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 breakfast for Daryl while he is getting ready to go to work. He motions frustratingly at her and rejects her. Thelma’s character is based on the stereotypical “stay in the kitchen” female.
Her personal life is that of a homemaking housewife who lives alone. Her husband, Daryl, is gone most of the time and stays out late without any concern as to how she is doing. He completely rejects her and only focuses on himself. Thelma doesn’t see this until later in the film. The first moment when she starts to take an alternative position concerning her role as the repressed and timid housewife, is when she places a note on the microwave for her husband to see. The note explains how she has left with Louise on a road trip. Her character’s personal life is rather simple but that changes as the action she encounters start to unfold.
Thelma is the traditional type who represents the old-fashioned female who is reliant on others. She doesn’t think of consequences when she makes decisions. This is also representative of her infantile mentality. Her friend Louise, on the other hand, is the single, independent, and self-supportive type. The deliberate contrasts between the two characters changes later on in the film. She remains passive throughout most of the film, although she starts to become more assertive and develops many of the qualities that Louise has.
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