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 takes matters into her own hands and shoots him. The women realize that from now on, whatever happens is under their control and nobody can tell them what to do.
This clip is the perfect example of the personalities that Thelma and Louise acquired while on the road. Although Louise is submissive and obedient to the police officer, she does as Thelma asks when she walks up to the police car. Thelma on the other hand, takes it upon herself to control the situation with the gun she brought from home (which she’d never even touched before) to order the police officer what to do. Thelma even says “I swear three days ago neither one of us would have ever pulled a stunt like this, but if you’d ever seen my husband you’d understand why”. I interpreted that sentence as her husband being the reason she never would have done it, as well as the reason why she was doing it now; because she could.
What needs to be explored is why being on the road transforms a person. 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.
First, I will probe the notion of escaping a place that may bring bad feelings, though these bad feelings might not be permanent. Leaving a place behind even if only temporary can bring about a feeling of relief. The idea of distancing ourselves from a place we’ve known for so long is scary yet appealing at the same time. Breaking free from the ties of a past allows for change while on the road. Physically distancing ourselves from this place allows us to reflect upon what changes need to be made inside ourselves. At approximately 2:24 in the clip, is when Alice really expresses to her son her disdain toward New Mexico and the pain it has caused her.
In this clip from Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Alice is taking her son from New Mexico to California in search of a better life. She wants to leave her past behind, which includes the death of her husband, an experience too traumatic to handle.
Now I will explore the idea of people as a reason for change while on the road. Going on a trip with the intention of returning usually entails saying a temporary farewell to people that are important to us in our life, but these people sometimes cause the feeling of being unwanted or underappreciated.
In this clip, Dorothy wishes for a place to go where her Aunty Em can’t get onto her for getting into trouble that wasn’t her fault to begin with. As we all know the story of The Wizard of Oz which brings a new meaning to the phrase “being on the road”, and the trials and tribulations Dorothy and her friends go though. When she gets back from her “trip” she is so elated to see her whole family there waiting for her to wake up. She gained a new appreciation for them while she was away and thought she’d never see them again. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFCYN_dvmpU
Being overwhelmed with scenery can also attribute to the change of a person. There is something about laying your eyes on nature’s wonders for the first time that gives a breath of fresh air. Maybe it’s the realization that beauty is simple and everywhere, and can be overlooked every day by someone too busy to stop and just have a look. Maybe it’s the realization that there is something bigger than you out there. When this happens, it creates a need for more of this specific feeling, creates the want for more adventures. It truly is an eye opening experience which can be viewed in this clip from Local Hero.
This is the trailer for Into the Wild, a film in which Christopher McCandless goes on a quest by himself to search for something greater out of his own life. As he travels cross-country and eventually to Alaska by means of car, hitchhiking, kayak, and even freight train, he meets and stays with many different people who care for him. Eventually he sets out on his own and reaches the destination and embraces the nature and isolation, but after the novelty of the feeling wears off, he realizes that his true happiness can only be found when shared. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4Pq8q4QVug
The revelation he was looking for came quite easily because he had an open mind, and the experiences he had were what he was looking for. This particular occurrence just goes to show that if we know what we are looking for, it is possible to find it.
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 new person can accept the changes made within them, as well as take any steps necessary to live the life they know they want after experiencing the freedom on the road. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NvFgoAKOhI
This clip is an example of someone accepting their newfound freedom. Stu’s girlfriend from The Hangover is confronting him about lying to her about where he was for the bachelor party. During Stu’s time away with “the boys” he got a chance to really think about his life and how he wanted to spent it, and who he wanted (or didn’t want) to spend it with. After experiencing the autonomy he had while on the trip, Stu will not accept his life being run by his bossy girlfriend.
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.
Dear Ashley:
ReplyDeleteI think you have a really interesting idea for your blog project and I agree about the transformative effects of travel upon an individual (regardless of gender) but I particularly like how you made gender (at least in the beginning) the center of your focus of this paper. And THelma and Louise is a great film to explore. I also like the different clips that you used (although I wish you could have embedded them; that's why i brought in Biray to class); the use of ALice doesn't live here (what a beautifully shot film) and Wizard of Oz was really interesting.....however, you did not connect the clips back to Thelma and Louise. The result was that I never knew exactly how you were reading this film. By allowing me to think abstractly and not controlling how you want me to read, the focus of your paper begins to fade.
Good luck as you progress throughout your career here at USFP and take care!