda, or a pre-existing condition? We don’t know. Who is Harry?) Joan is secretly having an affair with Roger and unable to emotionally connect to other human beings. Who is Peggy Olsen? Well, she’s a woman so out of touch with herself that she doesn’t even realize that she’s pregnant until she starts having contractions.
