Who is Meredith Grey?

Meredith Grey is the main character from the medical drama Grey’s Anatomy. The show takes place in a hospital in Seattle, Washington. The show has over twenty seasons, but I will be focused on seasons one through five as they themselves have extensive events pertaining to Meredith Grey and her emotions, motivations, and development. Some of the main events that happen during this time frame are her mother being diagnosed with advanced Alzheimer's, her involvement in a love triangle, a sudden death experience when she drowns, the introduction of her sister she did not know existed, and the death of one of her best friends. From the beginning, Meredith’s main goals are to become a successful surgeon, move through complex relationships, and find her sense of belonging. 

The show begins with Meredith’s first day at Seattle Grace Hospital, where she meets the other first-year interns, who quickly become her family, and she finds out the man she slept with the night before is an attending at the hospital, causing an immediate stressful situation. She also has a complicated family life and a very complex relationship with her mother. In the midst of all of this, she is also in a highly competitive surgical program for which she not only needs advanced medical skills but also emotional resilience and strong peer relationships to make it through.

Throughout the show, Meredith has a multitude of emotions and varying motivations to reach her goals. Her mother was a renowned surgeon at Seattle Grace Hospital, so she struggles with living up to the legacy and the pressure from her mom while also having her own passion for surgery. Meredith goes through an intense journey throughout seasons one through five of the show, as she deals with tension between her personal and professional goals. She deals with imposter syndrome, and her mother’s legacy weighs heavily on her. She also struggles with intimacy and trusting others, as she feels stuck between wanting to feel close to people and having a severe fear of abandonment. Meredith’s goals vary throughout the show, ranging from becoming a great surgeon to eventually wanting to improve her mental health, partly to improve her relationships with Derek and her friends. The mix of competing goals Meredith faces provides a solid foundation for a motivational analysis.