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Keep going, Thelma

Posted by Smokey Stover on March 25, 2007

In Reply to: Keep going, Thelma posted by Kashima on March 25, 2007

: Does someone know the origin of this phrase,"Keep going, Thelma".I found it in a movie where a young man is saying this to his male friend(whose name is not Thelma) after encouraging him not to give up his future life, but to live independently and to appreciate his freedom.

: It seems to be a quotation from a famous film. Does anyone know in the origin? In what context was it said, and what is the hidden meaning?

: Thank you in advance.


This is a quote from Thelma & Louise , a film which has become an icon for its bold theme, and because it is, in the words of a viewer quoted on IMDB, "Excellent, painful and beautiful."

I will say that there's no hidden meaning in the film. "Keep going, Thelma," as I recollect (perhaps incorrectly), is said more than once in the film, when Thelma drives on after some dramatic incident, rather than stopping. Both stopping and keeping on going carry a big risk. These two ladies are game to the ultimate degree. There is plenty of irony in the film, but this does not seem to be intended by the "male friend" of your example. I think he just means "Keep going, as Louise famously said."

The final irony, at the end of the film, is when Louise says once more a paraphrase of "Keep going, Thelma." Find out for yourself how it ends by seeing the film.
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