The Character of Rachel Green

Friends is one of, if not the, best comedy series of all time. Fifteen years after its finale, audiences still rewatch this show with spectacular interest.

And that makes sense. Friends is amazing. It’s a pivotal point not only for comedy, but also for television and the entire entertainment history.

The true core of all this are, surely, the friends. Chandler, Ross, Joey, Monica, Phoebe, and, of course, Rachel. All exquisite people and exquisite characters with fantastic actors behind that truly carry the show forward even to this day.

The character that probably changes the most throughout the series is Rachel Green. Unlike the rest five, Rachel is new to the group in the beginning episodes. She’s just run away from her wedding, she’s spoiled, she’s bitter, and not a very nice person.

So naturally, Friends develops Rachel Green into a much higher quality human.

Her family.

A lot of what Rachel used to be, and still is in the beginning, comes through from her relationship with her father. Her mother, too, but not so much. Because it’s Dr. Leonard Green that truly shapes Rachel into the person she is when first arriving to New York.

Her father rich and successful. A demanding person, too. A busy man, a doctor, an angry man. So he gives Rachel anything she wants. It’s easier than doing actual parenting. Unfortunately for Dr. Green, this shapes his daughter into a flawed human. She becomes expecting, she can’t handle problems on her own, she becomes arrogant, selfish.

The school.

And the fact that Rachel is the most popular girl in school isn’t helping either. The fact that she’s the most beautiful girl and the fact that all the boys want her makes her even more self-absorbed. More irresponsible and less truthful within.

Thankfully, Monica is there during Rachel’s high-school years. The truth is, if Monica wasn’t her friend, if she didn’t stick to her side at all times, and if Rachel didn’t keep Monica around for whatever mysterious reason, then the young Geller daughter would have probably become a horrible person. Possibly so that she’d even be beyond change.

The friends.

But fortunately, Monica is there for Rachel again later in life. She’s there for her when she’s almost become something else completely. But not so yet; because Rachel did escape her wedding, so a light shines somewhere ahead.

Chandler, Monica, Phoebe, and Joey take the girl in. They befriend her. They become close and they share. Most importantly, they help her. Maybe this isn’t as conscious as some make it out to be, but it’s there nevertheless. It doesn’t matter if they intended to change Rachel or to make her a better human because at the end of the day, they succeeded in doing exactly that.

Probably simply because of the time they spend with her. Probably because Rachel had been around stupid and worthless people her whole life before and this was a nice change of tone for her. To spend quality time with quality people who are actually nice. Maybe, probably, in fact, this opened up the true side of Rachel. So a few seasons ahead, she grows.

Rachel grows so much it’s unbelievable. She changes. She becomes good. Yes, she keeps some of her old character traits, but in a more playful and harmless way.

And Ross.

But the real reason behind Rachel’s character growth might be even more specific. It might be Ross.

The first truly great man in her life. And although Rachel didn’t realize it, every man before Ross wasn’t good for her. Just as her family and friends, the men in Rachel’s life were picked wrongly and were a bad influence.

And then came Ross. A good person. Someone who supports her, who trusts her, who helps her grow, and who loves her. The sad truth is, before Ross Rachel probably never felt true love.

Which is probably why Ross sleeping with someone else mere hours after they broke up hurt Rachel so much. It shattered not only their relationship, but everything Ross stood for in her mind. Thus, everything she had accomplished, all that successful character growth, everything that’s a consequence of who Ross is, becomes doubtful. Him sleeping with someone else was the worst possible reality break Rachel could have experienced.

Rachel Green —

Is someone who grows. Someone who changes, someone who evolves, someone who learns what it’s like to be a good person and to feel loved. And, in turn, to love back. Rachel comes to New York as a flawed person. And she serves as a vessel for something very important, something truly extraordinary, that this show tries to teach us.

Your friends can change you. So surround yourself with good people. Then, you can be good, too.

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Character analysis of Chuck Bass here.

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Tags: analysis, chandler, character, friends, joey, monica, phoebe, rachel green, ross, sitcom