Girls and their Guns

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer discusses that the protagonists of the film "Thelma and Louise" illustrate a paradox. The writer points out that on one hand, the relatively disempowered women in the introduction of the film find a sense of autonomy and friendship in their quest to avoid the law over the course of the film and that this suggests that "Thelma and Louise" can be classified as a feminist film. The writer then points out that, in contrast, the protagonists also assume a traditional male role and their quest is death-driven rather than life-driven. This suggests that "Thelma and Louise" uses the road picture conventions to invert, but not really question, the American belief in phallic, violent power and gender norms. The writer concludes that although the atmosphere and emotional tone of the film is feminist, the structure of the film is really more of a recapitulation, a pastiche, and homage to earlier films than a truly innovative statement about violence and gender relations.

From the Paper:

" The disempowerment of the two women of the beginning of the film shifts as they find empowerment through the use of a symbol of masculine, phallic power, that of a gun, which they can wield against the male, elemental sexual presence. At the beginning of the film, Thelma, the original victim depicted in the film, is particularly oppressed. She is in a confining relationship with her husband Darryl who evidently does not appreciate her efforts to make herself or her home look beautiful. In the first scenes, Thelma rushes around the home, nervously tending to the house and preparing for her short, brief respite from her mundane life with her friend Louise."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Thelma and Louise." Directed by Ridley Scott. 1991.

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