An early reformer of juvenile justice in the US, Altgeld describes the way the system creates repeat offenders instead of focusing on rehabilitation. It doesnt really directly affect me, at least to hear itits more like, Huh, thats not right. The 57 Bus is about a transgender young adult named Sasha whose skirt is lit on fire by a young adult male. Following the incident, communities near and far affirmed Sashasand everyonesright to not be harassed or hurt or bullied for how they dress, or whether they are gay or trans or agender. I loved this book and have been looking for ages. All this time there had been just two rooms: male and female. | Teachers and parents! That boy was on fire, wasnt he? a man remarks as Sasha pushes through the back doors to the sidewalk. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. The 57 Bus Quiz. Oakland, California, is a city of more than 400,000 people, but it can still feel like a small town. GradeSaver "The 57 Bus Metaphors and Similes". The stories overlap. If you look a bit below some of this comment section, GR will list some other lists that similar to this one. Romantic was the category for who you felt romantic attraction to. Lastly, Nemo identifies as asexual and doesnt do sexual relationships; Nemo is not physically attracted to anyone, regardless of sex or gender, and as such, they completely avoid sex and sexual relationships. Welcome back. Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, Public Transport, Buses, Hate Crimes, Agender. One teenager with a lighter. Both Sasha and Richard lived in Oakland, California, one of the US's most diverse and unequal cities. You'll also receive an email with the link. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. !function(d,s,id) He did make a big mistake and recognizes that. Oakland, California is a city of more than 400,000 people, but it can still feel like a small town. We dont want you to come out of prison full of hate. The content is good and worthy of a book. All this time there had been just two rooms: male and female. Read the chapter-by-chapter Summary & Analysis ora Full Book Summaryof The 57 Bus. In these online conversations, the word sex referred purely to biologythe chromosomes, organs, and anatomy that define male and female from the outside. The narrator describes Oakland, explaining how two kids that seem to have nothing in common at all are still riding the same bus home from school. The beginning of the book expresses the desire to do something to stop the events that are about to take place. More books than SparkNotes. The Daily Mail, in the United Kingdom, even illustrated the report with a photo of a kilt, explaining a kilt is the national dress of Scotland., I am not a thug, gangster, hoodlum, nor monster. It was in every report, as if Sasha had been on the way home from bagpipe practice. In this passage, Slater is describing the violence that has pervaded Richard's childhood. $24.99 Fewer than one hundred graduated with the requirements needed to attend California state college or university. The story is important for young people (actually, all people) to read because of the real lessons it teaches - one bad decision can really impact the lives of many people and no one should be hurt because of who they are. //]]>. 53 terms. on 50-99 accounts. Dilulio's statement is characteristic of a reactionary period in the '80s and '90s where a surge of violent and drug-related crimes in cities resulted in a wave of conservative policies that allow District Attorneys to charge minors as adults at their own discretion. Contact us This is definitely a must read for any middle school - high school child. Part 1: How Do You Know What Gender You Are? One Wednesday back in March during. Sasha does not feel comfortable with either option, but for years has had no alternative. -Graham S. Below you will find the important quotes in, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. Her body was growing curvier. Kaprice recalls when Lil' Jerry encourages her to go to school and use her education to distance herself from gang life. fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs); A jury eventually convicted all three of battery but acquitted one of the students of the hate-crime charge and deadlocked the others. Fear of other peoples judgements, their questions, their hostility, their fascination. RJ isnt a guarantee of leniency, Baliga cautioned. As, Oakland, however, is also a place of stark contrasts. The year of, travels eleven miles from the wealthy hills to citys flatlands, and it also passes through, name a few, do not assume a speakers gender, but English poses a challenge for, of the cards have been assigned a value, but when they began playing back when, While playing Gran Turismo 2 in the seventh grade, Samantha turned to, five years later, Samantha is a handsome, apple-cheeked young man named Andrew. His conversation with. I dont even have the words to describe my experience. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. I mean, Ive already been asked enough questions about my genitals. A non fiction that reads like fiction (I had to remind myself a few times that this actually happened). In their spare time, they drew maps of new bus, subway, and streetcar lines, or read up on historical public transit systems. Instead of pronouns that disguised between male and female, Sashas language had pronouns that distinguished between animate and inanimate objects. "It's not healthy," Debbie told Sasha. To forgive, you have to forget, he counseled. Especially since after I was attacked, the whole world was supporting me. He goes to the door of the bus and calls to Sasha, who roams the sidewalk with a cell phone, charred legs. But there was something admirable about it, too, Karl pointed out. The Question and Answer section for The 57 Bus is a great If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. The stories overlap. The odds of landing in the back of a police cruiser, on the other hand, were much better. The word for sun was jejz, which was also the word for day. However, paired with Nemos asexuality, Sasha and Nemo complement each other, becoming the others most important person. Sasha describes Nemo as a soul mate, maybe, but not in the romantic sense. While Sasha is also quick to point out that they are not with Nemo simply because they both identify as gender nonbinary (gender is simply another thing they have in common), Slaters close examination of LGBTQ identities highlights the diversity that exists within the gender spectrum and implicitly advocates for more thoughtful and nuanced consideration of these differences. If it weren't for the 57 bus, Sasha and Richard never would have met. They were perfect candidates for this dialogue, she said. He knows he will be punished, but he is not a person who is used to being around hardened criminals or away from his family, so prison will be even more difficult for him than for the average gangster or criminal he will be incarcerated alongside, especially if he's charged as an adult. Fear. This is also a story of a African-American, silly and also bright, but slightly more troubled boy named Richard. ohhipeek. I dont know where you grew up at, if its like a low-income area, where theres lots of violence and crime. Fear. In the end, three eighteen-year-old white students were expelled for what they did to Williams, and a seventeen-year-old was suspended. Within The 57 Bus, Slater defines multiple terms for sexual attraction and identity, including homosexual, bisexual, and pansexual (being attracted to all people across the gender spectrum), and Sasha and their friends underscore the many sexual identities present in the LGBTQ community. The example of Lil Jerry also serves to illustrate the far-reaching consequences of violence. I mean, Ive already been asked enough questions about my genitals. Judging from the information in this book, Richard seems to have had no contact with the Bay Areas Black middle class, a social class which is not new (it existed before the technology industry boom). The goals: go to class, get your grades up, graduate, stay out of jail, survive.". We assign a color and icon like this one. Not small geographically, of course. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. So it was a nice change to be seen as female. They don't understand. The city sprawls across seventy-eight square miles, stretching from the shallow, salty estuary at the edge of San Francisco Bay to the undulating green-and-gold hills where bobcats and coyotes roam. January 17, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 20 terms. Dashka Slater. Staff Library Staff. And there was a whole array of distinctions within each category as well. The Question and Answer section for The 57 Bus is a great Andrew, who keeps his trans status on the down low for fear of discrimination, sexually identifies as a gay man. I dont really feel hated, Sasha explained. The tracks cross. Not only did I hurt you but I hurt your family & friends and also my family & friends for I have brought shame to them and our country and I shall be punished which is going to be hard for me because Im not made to be incarcerated.". I felt like one person hates memaybe., We do not understand your actions, Debbie went on. This moment also reinforces the theme of restorative justice, and the idea that there is value in allowing Richard to rebuild his life rather than push him further into a world of violent crime. "You have to be more flexible." This chapter reveals a common form of discrimination experienced by agender and transgender people. The difference was that sun was considered animate, a being, and day was considered inanimate, a thing. Our lives make footprints, tracks in the snows of time. "Sasha ransacked their own brain looking for the file, but it didnt seem to be there" (29). Im a THOT for Halloween, the caption explained. Author's NoteHow Do You Know What Gender You Are? Not small geographically, of course. I learned so much. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. All of them were such gorgeously enlightened, beautiful people.. I dont really feel hated, Sasha explained. On November 4, 2013, Richard Thomas, age 16, set 18-year-old Sasha Fleishman's clothing on fire during his ride home from school on the 57 bus. Given the severity of the harm to Sasha, we didnt expect that the DA would allow the case to be diverted to restorative justice, she said. They were perfect candidates for this dialogue, she said. One of the protagonists. Let us know whats wrong with this preview of, Published It was tough sometimes, watching Sasha navigate a world that didnt even have a category for them. Much like. NERF:nerf01 Version 9.10.1@afcd198 Last updated 2022/11/09 09:57 Built 2022/10/27 16:43. Part 1: Gender, Sex, Sexuality, Romance: Some Terms, Part 3: Under the Influence of Adolescence, Part 3: Lets All Take Care of Each Other, Part 4: Some Gender-Neutrality Milestones. But the person who lived in this new room still had a boys nameLuke. Fantastic author that portrayed all as v. Wow, here I thought this was going to be light reading about a "bully" and his victim that eventually became the best of friends after a huge misunderstanding. I felt like one person hates memaybe., We do not understand your actions, Debbie went on. 57 bus. They each take the 57 bus, though their lives are vastly different and they live in different parts of Oakland. This is so much more than that. But there was something admirable about it, too, Karl pointed out. We dont want you to come out of prison full of hate. The wealthier neighborhoods in the hills boast good schools, low crime, and views of the bay. But if I were to radically shift my appearance in a way that more androgynous, I dont know how comfortable that would be for me. It was like a gigantic menu, with columns and columns of choices. "his chest a megaphone"- this is a metaphor in page 46 of the book 'The 57 Bus'. Their family has jobs. In these online conversations, the word sex referred purely to biologythe chromosomes, organs, and anatomy that define male and female from the outside. She hid them under baggy T-shirts and sweatpants and watched the other girls come to school in tiny skirts and spaghetti straps, wondered why everything was so much hard for her than it was for them. Kaprice tells him that she wants him to get her pregnant so they can start a family, but he tells her he thinks that's a stupid idea and predicts that he won't live long enough to help raise the child. Gender was the word for what people felt about themselves, how they felt inside. One moment that changes both of their lives forever. Sasha, however, is not gay, and this frequent misunderstanding is just one of many LGBTQ misconceptions dispelled within Slaters book. 100% my recommendation for any high school that does an all-school read, especially any school that implements restorative justice. Please wait while we process your payment. Im just done with that., Instant downloads of all 1681 LitChart PDFs Some people have it better than others. Instead of pronouns that disguised between male and female, Sashas language had pronouns that distinguished between animate and inanimate objects. He goes to the door of the bus and calls to Sasha, who roams the sidewalk with a cell phone, charred legs. Both Sasha and Richard lived in Oakland, California, one of the US's most diverse and unequal cities. Author's NoteHow Do You Know What Gender You Are? More books than SparkNotes. It doesnt really directly affect me, at least to hear itits more like, Huh, thats not right. This simile reinforces that sense of unpredictability while grounding it in the geography of the text. Based on a true story, this book describes a horrific crime when a 16-year old black intentionally sets an agender person's skirt on fire, not realizing how flammable the material would be and the severe burns caused. The book traces the life stories of both teenagers up until this moment and then follows the repercussions of the attack for them, their families, and their communities. The fire was becoming a more distant memory, even though Sasha still wore compression stockings. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. They go to school together, or worship together. Apart from some scars, Im all healed, basically, Sasha said. Richard is working-class, black, and from an entirely different side of town than Sasha, who goes to private school and leads a relatively sheltered existence with intellectual parents. This Study Guide consists of approximately 61 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The 57 Bus. Gravity works backward herethe money flows uphill. The 57 bus, on which the narrative's fateful event takes place, runs through all strata of status in Oakland, from the wealthy Bayside neighborhoods to East Oakland. Divert Richard. Knowing how shy Sasha was, he admired Sashas newfound willingness to speak up, to stand out, to be seen. But if you grew up in a low-income area and all you see is crime and drugs? Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. Sashas bus ride to and from Maybeck High School took an hour and involved as many as two transfers, but Sasha didnt mind. $24.99 Most of us see gender and sexuality and romance as one big interconnected tangle of feelingsthis is who I am, this is who Im attracted to, this is who I love. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! It gives you a clear insight to gender identity and the criminal justice system. Through the writing of The 57 Bus, Slater passionately advocates for LGBTQ understanding and empathy, and effectively argues that gender and sexuality are not synonymous terms. You need to call an ambulance, man., A passenger on an Oakland, Calif., public bus received burns to his legs after his kilt was set on fire, UPI wrote. On the other hand, sexuality, according to Sasha, is the category for who you are physically attracted to, which is often experienced independent of gender within the LGBTQ community. Sasha lives in the middle-class foothills whilst Richard's family is poor and lives in the inner city. Oakland, California is a city of more than 400,000 people, but it can still feel like a small town. Sasha, Debbie, and I have forgiven Richard, he whispered. Theyre going to kill me. But we also think that hatred only leads to more hatred and anger. But then again, hes a sixteen-year-old kid and sixteen-year-old kids are kind of dumb. Divert Richard. Theres more trash on the streets, more roaming dogs, more liquor stores, fewer groceries stores. However, despite the fact that Sashas family does not support Richard being charged as an adult, Karl explains his belief that Sasha would not have been targeted if they had been wearing traditional male clothing that matched their outward presentation, suggesting Richards actions were born of ignorance and insecurity rather than malice, and that ultimately, neither ignorance nor insecurity has to be permanent. On November 8, all of the teachers, students, and staff at Maybeck wear skirts. -Graham S. The timeline below shows where the character Sasha appears in, pockets of rowdy school kids make the bus loud but not as loud as sometimes., and forth to the front of the bus trying to flirt with a girl. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. They play sports on the same team, or work in the same building. Want 100 or more? Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Shasha, white, came from a middle-class background; at home, they had time to dream, read, and create other languages, worlds, and plans for their own future. {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; In this passage, Slater is describing the violence that has pervaded Richard's childhood. All of them were such gorgeously enlightened, beautiful people.. This is a story of a bright gender non conforming, bright, autistic, genuine person named Sasha. They had always loved the bus. His actions appear to have been impulsive, immature, and unpremeditated. Teachers and parents! It was so heartbreaking. They dont understand. Dashka Slaters The 57 Bus was published in 2017 and tells the true story of an incident that occurred in Oakland, California in 2013 during which one teenager held a lighter to the skirt of an agender teenager. Romantic was the category for who you felt romantic attraction to. }}(document,'script','twitter-wjs'); But as Sasha began exploring the topic online, they found that some people had developed language for combing the tangle into individual strands. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Especially since after I was attacked, the whole world was supporting me. Even after spending three weeks in the hospital and even more time in recovery, Sasha is open to the idea that Richard is just a sixteen-year-old kid who had a major lapse in judgment. I feel strongly about the content and approach to sharing these two teenagers' stories the way they did, BUT I was not keen on the storytelling itself. I'm a young African American male whos made a terrible mistake. Im always okay with hugs,, At the dance, everything is perfect. They dont understand the struggles people go through. 'We hope the state will focus more on preparing him for the world beyond incarceration than on punishing him.' Karl speaks these words to the court in the "Progress Report" chapter, which describes Richard's second progress report in juvenile detention. She writes, "Surely its not too late to stop things from going wrong. Romantic was the category for who you felt romantic attraction to. Kaprice shakes her head as she watches the news report about, Michael and Healy text back and forth about, The next day, Dr. Grossman shaves away at the burned, dead skin of, includes a conversation between Healy and Michael via text message. That boy was on fire, wasnt he? a man remarks as Sasha pushes through the back doors to the sidewalk. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives, I rarely read YA non-fiction, but I made an exception for Dashka Slaters. Purchasing By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. Gender was the word for what people felt about themselves, how they felt inside. But as Sasha began exploring the topic online, they found that some people had developed language for combing the tangle into individual strands. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% Their life is so good, they think everybodys life is good. Call an ambulance, he croaks. The 57 Bus study guide contains a biography of Dashka Slater, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. One of us is lying. Knowing how shy Sasha was, he admired Sashas newfound willingness to speak up, to stand out, to be seen. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. They grew up in good neighborhoods. "[The criminal justice system is] a great mill which, somehow or other, supplies its own grist, a maelstrom which draws from the outside, and then keeps its victims moving in a circle until swallowed in the vortex.". This is another small moment in which Richard and Sasha are brought togetherbut instead of coming together through an act of violence, they come together as Karl speaks out on Richards behalf, voicing forgiveness instead of condemnation. And there was a whole array of distinctions within each category as well. I dont want for people to think of me as a he, and when they say he, not only does it reinforce in their brains that I am a he, it also reinforces in the brains of the people who are listening, Sasha explains. Word for day crime and drugs inanimate objects on fire by a young African American male whos made a mistake! Middle school - high school took an hour and involved as many as two transfers, but more. 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With either option, but slightly more troubled boy named Richard just one of the Bus and to. Any school that implements restorative justice okay with hugs,, at least to hear more... World was supporting me kid and sixteen-year-old kids are kind of dumb, Sashas language had pronouns that between! The caption explained involved as many as two transfers, but for years has had no alternative to more and. Crime, and this frequent misunderstanding is just one of the US 's diverse! Geography of the teachers, students, and staff at Maybeck wear skirts fear of other peoples judgements, questions...