Rory Gilmore inspires young writers to follow in her footsteps

Artwork by Lydia Holt

After October 5th, 2000, millions of peoples lives were forever changed. From the first episode of our most beloved show, Gilmore Girls, our hearts have been overwhelmed by the beautiful plot line and sweet characters. However, those aren’t even the most substantial elements of the show. Instead, we find ourselves focusing on the extraordinarily eccentric main character, Rory Gilmore. The stories that we witness, and the lessons that we learn have shaped our characters and inspired us to live like Rory. 

Rory’s relationships with all the other characters has set good and bad examples for young viewers. We have admired her good relationships and learned from her bad experiences. 

We love the relationship between her and her mom, and have tried to create a similar dynamic. Whether we have a similar lifestyle with a single mom, or we just want to be closer to our parents, the show has improved our family relationships.

When it comes to men, Rory has managed to make our expectations very low as well as very high. Throughout the show, it seems as if Rory always has some type of boyfriend or love interest. From the troubled Jess, to the charming Logan, Rory’s relationships have always been questionable. In the end, there is always something to be learned from each of her experiences. The show has shown us how to deal with the exhausting world of boys and dating, while staying true to our morals and standards. 

As a fan of the show, you can’t help but wish to be on the school newspaper. We really hoped that it would be the same: Paris-like editor, big stories, deep investigating. We wanted to be writers like Rory, and be a part of the busy flow of the newspaper staff. In some ways we have, but TV definitely has exaggerated the experience. Rory wanted to be a journalist and was constantly talking about wanting to travel and really experience the world first hand. This inspired us to want to do the same, and potentially pursue journalism as a career. 

An exceptional student, daughter, and friend, we want to be like Rory. In early seasons, she is driven and motivated to try her hardest in school and go to Harvard. Her impossible work ethic has set an example for us while also setting unrealistic expectations. It is important to know when to stop comparing yourself to fictional characters because it can lead to an endless struggle of unattainable realities.

The overall impact that Rory has left on us is simply to be better and try harder. She never let herself fail (except in later seasons when she infamously dropped out of Yale), and she seemingly never gave up on her wild dreams. We admire her passion, drive, and excellence in everything she does and hope that one day we can be near as intelligent and quirky as Rory Gilmore. She has inspired us to enhance all of our natural beauty, grades, and family relationships. We can only hope that we can look back on our lives and be satisfied with what we’ve done, as Rory seems to be at the end of the show.