control-value theory

Overall, Peggy has a high sense of value and control when she looks back on her work and her accomplishments. However, when it comes to her personal life and her own morals, there’s a shift over the course of the show in the way retrospection impacts Peggy’s present actions. A pivotal moment for the show and for Peggy’s identity comes at the end of the first season. Peggy goes to the hospital with stomach pain only to find out she’s in labor and has been pregnant without knowing it. The father of the baby is her superior, Peter Campbell, who is married. After Peggy realizes what has happened and has had time to process, it’s incredibly damaging to her internal sense of control and to her appraisal of herself. When thinking of the past, and her decision to sleep with Peter, Peggy views the outcome of that (getting pregnant) as a failure, with high control placed on herself, which leads to extreme feelings of shame. Again, when it comes to work, Peggy feels in control and usually achieves the outcome she expects. But the outcome that came from sleeping with someone, when she knew she should not have, and her perceived control over the situation affected her future decisions for a long time.

When Peggy starts to enter into a relationship, she thinks about the future outcome of it, and views it as a failure that she has high control over. Knowing this brings relief, but it also stops Peggy from experiencing a true relationship. In the very last episode of the show, Peggy is able to break through that mindset. She finally realizes her feelings for Stan, a man she’s worked with for years, her best friend, and someone who fully knows her - including the fact that she’s had a baby and didn’t tell anyone. When he realizes it at the same time, her perceived amount of control over their future relationship is high, but the outcome of success is positive. She’s able to feel joy, where she’s always felt shame.