Previous
Part 4: Nerd Fraternity
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
Cherie reflects on her group of friends from Oakland High. So many have gotten into trouble and have been sent away like Richard, and a few are even serving real time in state prison. Some are dead, like Skeet, and others are pregnant. None of them is going to graduate, it appears. “It’s just a sad story,” Cherie says. “When you think about it, it’s just hella sad.”
Cherie’s story is “hella sad,” and by telling it, Slater hopes to right the social wrongs that have led to this unfortunate reality. The more people who are aware of Cherie’s story, the better the chances that these social injustices can be addressed and resolved.
Themes
