Remember that time when someone close to you did something that hurt you? Instead of getting angry for a few minutes, use that time to think about why they did whatever they did, or what they might have been feeling at the time. In this essay discussing The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater, we dig into how some factors in Richard’s life are affecting the things he does. We must consider Richard’s multiple factors when examining why he committed his acts. We will examine his social identity, environment, and economic status. When looking into Richard’s life, we need to evaluate where Richard lives and spends his time. Richard’s friends and family know that Oakland is dark and influential on people as young as Richard: “Prayed he be safe from all the dangers that lurked for a young black man.Oakland.”(80) This quote establishes …show more content…
To additionally understand Richard’s story, we will examine the influences and situations his friends put him in in the story. Richard explains his relationship with his friends and how sometimes he needs to think for himself instead of his relationships: “I don’t have any friends. Richard once said that. I have associates.” (101) Richard has a lot of friends, but even those people seem to take advantage of him. Also, Richard's friends seem to only like the goofy and daunting side of him and will not pay attention to the thoughtful and caring side. “He seemed different now. The goofy, antic quality was gone. These days, Richard was serious.” (218) Richard’s affectionate and considerate side proves to not get as much attention as his goofy side, making him lean towards his inconsistent and dangerous goofy side. Richard's personality played a big part in his actions, which sent him to the Juvenile Detention Center. If we can dig deeper into some situations, we can find that Richard doesn’t always know what the right thing to do is, making him unprepared for what life throws at