Death is the Wages for Sin

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What compels a good person to turn to a life of crime? Do people’s circumstances define their character, or does character determine what circumstances a person lives under? Bonnie Elizabeth Parker is a prime example of this dilemma. Bonnie Parker was born in Rowena, Texas on October 1, 1910, to parents Henry and Emma Parker (Find a Grave). She had a younger sister named Billie, and an older brother named Hubert (Famoustexans.com). Their mother made the Parker family devout churchgoers (Guinn 46). Their father was a bricklayer, allowing the Parkers to live somewhat comfortably, until Henry Parker died in 1914 and her mother had to move the family to Cement City in Dallas to live with relatives (Find a Grave). Bonnie Parker undoubtedly had her share of hardships and negative influences in life, however she was also taught right from wrong, and was very smart. Bonnie Parker was a tenderhearted, starry eyed girl whose character was corroded by poverty, desperation, and her love of Clyde Barrow.
Bonnie had a childhood that alluded to eventual greatness. Bonnie was known by everyone as being beautiful and adorable (Rosenberg). Some of her early interests included romance novels, writing, and drama (Rosa). She was an honor student, and was always winning prizes for her essays, spelling, and public speaking (Fortune 49). One of her most notable victories was when she won Cement City’s Spelling Bee championship (Rosa). When she was younger, at her school in Cement City, Bonnie’s class had someone come to teach them elocution once a week. Bonnie was obsessed with that class. Her classroom performance was excellent, and the teacher liked her to the extent that she even got permission to occasionally bring Bonnie to spend the night with...

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... Trails End”: “They don't think they're too smart or desperate, they know that the law always wins. They've been shot at before; but they do not ignore, that death is the wages of sin.” (Parker) In the end, Bonnie and Clyde died on May 23, 1934, at 9:15 in the morning, driving down the road from their hideout in Black-Lake Louisiana (Famoustexans.com). The duo were found thanks to a police tip off from the father of one of their gang members (ThinkQuest). In total, the car had 167 rounds of bullets drilled into it (Rosa). The story of Bonnie and Clyde should be considered cautionary tale of how powerful love is, and what it, poverty and desperation can drive people to do. Although Bonnie’s character was not strong enough to overcome her circumstances, that is not true of everyone. People can always strive to be progress and overcome any conditions life has for them.

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