Taking a road trip is a timeless adventure with a certain kind of freedom only expressed on the open road. Being out of one’s own normal environment leads to the internal transformation of a person; this could be anything from the want to experience the feeling more often, to having a revelation and realizing that your life hasn’t actually been lived to the fullest. In the film Thelma and Louise, the two women embark on a trip that not only doesn’t turn out how they had planned; it ends in their demise which they accept. Both Thelma and Louise transform not only internally, but externally as well. We saw the movie and watched it happen but did we ask why? What is it about not having commitment to what was left behind that gives the energy and excitement on the trip?
We meet Thelma Dickinson as a timid, virginal, helpless, almost scared housewife that is completely dominated (in every sense of the word) by her husband Darryl. It is made clear that she must submit to him or feel the consequence of his wrath and abuse. After she takes the chance of not telling him she is leaving for the weekend, she begins to feel a little freer as the miles accumulate between her and her home. On the other hand, Louise Sawyer is seemingly more independent than Thelma. She has a boyfriend but they do not live together and he doesn’t control her life. The catalyst for their transformation is the near rape incident with Harlan, when Louise shoots him. The women realize that from now on, whatever happens is under their control and nobody can tell them what to do.
What needs to be explored is why being on the road changes us. Maybe it is the appeal of being in a town in which nobody knows your name or where you come from. It could be the feeling of freedom of not being on a schedule or being committed to work or school. Perhaps it is the people we are surrounded by, the people we’ve left behind, or the people we meet. The change of scenery might play a part as well. Seeing or experiencing anything for the first time can range from extraordinary to mundane and whichever the case may be, it can only happen for the first time once. The ultimate destination may bring the joy and build the excitement experienced on the road as well. Going on the road with an open mind is essential to accepting the change which takes place.
After the trip, however, is the real test to see if the change was real and applied. The high that is had during the trip can leave for an incredible low when faced with reality after a journey. Big revelations are had and small quirks about one’s self are noticed when on the road and embracing them going forward is key. It takes a person that is truly open to adversity and willing to accept challenges to inhale the breaths of being a new person and exhaling the previous identity. This begs the question, however, what about the hearty souls of Thelma and Louise? Could they have handled the new identities of felons they created for themselves time after time through the movie Thelma and Louise?
This is the basis for my argument; the road brings out a certain constituent in a person that gets rid of inhibitions, makes risks look more appealing, and it opens doors to many possibilities. It is the mixture of who you choose to surround yourself with, if anyone, and also the openness to new experiences that one expresses. It may or may not be about the physical goal, but the journey which took you there.
