Bandits and Outlaws

Bandits and outlaws have always been romanized in the media and especially in film. The most common would be Robin Hood, whose crusade was to steal from the rich and give to the poor. However this must be fair from the truth. Outlaws like bonnie and Clyde didn’t have helping the poor as their main objective. Most of the out laws and bandits would have concentrated on avoiding the police for whatever they were no the run from. But still when we think of these people we have that Robin Hood figure in mind.
They sometimes help those in need and they also have the ability to avoid the law. Outlaws can and do get away with things that we would never attempt for fear of the consequences. There is a freedom in this life style and I think that is why we are attracted to the idea of the outlaw on the run fighting to the end. It reminds me of the rebellious child or teenager, they are courageous in standing up to the authority of the parent and putting a finger up to the consequences.
It could also run deeper than this, the figure of Robin Hood is held because of his fight for what is right. To have the courage to do this is something that most of us couldn’t do, sometimes in life we allow things that are “bad” to happen around us because we do not have the courage to stop them. Robin Hood along with other bandits who fought for the common good have this courage and I think this is why we have this respect for the ideal of a bandit because they possess something we don’t have.

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