A STUDY OF MATRICENTRIC FEMINIST THEMES IN FRIENDS

Abstract

This paper explores the popular American sitcom Friends through a matricentric feminist lens, focusing on how the show portrays motherhood, female friendship, and women's experiences in both personal and professional spaces. Matricentric feminism, which places motherhood and mothering at the centre of feminist analysis, allows for a unique examination of the maternal figures in Friends, particularly Monica Geller, Phoebe Buffay, and Rachel Green. While the show is celebrated for its humour and depiction of young adult life in the 1990s, it also presents traditional gender roles, particularly in relation to the pressures of motherhood and domesticity. This paper will critically assess how Friends reflects, subverts, or reinforces societal expectations around motherhood and the ways in which women form supportive communities. By applying a matricentric feminist framework, this project aims to reveal both the limitations and the potential progressive aspects of the show’s portrayal of women's lives, relationships, and the balancing of career ambitions with societal expectations of family life.