Loyalty and Freedom in Set It Off and Thelma & Louise
The road as a symbol of freedom is somewhat accessed in both films. However, in Thelma & Louise, the availability of the road is greater than in Set It Off. Although Thelma has never been outside of her home town, much like Stoney and the other women in Set It Off, Thelma and Louise are given the opportunity more easily by owning a vehicle, being able to afford a weekend away including all the amenities of motels, bars and other sources of entertainment along the way. In a way, the road, although considered a traditional symbol of freedom, is still a walled in space with expectations and consequences for the women in both films. In this respect, freedom is not really accessed, but it is challenged. Thelma and Louise finally find freedom off the road as the fly off into a space that is not gendered or sexualized. Similarly, the women in Set It Off find freedom in defying the law and their in their ultimate deaths. Although Stoney successfully escapes to Mexico and, in the end, finds a road that does represent a source of freedom, it is at the expense of her friends' deaths and requires her to leave not only the city that oppresses her but the country as well.
Loyalty is established in both films as an important characteristic that binds the women together in a cooperative effort to find freedom and prosperity. In Set It Off, loyalty is extremely important. At the first bank robbery, Frankie is reluctant to give T.T. any money because she did not prove herself to be part of the team. Although she eventually does get the money, T.T. must be a part of future crimes in order to continue to receive the benefits. In Thelma & Louise, Thelma wants to go to the cops immediately after the murder. Louise knows this is not an option and in order for them to continue, needs Thelma to either commit or get out. Thelma begins to prove herself when she takes control of Louise's breakdown and robs a gas station. Accepting lifestyles of crime and deviance establishes the women in each films as being loyal. Most importantly, however, may be the extreme sacrifices of their own lives in order to prove loyalty and commitment to one another.