How Thelma’s Character Arc is Developed through the Male Supporting cast of Thelma & Louise
The 1991 film Thelma & Louise is a movie that understands its characters in great depth. It’s not often that one ends a movie with a sense of real familiarity and intimacy with the characters one just watched on screen. I believe that the strongest part of the screenplay lies in the character of Thelma, and how her character arc is developed through the smaller male characters she meets in her journey from a timid housewife to a gun-slinging spark plug of a woman. We can witness three distinct character arc stages through the characters of Darryl, Harlan, J.D., and the truck driver.
In stage one of Thelma’s arc is where we witness her suffering and find the motivation to change the direction of her life. We are first introduced to Thelma right alongside her husband, Darryl, and it’s clear he thinks of her as his lesser and treats her like so. We understand Thelma as a pushover, her case isn’t bolstered when she leaves a note for Darryl instead of telling him in person that she’s going on a road trip with Louise. It isn’t until we meet the character of Harlan, where Thelma’s character arc takes a change. After almost being raped, this inciting incident in her life makes us realize that Thelma’s goals and values are about to change.
Thelma becomes hungry for a reversal in her life path; stage two of her character arc consists of her wandering through the desert (quite literally) and exploring what she wants. We meet J.D., a young cowboy who Thelma becomes infatuated with. He’s quite the opposite of her husband, he’s young, personable, and is able to give Thelma sexual satisfaction. Through this experimental stage in her life, J.D. shows Thelma the parts of her life that she had been missing for so long, excitement. After her encounters with J.D., Thelma gains confidence in herself, we witness this through the robbery scene. The words “Alright ladies and gentlemen, let’s see who’ll win the prize for keeping their cool. Everybody lies down on the floor. If nobody loses their head, then nobody loses their head.” would never slip from Thelma’s lips without meeting J.D..
Thelma’s character arc is finalized by her run- ins with the truck driver. At the first meeting with the truck driver, his extremely inappropriate behavior toward Thelma and Louise on the road is brushed off by the two. But by the end of the movie, Thelma’s character arc has completed, and she knows herself and what she wants. The final scene with the truck driver encapsulates Thelma’s new found energy and love for life, it’s satisfying to see her arc end with such a bang (pun intended).
I love the feminist nature of Thelma & Louise, and its commentary on the role of the modern American woman. Screenwriter Callie Khouri encapsulates the characters of this film in such a cohesive yet nonadhesive way; while a work of fiction, this movie is a real slice of life.
