Who are Bonnie & Clyde?
Bonnie and Clyde were young couples that were well-known for their criminal activities up until 1934 in central America. They ran a gang that would rob and kill anyone who was caught by police officers or law enforcement. They robbed small shops and gas stations in rural areas. They did sometimes rob banks, but they didn’t take any cash.
Bonnie and Clyde rarely rob bunkers or safe storages containing guns and ammunition. Because they chose low-profile robberies that only allowed them to steal a small amount of money, they were regarded as smart thieves. They became a household name due to their actions as robbers and were sought by all law enforcement agencies. This paper explores Bonnie and Clyde’s lives and how their criminal activities led to their death in 1934. She was the 2nd child in a large family. Bonnie was four years old when Charles Parker – her father, died. Bonnie’s grandmother, Charles Parker, passed away in her stead. To provide for her children, Bonnie’s mother was a seamstress. Bonnie was raised by her mother in the cement-city. While her family was not wealthy, her mother’s tailoring profits barely met the basic needs for her family (Yarnall 2012. Clyde Barrow, however, was Henry Barrow’s fifth child. Clyde was the seventh child in a seven-child family. Henry Barrow was an indigent farmer from Ellis county, Texas. He later moved to West Dallas under a wagon. He worked hard enough to provide for his seven children and pay rent. True
Their poor and difficult life in poverty and the wagon greatly impacted their growth and development. They witnessed many of the most horrific crimes firsthand as they lived in slums. Clyde experienced such horrors that he was unable to cope and felt the need for power and control over others. (Yarnall, 2012). Clyde wanted to join criminal gangs to alleviate the poverty in his family. Bonnie and Clyde were both from poverty and shared a common goal: to improve their lives and make it better than their parents and siblings. Their environment pushed them to become criminals. From being amateur criminals, they went on to become professionals involved in high-level, planned and executed missions. Their passion for crime allowed them to stay under the radar of the government for many years. Bonnie was born and raised in Texas. She loves music and performs on different stages. She was a performer in school pageants. Here she sang her favourite Broadway and country hits. She longed to be a great singer and poet in the future. She told her friends every day that she would be on the screen. She had also written poems that could be found in the crime hideouts. One she had even given her mother. One of her poems said, “Someday they’ll descend together; And they’ll burrow them side-by-side, To some it’ll be grief –To the law it’ll be relief–But Bonnie and Clyde’s death” (The Trail’s End).
Clyde too like Bonnie loved music. On the farm, he could play and sing his guitar. He learned to play the clarinet at school. He loved music and decided to pursue it as a career. Buck, his brother, influenced him in a negative way and encouraged him to steal cars. However, he continued to play his guitar. He would steal the guitar, even though a police officer was there to take it. Clyde as well as Bonnie’s dream were put to rest and it was revealed that they did not want to become poets or musicians. They stole, even with their legal works. This was their main activity until they died. Bonnie was a dropout from school and married Roy Thornton. Due to many legal battles and the absence of their husband, their marriage was fraught with difficulties. Roy was later arrested and taken to prison. Bonnie, however, did not get divorced. Bonnie still wore her ring after Clyde’s death. Roy’s and her names were also tattooed on her legs. Clyde was also present at Clarence’s clay house, where they met (FBI 2009. They were inseparable and fell in love. Bonnie and Clyde committed criminal activity. Bonnie refused his rental car to be returned after he visited his high-school girlfriend. He was released from the case later. Bonnie was also arrested with his brother for stealing a truck loaded with turkeys. He continued to rob stores and steal cars while attempting to break into safes. He was arrested several times and sent to prison. It was there that he killed the first inmate who had raped him. Clyde was released by his mother. Clyde was made more criminal by his imprisonment experience. Bonnie was also arrested after he tried to steal guns with his friends and was sentenced. The jury couldn’t indict her and she was freed a few weeks later. Clyde joined them and they went on to more serious crime. Clyde, Bonnie and many civilians were killed in the commission of crimes during their lives. They would steal and then run, but not in most murders. Clyde was driving the gang-duo (Yarnall (2012) Bonnie was visiting her mother when Clyde and a friend were drinking when Clyde opened fire on them. This was not the first time the gang was involved. Bonnie and Clyde’s criminal activities included raids on firearms and forcible opening of safes. Bonnie was involved the fatal shooting of Patrol Officer Murphy. An eyewitness reported that Parker was shooting at Murphy from the ground. Murphy’s wife was seen wearing the dress she intended to wear during the funeral (FBI, 2009). The public demanded the extermination all survivors of the Barrow Gang. Bonnie was first recognized as a murderer when an elderly man Campbell was shot to death. Campbell’s body was brought to justice by the public, who demanded his arrest. Since everyone was looking to them, people were afraid for their lives every minute Bonnie or Clyde were out on the streets. They made every effort to see their parents even though they were often on the run. Clyde would often drop a coke and leave a note for his parents, directing them to the place he wanted. They would give the money home if they had enough money. Bonnie’s mother didn’t like Clyde, however (FBI 2009). He was always the one she blamed for her daughter’s crimes. A member of the gang also shared their love for family. Henry was his name. Henry, however, talked to Henry to ask for his father’s pardon. Officer Hamer, who had been monitoring them for a while, was leading the police force that ambushed them. He knew about the movements and had prepared for their downing. Bonnie and Clyde may have been shot in daylight by an auto. They had each at least 25 bullet holes. (Yarnall, 2012) Stolen firearms as well as riffles were recovered by the vehicle in which they were traveling.
