The Character of Ross Geller
Continuing our streak with Friends‘ character analysis pieces, next in line is the Unagi master, the infamous dinosaur man, the three time divorcee — of course, we can speak of none other than Ross Geller himself.
This time, we thought, we’ll start off by analyzing a key quality of Ross’; besides kind, smart, lovable, and ridiculous, there is one thing that stands out for Ross. All group members have a defining ‘bad’ characteristic — Rachel is spoiled, Phoebe is distracted, Joey is lazy, Chandler makes fun of his friends, Monica is a control freak and Ross — Ross is arrogant.
We in no way intend to shed a different light on Ross Geller through this analytical piece than on any other Friends characters. Just because we’re starting with something like ‘arrogant’ does not mean that this is even close to Ross’ entire personality; it’s just a good starting point, and a good reference for analysis. We feel we need to make clear that we do not think of Ross, in any way, shape, or form, as a ‘worse person’ than any of the other friends.
But he does think a lot of himself.
And finding the source of that arrogance is key. Looking at Ross, there are two reasons for this, two factors that undeniably formed him into who he is as an adult.
#1: Parental love.
Ross was always the favorite; always the better kid, always the medical marvel. Unlike Monica, who become the person she is today due very different parental intervention, Ross actually gains positive qualities based on the love and support Jack and Judy nourish him with.
He gains confidence; he gains self-respect; he learns that he is enough, that he can achieve a lot; and this is surely interwined with reason #2, which is none other than:
#2: Science.
Or intelligence, in general. Whether Ross is the smartest friend is a topic for a completely different article (intelligence is subjective; is his understanding of science bigger proof for intelligence than, say, Monica’s rational advice giving?), but the fact remains: Ross is a highly educated person. And even putting that aside, he’s a curious person; one who constantly wishes to improve himself, at least on an academic level.
And that leads to his ‘arrogance’. Ross Geller thinks a lot of himself, mostly with reason, and a lot of it is, indeed, due to his scientific method of thinking and rather objective professional success.
But none of it matters. Not at all.
While Ross may be confident, arrogant even, in some, or most, areas of life, he completely lacks in the area that truly matters to him: romance.
See, the fact is that ever since high-school, Ross has achieved a lot; he has managed to make a name for himself, earn a reputation in the science world. He has earned the right to look above others and has proven to himself that he has worth; that he is smart and, perhaps, better than some — on an intellectual level.
And yet, he can’t get the woman he loves. Because Ross loves Rachel, has loved Rachel, ever since high-school. And the second he tries to talk to her, the second he tries to seduce her or do anything that in his mind leads to them two being together, he fails miserably.
Why?
Perhaps it’s because Ross’ arrogance is actually a mask; he doesn’t actually think he’s better than others, he just puts that on so that people respect him. Perhaps he needs that respect to succeed in the professional world, but cannot fake the confidence necessary to succeed in the romantic world.
Or perhaps, and much more likely, it’s just a compatibility thing. Rachel wasn’t with Ross in high-school because she was shallow and he wasn’t a jock. She wasn’t with him in the beginning of the show for more or less the same reasons. And once they both grew as people — bang, together.
And the sweet thing is — Ross never tried to fake his way into Rachel’s life. He never tried, truly, at least, to be the jock, or to be an asshole, or to be anyone that the superficial archetype of Rachel in high-school would have ‘wanted’. He remained true to himself and hoped she liked him for him — and, eventually, she did.
Ross Geller —
Arrogant? Scratch that, confident; confident because of his academic success, confident because of what his parents have given him, confident because he has proved to himself he is worth it. And yet — clumsy, romantically; but he keeps trying, keeps persisting, keeps loving and keeps to his true self. Because Ross may be many things — but fake isn’t one of them.
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More character analysis pieces here.
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