The Reasons for the Popular Reactions to the Activities of Bonnie and Clyde in the US

During the great depression of 1930 which lasted ten years, which at the time meant the country was going through a struggled as there was an increase in unemployment rates, which lead to the adventures of Bonnie and Clyde to start as their goal was to collect enough money and firepower to launch a raid of liberation against Eastham prison. As historian ER Miller says they revolted against an uncaring system. The journey about bonnie and Clyde varied throughout the decades. The closer the stories were made to the year the more accurate whereas the further away the less accurate as people began to make their own version of the story. For instance, the movie “Bonnie and Clyde” of 1967 directed by Arthur Penn, shows that bonnie and Clyde were two loving criminals who did petty theft to bank robberies, this was a different version to the actual story as bonnie was already married to someone else, Roy Thornton who was in prison then killed when he was trying to escape, married her days before she turned 16 but, separated within month as he was abusive to her. Ever since he went to prison for robbery in 1929 she never seen him again, never she was still in love with him as in the police reports on the case when she was killed she kept the ring on her hand. The notion of Bonnie and Clyde being a couple was just to make the story/movie more interesting to the public. Although there may be a debate on whether or not she had feeling for Clyde as she helped him break out of prison instead of helping her abusive husband. Jeff Guinn which agrees that they were undoubtedly in a relationship slept together.

Bonnie Parker was born in Rowena Texas October 1, 1910. She was portrayed as being attractive and persuasive and able to get out of many situation, that involved the outlaws easily by showing off her sexuality. This was mostly successful because during the time, not many women were working in this field or not working in any form of job that required strength and bravery, they were more likely to work as a seamstress. This is because women place during the early 20th century was seen at being house wives. Bonnie started in the world of violence only after her and Clyde were together, when she helps break Clyde out of prison Bonnie was mostly involved in the violence for the attention as she would keep records of her being on headlines she also wrote poem and kept records of her adventures with him. Bonnie also had a love of taking photos where she kept most of them with her records. For this you can notice that her physical appearance had attracted a group of audience to pursue her life and wanting to know more of it. Clyde Barrow was on the other hand was born in Ellis County, Texas on March 24, 1909. He was he was portrayed as being charming and was one of the reasons why Bonnie fell in love with him. He began his crime spree before they even met, they mostly involved grand theft auto and steeling of goods to robing shop’s safe. On one hand it can be argued that the public viewed him as any other criminal during the time as they all were men. This means that he won’t have as much attention compared to Bonnie and would only be heard off un local newspapers, in the least interested section of it. But on the second hand since both of them worked together, it made their crime more interested for Book worms. This can result in their crime being put at the front of the newspapers drawing attention to consumers. This can be regarded as a marketing technique for newspaper business as they with have an increase in sales and bare more profit for it. This will be an aim because the economy was going through a crisis. The main source of media during the early to mid-1900 was newspapers, which in order to be appealing so that many people could buy it had to be rewritten in a different view this was sometimes done by not mentioning Bonnie in the article. This was because she was a woman and women were only there to assist in the operation.

When Bonnie was appearing on the headlines this made the articles more attractive as that have not usually seen a woman involved in big criminal activities during the time in the area of Texas and other states they encountered. The picture that appeared on the headline of Bonnie holding a gun while smoking a cigarette that was found in the Joplin hideout made her even more famous. This brought the most attention to followers as they now have a clear image of who and what Bonnie and Clyde were and there intension. The downside to this is that most people with in Texas and surrounding states will know who they were giving them less option on where to go. This can be one of the reasons why Bonnie and Clyde decided to robe in other states. The movie of Bonnie and Clyde (2015) was the latest version of the story. The film had many of the characteristics of the gang including key events. From the beginning barrows boys’ crims to their death. There were also older films before that. All the films had the same things in common, as they all made a few changes to events that happened and or were not recorded. On the 2015 version there was evidence that at the time of their death they attempted to escape, but were not given any time as the laws immediately open fire. In the films it does not mention or show Bonnie and Clyde escaping from their death, it shows them accepting in it as a couple in love and were willing to end the road there. They also made love scenes. They may have happen but may not have happen as portrayed on the film, it also made Bonnie and Clyde love grew for every successful killing or get away made.

These can be argued, as they were only included into film to appealed the viewers and to draw attention towards the film in advertisements, so that it would have been interested throughout the scenes. Economic situation of the country When Bonnie and Clyde both started the crime spree it was during the Great Depression of 1930s where there was a severe worldwide economic depression. This may be the case why they both started their crime spree with many banks and shops. But due to the Great Depression all the banks and shops had very little money which meant that they had to rob as many more banks and shops to gain their goal of money, as a result it took longer than expected to reach their goal of having enough money and ammunition. During the great depression many people got unemployed. There was high unemployment rate during the 1930 to 1933, as there were more than 5 per cent of the country unemployed. This can be the seen as the cause on why Bonnie and Clyde were hard to capture due to the lack of officers as they were unable to afford it. This however, may not be the main reason why Clyde started, his criminal life as he was brought up in a poor family. The great depression only started in 1929 in America but took a year or less to get to Texas area. They were affect by it because Texas was mostly depended on its crops and cotton prices had dropped significantly to less than a nickel a pound. Due to the high unemployment rate it can be compromise that people had very little to do, which meant that they were able to read many of the articles written about Bonnie and Clyde and their gang. The gang also was reported to go other states such as Louisiana and Missouri, this may be because they were not getting enough goods from their robberies also they were less attractive in those areas. Thus, this may have made them more popular in the region as news articles about them were written and individuals of the region became aware of their presence.

Reasons why Clyde started criminal career was to gain enough money and firepower to launch a liberation raid against Eastham Prison. This was because they were abuse physically by the guards and sexually by inmates. They wanted to gain revenge. The first law men bonnie and Clyde gang killed was Deputy Eugene on 5 August 1932, who met up with Clyde and Hamilton, eventually the two open fire towards him and the sheriff Maxwell who companied Eugene and survived the shoot out with injuries. This all happen at a country dance which meant that it was done publicly with many witness in the area. There were many other lawmen who were killed by the gang during the criminal lifetime. These include constable, Campbell, Town Marshall Humphrey and Detective McGinnis. The reason why they can be considered to make Bonnie and Clyde more popular as some of them were well known in the towns they patrolled over. Sheriffs and constables were head of the officers they were well respected in their area and everyone knew who they were. This also attracted the attention of other law officials as Bonnie and Clyde become a more priority for them. This created fear in the different states as they may believe that Bonnie and Clyde were unstoppable as not even top law enforcement could have stopped them. Which can be a counter argument for them rubbing in other states as high profile investigation.

This was the most difficult situation as Frank Hamer was hired for the job. Although he was in retirement he went back for many reasons that could be debated. This includes for the fame, as Bonnie and clyde were difficult criminals to capture as all other police men who tried failed or were killed form the shoots of bonnie and Clyde. The Barrow gang were in the Red Crown Tourist Court on July 1933,. Blanche Barrow sign the everyone as three guests, but the owner Neal Houser saw five people getting out of the car. Blanche paid for their cabins. Clyde and Jones went into town to purchase bandages and atropine sulphate to treat Bonnie's leg which got burnt from a fire. The pharmacist contacted Sheriff Holt Coffey, who put the cabins under surveillance. The sheriff contacted Captain Baxter, who called for assistances from nearby states. At that night, Sheriff Coffey led a group of officers armed with submachine guns toward the cabins. The officers were unable to win against Clyde Barrow’s browning automatic rifles. Buck Barrow got shot in the head with a deep wound, and Blanche it with glass fragments in both her eyes. Their bloody bandages were noticed by local residents, officers determined the campers were the Barrow gang and local lawmen and over one hundred spectators surrounded the group, and the Barrows soon came under fire. Clyde Barrow, Parker, and W.D. Jones escaped on foot. Buck was shot in the back, and he and his wife were captured by the officers. Buck died five days later at Kings Daughters Hospital in Perry, Iowa, of his head wound and pneumonia after surgery.