Serena van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf are two of the show’s main characters, they are portrayed as best friends even though they have contrasting ideals. Serena is free-spirited and rebellious while Blair is loyal and strictly old fashioned. Blair’s character highlights the pressure and expectations that comes with maintaining a high social status, however, Serena is the complete opposite.
Having said this, the conflict between Serena and Blair demonstrates the classic power struggle of the Upper East Side society. Their desire to win the favor and love of the audience and to be on top. The competition here also shows the truths that lie behind the glamour of the upper class, which is richness.
The show Gossip Girl stylizes wealth and privilege while at the same time, commenting on it. There is an opportunity to get the glimpse of rich characters of the show, going to premiere in designer wear, having private parties and living in luxurious apartments. But it also reveals a void and the hollowness which occasionally lie behind such a luxurious life. The characters strive for status and approval most of the time while portraying that material things and people’s approval are valuable than being real to themselves and to other people.
To summarize, Gossip Girl presents the audience with a complex depiction of high class society. While the problems depicted in the show and the drama of characters and their relationships unveil the reality of Upper East Side; the characters which are portrayed as flawed and imperfect do the same in equal measure. It is from the life of these women- Serena, Blair, and the rest of characters we are able to capture an understanding of the vain and shallow lifestyle that defines the higher class society.
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