A Review of Thelma and Louse Classical Movie
Thelma and Louse movie features Thelma, her husband, Daryl, J.D, and Thelma’s friend Louse. Based on sociological imaginations, four distinct perspectives are evident in this classic movie. These perspectives include; Functionalist perspective, which explains the functionality of social institutions as a collective means of satisfying personal needs and social needs (Schaefer pg. 240). conflict perspective, which, by definition, serves to criticize social, political, and material inequality, a feminist perspective that focuses on gender with power. The feminist perspective covers broader topics such as sexual orientation, race, nationality, and economic status (Schaefer pg, 242). This perspective is evident in that all the protagonists in the stories are two best friends who are ladies. Also, gender inequality is depicted in the manner in which a working Jimmy treats his housewife Thelma. The movie exemplifies two women who go against all the odds to run away from the policemen through every obstacle they conquered on their way. For instance, Thelma robs a bank, and she gets away with it. The last perspective is the interactionist perspective, which emphasizes that social conflicts are a result of human interactions.
From a functionalist perspective, the plot of the film is characterized by the involvement of the police. Police is a social institution that is meant to satisfy the basic human needs of security. Society and police come together, functionally through their shared activity principles and shared values. In the movie, Thelma and Louse run away police after Louse shot a man who tries to rape Thelma at the bar. The further they fly from the police, the more they get entangled in actions that are contrary to the law. For instance, they are pursued by the police because of over speeding while driving.
The social perspective of the movie captures the struggle for limited resources by the people in the society. This perspective views economic institutions as a means of implementing the dominance of those economically well off over the poor. This perspective is evident in how Thelma, a housewife, is being treated by her husband, a carpet salesman. Daryl, Thelma’s husband, disrespects her. When Thelma calls him to explain that she will not be home for a day, he gets mad that he is busy working while Thelma goes for a vacation. He then demands that Thelma must be back on that very day failure, which he threatens her.
REFERENCES
Schaefer, Richard T., and Bonnie Haaland. Sociology: A brief introduction. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011.