Tori Jane Frescura
B3 English Research Paper
Bonnie and Clyde
“You’ve read the story of Jesse James—Of how he lived and died; If your still in
need Of something to read Here’s the story of Bonnie and Clyde.”(Bonnie Parker;
cinetropic.com) After her father’s death, Bonnie Parker’s family packed up and headed
off toward Cement City near Dallas. There she attended high school proving she wasn’t
just another pretty face but someone with real intelligence. With her addiction to poetry,
being a creative writer, an excellent student, and on top of that a spelling bee champion
with a flair for the arts; she was no dumb blonde. Bonnie married too young while in
high school at the tender age of age sixteen years old, to an “immature, rattle-brained
husband”(crimelibrary.com), who would end up in the pen just but a year later. Lonely
and depressed the young Bonnie Parker was left to become a waitress and only hope
there was in fact more in life.
Clyde Chestnut Barrow stood 5”7, weighing 130lbs, he wore his thick brown hair
slicked back with a part to the left (MysteryNet.com). He came into the world as one of
many children born to dirt-poor, tenant farmer, parents barely getting by in Telico, Texas.
Eventually, along with his brothers and sisters, the family moved to the outskirts of
Dallas where his father would run a gas station. Clyde quickly learned to detest poverty;
like Bonnie he too knew there had to be more to life than what he was currently offered.
In January of 1930, Clyde visited a friend in West Dallas and was thus introduced to his
fate, Bonnie Parker.
Bonnie and Clyde were meant for each other, clinging to one another while they
fought back against the odds built against them. They were the children of a nationwide
economic depression. It’s been said by some historians that a type of “anger” dwelled
within Clyde, having been born ragged and made more ragged by a slumped economy
in depression. He often killed in cold blood, but always justified his right to pull the
trigger. Perhaps he actually did believe it to be his own privilege in doing it because he
was getting back at those better off, as if he were winning one for the lower class.
As the increasing fame of Bonnie and Clyde spread, they shot their way out of
police loops, (which were becoming more and more frequent), and claimed that the
“laws” they killed just happened to get in the way, and were not personal
(crimelibrary.com). However government officials took them as so, therefore marking
the duo for death. While they tormented banks and storeowners in five states-Texas,
Oklahoma, Missouri, Louisiana, and New Mexico; americans had become thrilled by
their “Robin Hood” like adventures. Since the “American Dream” collapsed along with
the stock market in 1929,and following that the devastating drought plaguing the Great
Plains, most of the nation saw Bonnie and Clyde as striking back at the society that failed
them. The presence of Bonnie, a female, heightened the sincerity of their intentions
making them unique and individual –even at times appearing heroic.
When on the run, they found time to visit their Dallas area stationed families with
whom they had managed to stay in touch with by coming up with their own codes
between family members, all the while risking capture. Clyde would pause the latest of
his stolen cars in front of the Barrow Service Station and from the car toss a soda bottle
containing directions for a meeting place.(crimelibrary.com) While maneuvering past
road blocks and 5-0, they managed to find time to enjoy themselves, very often the past
time would be posing for pictures together, and on more than one occasion the photo
would be of Bonnie with a gun in one hand and a cigar in her mouth. Thus giving her the
nickname, “cigar smoking moll of the Barrow Gang.”(FBI.gov)
For two years Bonnie and Clyde robbed banks and stores, stole cars, and shot the
law. But everything must come to and end, and for this crime duo it ended the ambush
on Thursday, May 24th, 1934. Having set up in hiding off a road the twosome were
heading down, the police sat and waited for them to come past, finally ending their reign
of crime, murder, and romance. One hundred and sixty seven rounds went into the car
that fateful day killing the lovers before they could even grab a gun. Bonnie was 23, and
Clyde 24 at the time of their demise, they were young and reckless, but full of each
other’s love and the dreams of striking big, and back at the government that had tried to
condemn them to poverty. They were in fact the Robin Hoods’ of the 1930’s, they lived,
ran, and died together like they always wanted, to go down doing what they thought to be
right. It’s said in a poem written by Bonnie herself, “Some day they’ll go down together.
They’ll bury them side-by-side. To few it’ll be grief-to the law a relief-but it’s death for
Bonnie and Clyde.”(Dallas Dispatch) But as fate would have it the twosome never were
buried side by side, but at least forever more they’ll be remembered as the deadliest
couple to ever grace the 19th century. They were Bonnie and Clyde.
Works Cited:
"All About Bonnie and Clyde Gangsters:True Crime Story." MysteryNet.Com. Newfront
Productions, INC. 27 Feb. 2008 <http://www.mysterynet.com/bonnie-and-clyde/>.
"Bonnie and Clyde: Depression-Era Duet." CrimeLibrary.Com. 2007. A Time Warner
Company. 27 Feb.-Mar. 2008
<http://www.crimelibrary.com/gangsters_outlaws/outlaws/bonnie/1.html>.
FBI, comp. "Famous Cases, Bonnie and Clyde." FBI HISTORY. Federal Bureau of
Investigation(FBI). 27 Feb. 2008
<http://www.fbi.gov/libref/hostoric/famcases/clyde.htm>.
Parker, Bonnie. "Parker Poem." Cinetropic.Com. Comp. Jane L. Morris. 28 Feb. 2008
<http://www.cinetropic.com/janeloisemorris/commentary/bonn%26clyde/parkerpoem.ht
ml>.
Rosa, Paul. "The Story of Bonnie and Clyde." HistiryBuff.Com. NCSA. 27 Feb. 2008
<http://historybuff.com/library/refbonnie.html>.
"The Trail's End." Dallas Dispatch 24 May 1934. 29 Feb. 2009
<http://www.censusdiggins.com/bonnie_and_clyde.html>.