Bonnie Parker was a dreamer. 

Growing up in Texas – this is the early 20th Century – she was a bright and ambitious student.  In her English classes, she showed a keen interest in poetry and literature.   She dreamt of one day becoming an actress,  but life got in the way.  She became involved with violent men.  Whatever she held dearly in her heart gradually hardened. 

At age 15 she married a violent and abusive man.  His name was Roy Thorton, and he was sent to jail for armed robbery.  She never saw him again.  Although you would think she would have learned her lesson, she fell deeply in love with young Clyde Barrow.  Together they formed a gang and began a two-year long crime spree.  This was the 1930s – The Great Depression – and it was hard times.  When they met, the lived in poverty.  When they died, they had become celebrated bank robbers.

Bonnie and Clyde were never arraigned in the court of law, but they were indeed “convicted” by the F.B.I. when the young couple  were placed atop the nation’s “Most Wanted List.” Director J. Edgar Hoover found it fit to promote Bonne and Clyde as ruthless killers.  In 1933, the bureau put together a crack crime-fighting team that shared scientific investigation methods and intelligence with local law enforcement.  The methods of the Texas Rangers, however, were not all that scientific.

With the full support of the F.B.I, they put together  a nation-wide (woman) and manhunt that operated on the order to shoot on sight (Milner 108). As Bonnie and Clyde believed in living every moment of their lives to the fullest, it is only fitting that their deaths were truly spectacular.  After two and a half year crime spree in which the couple terrorized five states, and embarrassed, taunted, and eluded all law enforcement that pursued them.  A group of Texas Rangers finally caught up with the gang hiding out in Louisiana.  An ambush was organized and carried out.  Bonnie and Clyde died in a violent onslaught of bullets.  They didn’t stand a chance.

Too bad.  If Bonnie hadn’t become a bank robber, she may have succeeded as a poet. Several times through the course of the film, we see Bonnie’s fascination with a KODAK box camera.  She liked to pose with machine guns and cigars for gangster pictures and then send them to the newspapers.   In a sense she was a storyteller.   In her letters, she wrote about their hard background and true love.  Near the end of the film, Bonnie asked Clyde to pull off the road for a quiet moment where she could read him the last thing she would ever write – she was giving something to the world to remember them by:   

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This week in English 110, I ask my students to provide added dimension to their Film History Research Paper.  I would like them to develop a character analysis.  They  can  choose an interesting character from the film or their reading that may express important historical perspective.

Jay's Tips:

• They can go with a central figure to their project, or they just might want to go with a secondary character.
• Above, I went with Bonnie Parker, but the next time, I just may want to go with the Texas Ranger, Frank Hamer, that hunted her down
• Several of my students are researching the life and death of Selena – Can they develop a paragraph for the role her father played in her life.  I encourage one student to include a Character Analysis for Jennifer Lopez.  What about Selena INSPIRED  her to follow  in her footsteps?
• ISeveral students are writeing  about the assasination of JFK.   They  want to include a paragraph about Lee Harvey Oswald – the man accused of firing the shots that killed the president – or they may want to write about Jackie O -  the president's wife who acted with such bravery and dignity on the  day of the murder. 

I ask them to  begin with physical attributes:

• Physical description: How would you describe the character’s clothing, hair, or tattoos? Does the character wear glasses? Is the character neat, slovenly, thin, or overweight?
• Language/speech patterns: What type of word choices does the character use? What type of tone does the character use?

Here’s some questions to get them started:

• What is the character’s background? How do things like the character’s childhood, previous relationships, education, and work history affect the character’s life today?

• How would other characters describe this character? Think of personality characteristics, such as shy, angry, mean, sympathetic, arrogant, funny, generous, manipulative, etc.

• How does this character feel about himself/herself, or how might this character describe himself/herself? Again, think personality traits. Keep in mind that the character’s views of himself/herself might vary greatly from the opinions of others.

• How does this character interact with others? Is the character the life of the party? Is he or she a loner? Does the character have any notable friends or enemies?

• How does the character react to situations? Does a minor irritation, such as waiting too long in traffic, throw your character into a rage? Does your character remain calm and stoic, even in the face of great tragedy?

On Canvas I provide my students with a table that may help them organize their information:

Below, Iprovide a Nina Simone character analysis model I did from a previous class.  Nina was important figure in the Civil  Rights Movement of the sixties. She was also an influential artist.  Because she was black, she may not have received the attention or respect she deserved.

She's a very complicated woman.  I'm glad to have had access to my Character Analysis chart.  It helped me bring out her most important qualities.  You can see below how I responded to the writing prompts.  I like my paragraph.

Character Analysis 

Nina Simone was born in the Jim Crow era. For her entire life she would struggle with racism and prejudice. She was born a gifted musician, but she never achieved her dream of becoming a classical pianist. Eventually she settled for small-time jobs as a music teacher and an accompanist. When she began playing the piano in small jazz bars to earn extra income, she built a growing audience.  She never planned on playing popular music, but she always believed in her talent She believed she could be a star. Nina wasn't shy.  She was proud to be a black woman.  At the very beginnings of the Civil Rights Movement, she became an important voice.

Unfortunately,  her  passion for her music would always dominate her relationships  with men.  She  could never be truly happy with someone  who didn't understand her needs.  Of course, Nina will always be remembered as a brilliant musician, but many will  always know her for her activism. She once said, "Active in Civil Rights?  Mother#$%&, I am Civil Rights."

Jay's Tip: Before I wrote my paragraph, I charted my Character Traits.  Use the chart below to help you organize your ideas.

Character Trait	Definition of Trait	Nina Simone
Internal Conflict	A struggle within the character	Nina was born in the Jim Crow era. For her entire life she would struggle with racism and prejudice.
External Conflict	A struggle against another character, idea, organization, etc.	She was born a gifted musician, but she never achieve her dream of becoming a classical pianist.
Complications	Things that the character must consider before solving or dealing with a conflict.	In this day and age, black people were not afforded far and equal educational opportunities.
Climax	A high point of the story, such as where a character must make a big decision.	Eventually she settled for small-time jobs as a music teacher and an accompanist – When she began playing the piano in small jazz bars, she built a growing audience.
Motivation	Why do characters behave the way they do?	She never planned on playing popular music, but she always believed in her talent She believed she could be a star.
Strengths	The positive qualities and characteristics in a character.	Nina wasn't shy.  She was proud to be a black woman.  At the very beginnings of the Civil Rights Movement, she became an important voice.
Weaknesses	The negative qualities and characteristics in a character.	Unfortunately,  her  passion for her music would always dominate her relationships  with men.  She  could never be truly happy with someone  who didn't understand her needs.
Figurative Language	Any use of metaphors and/or similes by the character.	Of course, Nina will always be remembered as a brilliant musician, but many will  always know her for her activism. She once said, "Active in Civil Rights?  Mother#$%@, I am Civil Rights."

Below I share a fun video for one of Nina's most famous songs.  If you are a runner, you will LOVE this song.  Even if you are not,  it's  pretty damn cool.  Catch a glimpse of the real Nina Simone at 2:18