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Essay about Thelma and Louise Character Analysis

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The film begins with Thelma (Geena Davis) and Louise (Susan Sarandon), living repressed lives in Arkansas. Both women have stereotypical roles in this movie. As best friends, they decide to go on an adventure that takes a dramatic turn and ends up being an adventurous police chase to the sudden death. Thelma is an unhappy housewife who despises her husband (Daryl), who is a bumbling, controlling and narcissistic. Her character is somewhat infantile, in that she relies completely on her husband for support. She is too timid to confront him about going on a weekend getaway with her best friend Louise. Her timidity is evident in every act she displays. She is unhappy with her life as a housewife but doesn't blatantly show it. She cooks …show more content…

Earlier in the film, Thelma persuades Louise to stop at a roadhouse to have drinks. A man named Harlan approaches Thelma and Louise while they are at a table and attempts to pick them up by calling them "dolls". He objectifies them and Louise immediately notices. She tries to ignore him while Thelma accepts his gestures. Thelma and Harlan dance on the dance floor for most of the evening. Later on, in the parking lot, Harlan comes on to Thelma aggressively and attempts to rape her. Louise catches him and immediately pulls a gun out of her purse and shoots him after he yells obscenities at them. This is a turning point for Thelma. After looking at the event in retrospect, she comes to terms with herself and realizes that she has been portrayed as a sex object.

Thelma is striving for something exciting to happen in her life. She seems to thrive on the excitement that she endures while the various action-packed events start to unfold. She mirrors Louise in some of her actions. This is evident in the scene when the macho cop pulls her and Thelma over in New Mexico. Both women are misplaced when the officer approaches them. However, both Thelma and Louise remain very calm during the beginning of the confrontation. Louise is asked to step out of the car and into the patrol car with the officer. He tries to call in for a background check on her when Thelma comes up to the car with a gun and orders the officer to place his hands up. She becomes the

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