Feminism in Thelma and Louise
The film Thelma and Louise is definitely a great representation of a feminist road film. It does a great job in outlining the true meaning of feminism, which in my mind means that women are seen as being equal to men in all aspects of life. The film starts off with Thelma and Louise heading out on a road trip on their own, free from the constraints of men. The scene leading up to this point really demonstrates how this film is an effective feminist critique because it demonstrated Thelma’s ability to break free of her husband’s constraint upon her so that she can live a life that she enjoys. When Thelma decides to leave with Louise without getting her husband Darryl’s permission first she demonstrates her ability to break out of the constraint placed on women. This scene, which is very early in the movie, sets the view of the positive feminist road film for the rest of the adventurous scenes. As time progresses throughout the film, Thelma and Louise seem to become closer and closer to each other. They no longer need the men in their lives to make them feel happy or safe. They learn to do things on their own to defend who they are and not be walked over by men. Thelma shows this when she robs the convenience store and Louise shows it when she stands up for the two of them by blowing up semi truck that belonged to the man that was harassing them on the road. They both demonstrate their ability to do what any man can do, which is why this film is a great representation of a successful feminist road film.