The 57 Bus Dashka Slater Sparknotes

If you had someone look at your life and write a book, would your story be portrayed negatively? Richard, a 16-year-old black teenager who lives in Oakland, did the unthinkable. Sasha, a teenager who identifies as gender non-binary, was on a bus on their way home, and while they were sleeping, Richard lit their skirt on fire. In the nonfiction book The 57 Bus, Dashka Slater uses a lack of background context to showcase Richard’s single story and biased opinions about his life. In the 57 Bus, Dashka Slater provided an insufficient amount of background knowledge, which led us to believe that Richard was mentally and emotionally unstable. Richard lived in an apartment building with Cherie when he was younger, which built a long-lasting bond between

Slater chose negative words to portray Richard and his mental health and lacks background knowledge about Cherie. Additionally, Dashka Slater visited Richard's school to get a perspective on his life, and she describes it in a way that makes readers believe that he didn't have a stable school nor environment. Oakland High is known for its high crime and low graduation rates, with only 800 out of 1,875 students graduating yearly. When Slater visited Oakland High, she says, "There was a security guard posted at the front of the gate to keep craziness out, but there was plenty of craziness to be found inside" (Slater 64). The word "craziness" can suggest a bad environment with thugs or criminals roaming the halls. Despite what Dashka Slater stated, the school was a welcoming environment with crucial personnel that made an impact on Richard's life. Slater uses distributing generalizations about the school and the students involved, and with a lack of background detail that can sway readers' opinions in the wrong way. However, Dashka Slater lacks background details about Richard's life, which led her to believe that his environment was a contributing factor to his