Charlotte York from Sex And The City was many things, a great mother, a spirited socialite, but she was also a character that suffered quite a bit on the show. The wealthy Upper East Sider and art curator may come across as a sunny and warm person but she was constantly bullied by her friends who would often poke fun at her old-fashioned values.
But most importantly, Charlotte was made to feel bad about her privileges and also had some profound personal struggles, which is really tragic considering her needs were much more simplistic than her friends’. Here are just some of the saddest things about Charlotte.
10 She Was Often Bullied By Miranda
Miranda who’s undoubtedly the most cynical one in the squad would often take digs at Charlotte’s sunny, positive vibe and after a certain point, it transitioned from friendly banter into bullying. Miranda had a tendency to use others to make a point and to make jokes at someone else’s expense. And while good-natured ribbing is normal among friends, Miranda’s caustic digs really weren’t. Even Carrie and Samantha would often take potshots at her, like when Carrie called her Marie Antoinette or how Samantha would constantly try to undermine her.
9 She Was Ridiculed For Her Beliefs
Though Charlotte has often been tagged as a prude, one can be particular about social decorum and propriety and there’s no shame in it. But her friends would often make fun of her old-fashioned ideals, which was wrong on many levels. Charlotte had a somewhat traditional upbringing in Connecticut and wasn’t used to discussing orgasms at the breakfast table but obviously doesn’t deserve to be made fun of.
Fans have often commented that Charlotte comes off as haughty and prudish next to Samantha, but that’s not true. Samantha was just very different to Charlotte, she had different values and had a totally different childhood, and the appeal of their friendship lay in how different they were. So it really did not make sense that they would poke fun at Charlotte.
8 Her Fertility Struggle
All Charlotte has ever wanted is a loving family of her own so it was really heartbreaking for fans to see her struggle so hard to conceive. She was especially unlucky because her first husband Trey had sexual issues (that led to divorce), meaning that they couldn’t even try for a baby. And with Harry, she finally finds a balanced and stable marriage but eventually finds out that she probably can’t conceive. This was a long-winded struggle for Charlotte and it took her a while to zero in on adoption; though she did conceive after she and Harry adopted a little girl.
7 She Was A Hopeless Romantic
While there’s nothing wrong with being a hopeless romantic, today a character like Charlotte wouldn’t be popular because her personal arc was anchored completely in whether or not she finds a man. It’s sad that spends all of her twenties simply looking for a Mr. Right and not exploring her best self, but she was a product of a problematic dating culture and it didn’t help that she was younger and not as worldly as her friends.
The writers probably realized it eventually and brought in a few more elements to her character. But throughout the show and film, Charlotte remained quite hell-bent on finding love, and the right kind of love, which made her life quite miserable.
6 When She Was Guilt-Tripped For Being Smart About Finances
Remember when Carrie actually storms to Charlotte’s apartment and demands to know why she wouldn’t help her with her financial crisis? This was perhaps one of the most entitled things Carrie has done. Carrie was an erratic spender and was famously bad at finances, but she was also in her mid-thirties and blaming others for her fundamental monetary clumsiness was a really bad look. Charlotte had a comfortable living and a good career and she obviously came from money; she also explained to Carrie that she believes one’s finances are one’s own and that’s a really sound concept. Also for the first time she actually puts her foot down, and she was made to feel like a bad friend.
5 Her Need For Commitment
To be fair, this is something many people would want in a relationship, but Charlotte often hesitated to take the next step unless she knew there was some sort of a commitment involved in a relationship. It wasn’t really a flaw, it was just how she was raised; it’s for the very same reason that she waited until she was married to have sex with Trey. But most people around her, including her friends were usually pretty breezy about their romantic adventures.
So she was aghast when her food critic boyfriend told her he didn’t want to be tied down after a circumcision or how Harry wouldn’t propose to her when she wanted him to. She was simply not okay with the one night stand culture.
4 Made To Feel Bad For Being Rich
Charlotte has always been an art curator or has been art director for galleries, but she was pretty comfortably set up so that she didn’t always need to work and could volunteer when she wanted to or leave her career to pursue motherhood. But Carrie actually makes her feel bad about being from an affluent background and brings up the fact that she had the luxury of volunteering. This was inappropriate because at that time Charlotte had just ended things with Trey and was ready to get back to work again, but had to volunteer just to be seen in the circuit, because no one would hire her.
3 When She Had To Sign A Demeaning Prenup
To be fair, Charlotte ignored a million red flags about Trey and his family because she was simply carried in love. She was also young and wanted a fairy tale marriage with Trey but his mother Bunny asks her to sing a really sexist prenup that was obviously insulting.
Though many rich families usually have a set prenup, this one dictated Charlotte’s worth and also conditioned her about the sex of her child which really freaked Charlotte out. However, she eventually said yes, but the fact that Trey did not warn her about this or had no opinion about this should really have been a red flag which she would have seen if she wasn’t so very invested in the relationship.
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1 Her Prowess As A Curator Was Never Explored
SATC heavily explored the careers of all its main leads except Charlotte, so viewers have no idea if Charlotte was good at her job. She was an art dealer who wanted her own gallery someday, but then again she wasn’t too ambitious and eventually gave up her professional ambitions to have a family. There’s nothing wrong with that but it’s sad that the series would pay so little attention to her abilities as an art dealer or curator or even her positioning in the art world. She was obviously well-respected in the New York art world and was good at her job so why not take a good look at her professional prowess?
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