Bonnie and Clyde Crime

Let's not mince words: crime can be both exciting and alluring. In the first scenes of Bonnie and Clyde, Clyde seduces Bonnie, not with his good looks (and certainly not with his sexual prowess), but with his criminal lifestyle.

She finds it thrilling to break the rules and steal the money that, she thinks, will lead to a life of luxury for both of them. Clyde hates the very idea of honest hard work and is seduced by the ease with which he can make money as a bank robber. In his own way, too, C.W. is also seduced by the promise of thrills and being someone special.

Questions About Crime

1. Does Bonnie find being a bank robber sexy? How so?
2. Do Buck and Blanche join the Barrow Gang for the same reasons as Bonnie? Or are their reasons different?
3. Why do you think that the Barrow Gang gets so much positive attention? Why do, say, the migrant farmers give Bonnie and Clyde water and food?

Chew on This

In Bonnie and Clyde, there's a strong correlation between sex and robbing banks.

In Bonnie and Clyde, each of the five main characters has his/her own distinct reasons for entering into a life of crime