University of Tübingen, Department for American Studies,
HS: The American West
Western Myth with gender change: Thelma & Louise (1990)
von: Sebastian Hoos
Abstract
The scientific community widely agrees that no region on earth shaped as many contemporary myths as the American West. The number of definitions of what is meant by „the West“ is close to the number of references made to it - in numerous fields. Only by looking at individual examples of western myth at work can we find ways to appoach the myth itself and its consequences. In this paper I want to illuminate the intellectual and cultural web that is worked into and created around the Hollywood-made motion picture „Thelma & Louise“. Following a rather broad attempt I want to give a comprehensive overview over all the printed reactions and reviews of this piece of discourse beginning with a few „traditional Westerns“ and a piece of generic criticism by a young female American film critic. Following that, the story of the movie will be recaptured, analyzed, and thereby, finally, interpreted. This paper is a revised and extended version of an earlier one presented to Prof. Jeff Bass at Baylor University, Texas, USA. Thanks to the excellent facilities and up to date media access of Moody Memorial Library on Baylor University campus I am apt to say that all relevant publications about this movie have been elaborated in my work. New insight about the recipience and interpretation of the western myth made me rewrite this paper specifically for a course on the American West.
Directory of content
p. 3 Introduction
p. 4 Chapter I : Recent Western Film Reviews
p. 5 Chapter II : Generic Criticism
p. 8 Chapter II : The Echo of „Thelma and Louise“ in Contemporary American Press and Film Literature
p.13 Chapter III : The Story of „Thelma and Louise“
p.15 Chapter IV : Analysis and Interpretation
p.19 Chapter V : Conclusion
p.21 Index of Utilized Literature
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter I : Recent Western Film Reviews
Chapter II : Generic Criticism
Chapter II : The Echo of „Thelma and Louise“ in Contemporary American Press and Film Literature
Chapter III : The Story of „Thelma and Louise“
Chapter IV : Analysis and Interpretation
Chapter V : Conclusion
Objectives and Themes
This academic paper examines the intellectual and cultural discourse surrounding the Hollywood motion picture "Thelma & Louise," specifically focusing on how the film revises traditional Western myths and conventions. It investigates the intersection of gender, genre, and the American Western mythos to interpret the deeper socio-critical issues raised by the narrative.
- Analysis of traditional Western film reviews and generic criticism.
- Exploration of female liberation and subversion of male-dominated genre formulas.
- Examination of the landscape and the "frontier" as central symbolic elements.
- Critical interpretation of the film's climax and its mythological significance.
- Reflection on the portrayal of male power structures and contemporary feminist discourse.
Excerpt from the Book
V. Analysis and Interpretation
The most striking distinguishing marks in this movie are the well-known symbols of male power like car, road and gun directly applied to women. Two women are the ones who independently take off in their car for a trip all by themselves just because they want to. The authority to decide and to move is on the side of the two women. This time it is men who stay behind in their domestic sorrounding and women who take immediate action according to their ultimate will. They make the plans and nobody even knows about what they’re doing and where they’re going.
The gun is traditionally a symbol of male strengths and power and in historical terms it represents his strengths to defend himself, his wife and children. While in most US-states it would be nothing but normal, even expectable for two men to have a gun in their luggage, for the two women it creates the first disagreement when Louise finds out Thelma took her husband’s gun. The ability to defend oneself through gunpower is a genuine western need, even if usually enacted by men.
They want to spend the weekend in a hut in the mountains. They intend to leave civilisation behind in order to enjoy time in the unpopulated and free wilderness. The motive for leaving is to get away from the stress and the monotony of their daily lives. The film designates a busy workplace as Louise’s and a boring unrewarding household as Thelma’s everyday experience. For both of them men play a decisive role in their decision process. Louise had the original idea to go without men, and Thelma makes her spontaneus final decision after another rejcting experience with her husband.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: The author outlines the cultural significance of the American West as a myth and sets the objective to analyze the Hollywood movie "Thelma & Louise" within this tradition.
Chapter I : Recent Western Film Reviews: This section provides an overview of various critical responses to established Western films, highlighting the limited academic analysis available for individual Westerns.
Chapter II : Generic Criticism: The author discusses Jane Tompkins’ essay on the Western genre, specifically the interaction between language, landscape, and the reassertion of male identity.
Chapter II : The Echo of „Thelma and Louise“ in Contemporary American Press and Film Literature: This chapter reviews the polarized press reception of the film, debating whether it represents feminist progress or the imitation of masculine tropes.
Chapter III : The Story of „Thelma and Louise“: A detailed plot summary of the movie, tracing the two protagonists' journey from their mundane lives to their final flight from society.
Chapter IV : Analysis and Interpretation: The author applies Western genre conventions to the film, interpreting the journey and the final act as a complex revision of the American frontier myth.
Chapter V : Conclusion: The author concludes that the film utilizes the Western myth to address profound socio-critical questions about freedom, gender, and the societal pressures placed upon women.
Keywords
Thelma & Louise, Western Myth, Gender Roles, Feminist Film Theory, American West, Road Movie, Generic Criticism, Film Analysis, Frontier, Patriarchy, Identity, Narrative Organisation, Hollywood, Cultural Studies, Socio-critical.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this academic paper?
The paper examines the 1990 movie "Thelma & Louise" as a contemporary revision of the traditional Western genre and the American frontier myth.
What are the primary themes discussed in the work?
The central themes include the intersection of gender and power, the role of the landscape in the Western genre, the subversion of masculine tropes, and the concept of female liberation.
What is the primary research goal?
The aim is to illuminate the intellectual and cultural web surrounding the film to provide a rhetorical interpretation of its deeper socio-critical implications.
Which methodology is employed in the analysis?
The author uses a comparative analysis, referencing both traditional Western film reviews and existing "generic criticism," particularly the works of Jane Tompkins and Northrup Frye.
What aspects of the movie are treated in the main body?
The main body covers the plot summary, the diverse critical press reception, and an in-depth interpretation of symbols such as the car, the gun, and the final journey to the Grand Canyon.
Which keywords best describe the research?
The work is characterized by terms such as Western myth, gender revision, frontier, feminism, and generic criticism.
How does the author interpret the film's controversial ending?
The author argues that the ending is not a failure but a logical, albeit tragic, conclusion that maintains the film's ideological integrity regarding the search for freedom in a man-made society.
How does the author categorize the significance of "Thelma & Louise" compared to traditional Westerns?
Unlike traditional Westerns which often focus on male success stories, the author contends that this film addresses deeper, more urgent questions about the value of life and the lack of freedom for women in contemporary society.
- Quote paper
- MA Sebastian Hoos (Author), 1995, Thelma & Louise (1990): Western Myth with gender change, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/35445
