F.R.I.E.N.D.S holds a very special place in the hearts of us millennials. We’ve grown up watching the six friends learning to adult, and they’ve managed to teach us a thing or two about it as well. On most days, when we’re in the middle of a bad job, relationship or general drama, we can always turn to these six people for comfort.
What really makes the show so loved and relevant to this day is how real it is. It doesn’t show perfect adults who live their perfect lives, with problems sprinkled here and there. The problems are very much real, be it finding the right job or something as basic as learning to do the laundry (Yes, we’re talking about Rachel).
No other character personifies these real problems like Rachel Green does. Her story is all about starting from the scratch and overcoming hurdles, and it continues to inspire young girls watching the show.
Two decades ago, when Rachel barged into Central Perk in her wedding dress after having left her fiancé at the alter, most people wrote her off as daddy’s spoiled princess. She was naive, hadn’t worked a single day in her life and definitely didn’t know about how much ”the real world sucks.” When her character started on that note, it reminded me of how I felt when I moved out of home for the first time.
The same naivety and the lack of any experience is what makes Rachel so relatable.
When she got cut off financially by her father, Rachel had no idea how to manage her expenses. She planned on getting “one of those job things.” Just like all of us, Rachel was clueless when she started out. She ended up with a job she didn’t quite like. For a girl who grew up with a lot of material pleasures, becoming a waitress was a tough task. She cribbed, cried and got frustrated, but her effort was commendable.
That’s why when she sends out applications to multiple organisations for a new job, you can’t help but root for her. And with every single season, she grows. She attains an ambition that she was initially devoid of. Maybe that is exactly why her growth is so inspiring. She goes from being a waitress to a successful lady who turns down an offer to work in Paris.
It isn’t just the professional growth that you see in Rachel, it is also the personal growth that makes you admire her. She was a typical rich girl when she came to New York. Apart from never having a job before, Rachel was absolutely clueless about how to manage herself.
She started off with being a laundry virgin and barely managing herself. Something all of us experience when we move away from home. However, when we see Rachel transforming from an amateur into a woman who runs her own life, we know that there is hope for all of us. What makes us admire her even more is her gracious decision to embrace motherhood while staying single.
When you see her making that decision, it is almost unbelievable that it is the same girl who once didn’t have a clue about the real world.
Rachel Green also makes no apologies for her sexuality. She knows she is pretty, she isn’t afraid to flirt with a guy she finds attractive and neither does she shy away from relationships. She knows what she wants and she puts herself out there. But never does she forget to keep her self-respect as her top priority.
The separation between her and Ross was quite hurtful, especially for the fans, but she believed they were not on a break. She felt she could not take Ross back and we had to accept her decision.
Even when she got off the plane to Paris to be Ross’ lobster, she did it on her own terms, teaching all the young girls out there to hold their ground firmly.
And her sense of humour was something that we girls should take note of. From calling out patriarchy to making fun of privilege, Rachel Green taught us to speak our mind and to always keep it real.
And at times, Rachel shared the same sort of anxieties that we do. From her job to her relationship status, she faced hurdles in all spheres of life. We saw her being confused, breaking down but still fighting. It’s so good to see a character echoing reality and making us comfortable with the fact that life isn’t always a bed of roses.
