Bonnie and Clyde - GENDER

Question 1

How is Bonnie intelligent?

Answer 1

• emotionally

Question 2

What does Bonnie call Clyde out for not doing?

Answer 2

• calls him out for not having the ‘gumption’ to fire the gun

Question 3

Why does Bonnie opt to a life of crime?

Answer 3

• for not leading to a boring life
• rejection of the limited options available to women in Depression-era America
  -challenging the stereotypes of women as followers to male criminals

Question 4

What does Bonnie initiate?

Answer 4

• the criminal spree

Question 5

Bonnie is a sexually liberated woman, what does this challenge?

Answer 5

• challenges the traditional norms of feminine purity

Question 6

What does Bonnie challenge in Clyde?

Answer 6

• his masculinity

Question 7

What do Bonnie and Clyde have in common?

Answer 7

• both anti-authority (anti-hero protagonists)
• rebel against societal norms and expectations
• challenging the Hays Code insistence on clear moral distinctions between good and evil characters

Question 8

What does Clyde say about himself to Bonnie?

Answer 8

“I ain’t no lover boy”

Question 9

What does Clyde lack the ability of?

Answer 9

• lacks the ability to think about things below the surface - doesn’t see death coming

Question 10

What does violence replace Clyde’s need of?

Answer 10

• sex

Question 11

What does Clyde refuse to conform to?

Answer 11

• traditional norms of masculinity - gives Bonnie gun

Question 12

Who is Clyde reliant on?

Answer 12

• Bonnie for support
• emotionally vulnerable whereas Bonnie is emotionally resilient

Question 13

Clyde is unintelligent but intelligent…

Answer 13

• socially