We all have this thought in our head about certain people. Most of us say “Oh I don’t judge others” but in reality, they do. Everybody does. It’s a way of life; it’s inevitable. When you hear the words Bonnie and Clyde, what is the first word that comes into mind? Criminals? Outlaws? Murderers? When you get thoughts like that in your head about someone, you’re judging them. Bonnie and Clyde may have done some terrible things, but you have to understand the whole picture. A wise man once told me “To be human is to be beautifully flawed”, and that’s exactly what they were; beautifully flawed.
Bonnie Parker was a very bright young girl living in Texas. She was top in her high school, getting awards for spelling, writing and public speaking. She had dreams of becoming a writer, actress, and singer. She wrote poetry, most of which is famous today, and she practiced music and drama regularly. In some ways, I kind of relate to her and who she wanted to be. When Bonnie was 16, she fell in love and dropped out of school to get married. Her husband was later arrested for murder and their paths never crossed again. When she was 19, she found work as a waitress in Dallas, Texas.
Clyde Barrow was a troubled young man living in Tellico, Texas. His family was a very pour farm family; they slept under their wagon for months. When Clyde’s father finally earned enough money for a tent, it was a huge step up for the family. Clyde’s first arrest happened in 1926, after he ran from police when they attempted to confront him about a rental car he had failed to return on time. His second arrest was with his brother, Melvin “Buck” Barrow, for the possession of stolen goods (turkeys).
Between 1927 and 1929, Clyde cracked safes, robbed stores, and stole cars. After a large number of arrests, Clyde was eventually sent to the Eastham Prison Farm in Houston, Texas, in April of 1930. While in prison he was sexually assaulted repeatedly by another inmate. His first killing was during an attack, when he beat the inmate to death with a metal pipe in self defense.
When he was paroled in February of 1932, Clyde emerged from Eastham a hardened criminal. His sister Marie was very worried.
“Something really terrible must have happened in there,” she said, “He came out a completely different person.”
A fellow inmate, Ralph Fults, was quoted saying, “I watched him transform from a school boy to a rattlesnake.”
When Bonnie was 19, and Clyde 20, they met at a mutual friend’s house in Dallas, while Bonnie was caring for the sick friend. They instantly felt a deep connection with one other and spent large amounts of time together, before falling hopelessly in love. Clyde later went back to prison and Bonnie broke him out by smuggling in his 45 caliber hand gun.
From 1932 to 1934, they went on their glorious crime spree. They were known to kidnap people in the pursuit of their cars, and would later drop them off several miles away with enough money to get home. They travelled throughout the Central United States robbing stores, stealing cars, and killing police officers. They had a gang, The Barrow Gang, of five people; they were constantly on the run for two years.
On May 23, 1934, their crime spree came to an end. Bonnie and Clyde were ambushed by the police and shot to death. Clyde was closest to the police posse and was killed first. Police said they heard Bonnie scream in despair once she saw Clyde was dead, before she died as well. In the end, they were accused of 13 murders, several kidnappings and many, many robberies.
Bonnie and Clyde were a very important part of American history. They brought us the stereotype that gangs were sexy, gun toting, cigar smokers that didn’t have a care in the world. They carried around a camera and took several pictures of themselves in the stereotypical “gangster” poses. When the pictures were found by police and published in the news, Bonnie and Clyde became well known throughout the whole country.
I find Bonnie and Clyde very fascinating and think that they would be a great subject for people to learn about. I want to show everyone that they weren’t just criminals; that they were people who had feelings just like everybody else. I choose to see the little bit of good in them and I hope you do too.
