Welcome to this week’s installment of Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week, wherein we shine a spotlight on strong women who inspire us. Now, this includes fictional female characters in geeky media and creators. These ladies are a prime example of female empowerment and how crucial it is for youth to have said example to follow.
DISCLAIMER: The following contains spoilers for Netflix’s Bridgerton.
Kate Sharma
Fast Facts:
Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley) is the oldest daughter of Lady Mary Sharma (Shelley Conn) and the older sister of Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran). After her father’s death, Kate stepped up to help raise Edwina and provide her with a life of love and happiness. Knowing that their money was slowly running out, she reached out to Lady Mary’s parents (who had disowned her for marrying Kate’s father) to see what Edwina needed to do to have access to her trust and be taken care of. This is what leads the sisters and their mother to return to London for the marriage mart.
Everything Kate does is to secure both Edwina’s happiness and match. She refuses to tell her about the inheritance scheme knowing that Edwina would marry the first man who met the qualifications. Kate serves as Edwina’s guard against those she would deem unfit to marry Edwina. One gentleman, in particular, is Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey). Kate finds him utterly vexing and despises his lofty list of standards to which he holds the ladies of the ton. Kate makes it her personal mission to keep Anthony as far from Edwina as possible. But, that doesn’t work, and eventually, the two find themselves in close quarters and begin questioning if hate is really the nature of their feelings for each other.
The Real Deal:
Kate Sharma is the real deal. Kate stepped into her role as Edwina’s greatest supporter from the very beginning. Everything she did was to better Edwina’s chances of having her happily ever after. Kate isn’t your typical regency lady. She is witty and the banter we see between herself and Anthony is some of the best. She isn’t afraid to play down her intelligence or extracurricular activities for the sake of propriety. Kate doesn’t just ride horses but has a great understanding of horse racing and she learned to hunt while living in India.
But this doesn’t mean that Kate’s lady-like endeavors are lacking in the slightest. She taught Edwina everything she needed to know, like dancing, music, languages and how to pour the English’s terrible excuse for tea.
Why She Matters:
So why does Kate Sharma matter? She is a paragon of badassery among the ladies of the ton. Kate isn’t afraid to share her wit and intelligence with the world or banter with those trying to put her in her place. But there is something more than makes Kate matter. Bridgerton has done a fantastic job diversifying its cast of characters from Julia Quinn‘s original novels. And Kate and her family are a welcome introduction to Indian culture in the series through events like oiling Edwina’s hair or the Haldi Ceremony. She is an excellent representation and proof that you can be the heroine and find your fairytale happy ending no matter your skin color.
So, be like Kate. Show off your intelligence, be witty, defy social standards and support the ones you love with everything you have.
RELATED: Keep up on Bridgerton with our recaps!
https://www.geekgirlauthority.com/geek-girl-authority-crush-of-the-week-eloise-bridgerton/
Who I Am: A nerd by the strictest definition. I enjoy diving straight into my favorite fandoms without a care in the world. I live on video/board games, fantasy movies and TV, and all things geeky.
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