In Sex and the City, Carrie dedicates her first book to her good friend Charlotte, the eternal optimist, who always believes in love.
Charlotte York-Goldenblatt is indeed love's biggest cheerleader on the show. The most traditional of her friends, Charlotte craves monogamy, marriage, and children. Some may dismiss her as backward and anti-feminist but the fact is that a lot of viewers share her desires. However, there are times when Charlotte's privilege and old-fashioned sensibilities make fans roll their eyes and question how her friends tolerate her. So, is Charlotte a relatable everywoman, an insufferable Park Avenue Princess, or somewhere in between?
RELATED: Wants To Get Married
At the beginning of the series, Carrie and Miranda are on the fence about marriage and there's nothing Samantha could want less. But landing a husband is Charlotte's stated goal from the moment viewers meet her.
Yes, it's important to have a sense of self beyond being married, but so many viewers can relate to wanting to find "the one". Charlotte would much rather have a home-cooked meal and snuggle up with the love of her life than go to countless trendy restaurants with the latest Mr. Wrong.
DIDN'T: Pushes Her New Boyfriend To Propose
Like Charlotte, many fans dream about not only getting married but receiving a fairytale proposal. And there's nothing wrong with that. But when Charlotte wants Trey to put a ring on it after a whopping month together, the way she goes about it is ill-advised.
While a month is a little soon for most couples to get engaged, if Charlotte and Trey are on the same page about it, great. But they never really have a conversation until Charlotte proposes to herself — using a manipulative tactic she learned from Trey's mom. On top of that, she gets upset when Trey "alrighty"s her proposal. A lackluster proposal can be disappointing but in this scenario, Charlotte has nobody to blame but herself.
RELATED: Lets Loose Once In A While
As prim and proper as she is, even Charlotte needs to let her hair down sometimes. When her bedroom problems with Trey become overwhelming, Charlotte gets together with her old sorority sisters. She drinks a bit too much and candidly discusses her sexual frustration.
Everyone has been in Charlotte's shoes for one reason or another. Whether it's intimacy issues, fights with a partner, or work stressors, everyone feels better after venting to friends and blowing off steam, whatever that looks like.
DIDN'T: Judgmental
Charlotte may have been on the receiving end of judgment after her tipsy lunch with the Kappa Kappa Gammas, but she has no problem doling it out to her best friends. She slut-shames Carrie for having an affair with Big and Samantha for sleeping with her brother. Charlotte is also insensitive to Miranda when she considers having an abortion.
While Charlotte has her reasons for her reactions, ultimately it's not up to her to condemn her friends just because they make different choices than she would.
RELATED: Conflict With In-Laws
The old adage says that when you marry someone, you're also marrying their family. This is almost never without some conflict whether coming from pre-established familial bonds or just plain hostility.
As soon as Charlotte meets Bunny, she knows that the MacDougal matriarch is determined to be the most important woman in Trey's life, even after he's married. Charlotte and Trey don't have a long marriage, but she still suffers from Bunny's superiority complex and withering stink eye.
DIDN'T: Unaware Of Her Privilege
Many viewers have privilege they aren't aware of, but Charlotte takes hers to new heights. Not long after marrying Trey, she wants to quit her job because... she saw a woman glazing a bowl. While not everyone is a career person and circumstances can change after marriage, usually a huge professional shift is something that's discussed and planned. What's even more infuriating is that after Charlotte and Trey divorce, she decides she wants to go back to work and she pitches a fit because she can't get hired. Is she forgetting that she left her job for no good reason in the first place?
That's just the tip of the iceberg. As perky and polite as she is, Charlotte looks down on anyone she considers "working class", from Steve to her pedicurist. It's pretty upsetting to watch.
RELATED: Leaves A Marriage To Pursue Her Desires
On paper, Charlotte and Trey have the perfect marriage. But right from the start, there are problems and they only get worse when Charlotte finds out it'll be very difficult for her to get pregnant. When Trey says he no longer wants children, Charlotte makes the tough decision to divorce.
Either way, her struggle is relatable. In a marriage, a fork in the road like this never leads to an easy choice. No matter what Charlotte decides, she's incredibly sympathetic in this scenario.
DIDN'T: Ludicrous Reasons For Breaking Up With People
While differing desires on kids is a big deal and a totally understandable reason for ending a relationship, Charlotte has dumped men for reasons that are far more shallow.
In the first season, after a string of bad luck on the dating scene, Charlotte finally meets the elusive "Marrying Guy," the rare species of Manhattan man who is just as eager to get married as she is. And while a couple needs more between them than a mutual desire to get wed, Charlotte and Sean really seem to hit it off. So what's the problem? He likes different china. Yep, that's it. Could there be a more ridiculous, privileged reason to break up with someone?
RELATED: Trouble Adjusting To Living With A Partner
Charlotte and Harry are really a match made in heaven but right off the bat they have a "teabagging" situation — Harry leaves his used, wet teabags all over the place. Charlotte knows she has a tendency to be a little persnickety, so she keeps her mouth shut for the harmony of the household. However, eventually she can't help herself and blurts out her problem to Harry, who is completely sympathetic to her plight.
Everyone who has moved in with a partner can relate. You could be the happiest couple in the world, but there are always unsavory living habits you discover about your partner when you're together under one roof.
DIDN'T: Ashamed Of Sleeping With A Less Attractive Partner
Harry may have turned out to be the Prince Charming that Charlotte was looking for all along, but she didn't always see him that way. In fact, he started as her divorce lawyer, specifically hired because Charlotte wasn't attracted to him.
When Charlotte and Harry start having sex, she insists they keep it quiet. This isn't out of any desire for privacy but rather because she's embarrassed about sleeping with someone she considers beneath her league. This is just superficial and cruel. Most people have partners they regret, but Harry is the opposite. He's a great guy and viewers found themselves falling in love with him, not cringing at him.