No singular study in history has exclusively focused on Bonnie Parker. She is usually grouped with her companion Clyde Barrow or among other female outlaws of the Great Depression. The historiography of Bonnie remains largely inaccurate with portrayals of her either as ringleader of the Barrow Gang or the passive girlfriend aiding her criminal man. While the truth lies somewhere between these two statements, no effort has been made to fully understand Bonnie alone without Clyde.
The American news media of the 1930's gave Bonnie a very different public life than the one she lived privately. The media created the legend of Bonnie Parker, and by the time the famous 1967 movie was produced, the fictionalized Bonnie resembled nothing of the real Bonnie. Thus, Bonnie Parker lived a dual life: a private one remembered by her family members, and a public one portrayed in newspapers, films, and writings.
","abstract_html":"<p>No singular study in history has exclusively focused on Bonnie Parker. She is usually grouped with her companion Clyde Barrow or among other female outlaws of the Great Depression. The historiography of Bonnie remains largely inaccurate with portrayals of her either as ringleader of the Barrow Gang or the passive girlfriend aiding her criminal man. While the truth lies somewhere between these two statements, no effort has been made to fully understand Bonnie alone without Clyde.</p><p>The American news media of the 1930's gave Bonnie a very different public life than the one she lived privately. The media created the legend of Bonnie Parker, and by the time the famous 1967 movie was produced, the fictionalized Bonnie resembled nothing of the real Bonnie. Thus, Bonnie Parker lived a dual life: a private one remembered by her family members, and a public one portrayed in newspapers, films, and writings.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Dowell, Anna Wills"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MA (Master of Arts)","degree_level":"Thesis - restricted","degree_discipline":"History","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012-12-15T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2012-12-15T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:20:42Z","subjects":["crime","legend","gender","Bonnie Parker","Great Depression","Arts and Humanities","History","Women's History"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1503","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Dowell, Anna Wills"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2012-12-15T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["History"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - restricted"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MA (Master of Arts)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["crime","legend","gender","Bonnie Parker","Great Depression","Arts and Humanities","History","Women's History"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright by the authors."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/2696/viewcontent/DowellA112812f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1503"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["No singular study in history has exclusively focused on Bonnie Parker. She is usually grouped with her companion Clyde Barrow or among other female outlaws of the Great Depression. The historiography of Bonnie remains largely inaccurate with portrayals of her either as ringleader of the Barrow Gang or the passive girlfriend aiding her criminal man. While the truth lies somewhere between these two statements, no effort has been made to fully understand Bonnie alone without Clyde.
The American news media of the 1930's gave Bonnie a very different public life than the one she lived privately. The media created the legend of Bonnie Parker, and by the time the famous 1967 movie was produced, the fictionalized Bonnie resembled nothing of the real Bonnie. Thus, Bonnie Parker lived a dual life: a private one remembered by her family members, and a public one portrayed in newspapers, films, and writings.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["\"Tell Them I Don't Smoke Cigars:\" The Making of Bonnie Parker"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Dowell, Anna Wills"],"dc:date.issued":["2012-12-15T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["No singular study in history has exclusively focused on Bonnie Parker. She is usually grouped with her companion Clyde Barrow or among other female outlaws of the Great Depression. The historiography of Bonnie remains largely inaccurate with portrayals of her either as ringleader of the Barrow Gang or the passive girlfriend aiding her criminal man. While the truth lies somewhere between these two statements, no effort has been made to fully understand Bonnie alone without Clyde.
The American news media of the 1930's gave Bonnie a very different public life than the one she lived privately. The media created the legend of Bonnie Parker, and by the time the famous 1967 movie was produced, the fictionalized Bonnie resembled nothing of the real Bonnie. Thus, Bonnie Parker lived a dual life: a private one remembered by her family members, and a public one portrayed in newspapers, films, and writings.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/2696/viewcontent/DowellA112812f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1503"],"dc:rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"dc:subject":["crime","legend","gender","Bonnie Parker","Great Depression","Arts and Humanities","History","Women's History"],"dc:title":["\"Tell Them I Don't Smoke Cigars:\" The Making of Bonnie Parker"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["History"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis - restricted"],"thesis:degree_name":["MA (Master of Arts)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:20:42Z"}