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Part 2: Hopes and Prayers
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The 57 Bus, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Gender and Sexuality
Adolescent Crime vs. Adult Crime
Binary Thought and Inclusive Language
Discrimination and Social Justice
Accountability, Redemption, and Forgiveness
Summary
Analysis
Richard begins to spend most of his free time in Kaprice’s office. His grades have started to improve, and he likes to hang out and talk with the other students who come to check in. Richard is much like a “little counselor” to the other students, and he plays around with them, making everyone laugh. “There’s already enough craziness,” Richard tells Kaprice. “I just like happy stuff.”
This description again paints Richard in such a light that it is difficult to believe that his impending attack on Sasha is malicious. Richard is caring and sensitive, and much like Sasha, is largely misunderstood by others. Richard is not a stereotypical criminal.
Themes
To everyone in his life, Richard is “the funny one, the one who makes people smile.” Jasmine begins to plan a trip to Disneyland for the family, and she questions if Richard will have any fun since he is a teenager now. But Richard isn’t worried. “I’m going to have fun like I’m five years old,” he says.
