Roos Brekelmans
0419451
Accurate
English
1043 words
Compulsive Prince Charming Disorder: Neo-Traditionalism in Sex and the City
According
to the Collins COBUILD Dictionary the emancipated woman is free from traditional social restraints.
She is independent, makes her own decisions and does not rely on anyone
else but herself. She can live her life by herself and does not need a husband
to make her life complete. At least, these are the characteristics of the modern
and fully emancipated woman. It is said that perfect illustrations to these
modern values of female life are the recent novels and series belonging to the
chick lit genre, such as Sex and the City.
Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City’s
heroine, is supposed to embody the main aspects of this renewed life-style for
the modern independent woman. Although her love life seems to be emancipated,
it is at heart very traditional. Only outward appearances that are bound by
time and place have changed. Firstly, Carrie is very open-minded about her sex
life, but all the more she wants to find a someone special. Although she also
has many more opportunities in her life than women in earlier days had, she
still decides to choose love over everything else. Furthermore, her drive to
find a partner is love, not rational reasons like necessity or obligation.
Carrie’s search for love is essentially highly traditional.
Carrie’s sex life may appear very
modern and emancipated, she still yearns for traditional values. As a consequence
of emancipation, a woman like Carrie is more open about her love life and it is
common for her to have more partners in her life. Simplified, Carrie is allowed
to experience enjoyment while looking for her true love. But just because she
is more sexually active, does not preordain that she stops looking for
something more special. Despite the fact that she can be satisfied by more
meaningless relationships, she persists in finding a someone to live her life
with. She sees her one night stands as lesser alternatives to fill up here life
until a real lover comes along. When Samantha and Miranda are discussing how
good it would be if women just have sex without any real relationship, both
Charlotte and Carrie respond very traditional,
Although Carrie has many
opportunities, she irrationally chooses love over anything else. Women of
today, like Carrie, have more possibilities and different choices. This is
exactly what Carrie’s life consists of. She has a job of her own, regular
short-term relationships and her own apartment. Also she finds great joy in
spending time with her friends. She can be defined as emancipated and happy.
Only all these things are not enough. Carrie feels that there is something
important missing from her life, a suitable man. During a phone conversation,
Mr. Big says, “That is why I will never get married again.” To which Carrie’s
voice-over responds, “I had to focus on breathing and hung up the phone. Could
I date a man who would never get married?” (“The Turtle and the Hare”) This
response demonstrates how traditional Carrie still is in her relationships. As Hymowitz
says in the City Journal: “Miranda Hobbs, Sex and the City’s
redhead, has abandoned hooking up and a
Carrie: I’m going, to
Miranda: What about your job?
Carrie: I quit.
Miranda: What? […] What are you
going to do over there, without your job? Eat croissants?
Carrie: Why are you so unsupportive?
Miranda: I’m sorry, but I don’t
understand why you have to move away and give up your life. (“Splat!”)
Although Carrie can choose almost anything she wants to do, she still
chooses the mere possibility of traditional love over all her other better
possibilities.
Carrie does not need a man in the
old-traditional practical way, but she longs for him motivated by indefinable
love. Traditions are old-fashioned customs, passed on from generation to
generation, of how people used to live their lives. In the traditional days it
was simply the thing to do for a woman to get married around a certain age. She
would then move out of her paternal home and live with her husband, who would
provide for her. Nowadays cultures and habits have changed and therefore the
motives for marriage. The marital motives that used to be based on pure
practical reasons and traditions, have now evolved into a difficult search for
‘true love’ and personal happiness. It appears that women like Carrie make
their search even more difficult, not only because of their motives, but also
due to their strict ideas of a perfect man. As soon as any good man that comes
along does not live up to her list, he will be rejected. In her relationship
with Ray, which she is enjoying greatly, Carrie feels something is lacking and
she ends it. As in a the following scene, where Carrie cries out, “Stop! Can’t
we just sit and talk? You know, just talk.” Her voice-over than comments, “I
realised Ray wasn’t spontaneous, unpredictable and thrilling. […] What kind of
a relationship could I have with a guy I couldn’t even talk to? I’d have to end
it.” (“What’s Sex Got To Do With It?”) Carrie’s more modern search for love is
mainly determined by higher demands, because love is a different goal than
old-fashioned security. Even when Carrie is not inadequate without a husband for
practical reasons, she still needs him. The change of motives does not change
the traditional meaning of marriage, it even enlarges it because of the
importance of love itself. Carrie does not need a man to support her in any
way, yet she desires him still from the traditional motive of love.
It cannot be said that the modern
woman like Carrie in the chick lit genre is not traditional in her search for
love, simply because these traditions have changed. The idea of finding a
partner and love, is still very traditional and only its outside is adapted by
present times. Carrie’s sex life complies with modern standards, despite this
she still longs for the traditional man. Carrie’s life is also rich of
opportunities and choices, though she chooses love over any of these
possibilities. Likewise, Carrie’s motives for love are the more modern ones of
her own love and happiness, in comparison to the former rational practical
reasons. In a modern context this woman’s search is still immensely traditional
at heart.
Works Cited
Editors et Al. Collins COBUILD English Dictionary for Advanced
Learners. 3rd Ed. Glasgow.
HarperCollins Publishers, 2001.
Hymowitz, Kay. “It’s Morning After in
Koike, Makato. Globalizing Media
and Local Society in
“Sex and the City”. Sex and the
City. Susan Seidelman. Sarah
Jessica Parker, Kim Catrall, Cynthia
Nixon, Kristin Davis. HBO. 1998.
“Splat!” Sex and the City. Julian Farino. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim
Catrall, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis.HBO.
2004.
“The Turtle and the Hare”. Sex and
the City. Michael Fields. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Catrall, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis.
HBO. 1998.
“What’s Sex Got To Do With It?”. Sex
and the City. Allen Coulter. Sarah
Jessica Parker, Kim Catrall,
Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis.HBO. 2002.