The Man with a Mustache / Dan Gale Character Analysis in The 57 Bus

The “Good Samaritan” who puts out Sasha’s flaming skirt on the 57 bus. Dan Gale is just a regular guy, but he is the only one who actively tries to help Sasha after Richard sets her skirt on fire. Debbie and Karl invite Dan to their home to formally thank him after Sasha gets home from the hospital.

The Man with a Mustache / Dan Gale Quotes in The 57 Bus

The The 57 Bus quotes below are all either spoken by The Man with a Mustache / Dan Gale or refer to The Man with a Mustache / Dan Gale. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

). Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Macmillan edition of The 57 Bus published in 2017.

“That boy was on fire, wasn’t he?” a man remarks as Sasha pushes through the back doors to the sidewalk. Behind him, Sasha’s mustached rescuer paces the aisle. “Call an ambulance,” he croaks. He goes to the door of the bus and calls to Sasha, who roams the sidewalk with a cell phone, charred legs. “You need to call an ambulance, man.”

Related Characters: (speaker),

Related Symbols:

Page Number and Citation: 115

Explanation and Analysis:

The Man with a Mustache / Dan Gale Character Timeline in The 57 Bus

The timeline below shows where the character The Man with a Mustache / Dan Gale appears in The 57 Bus. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Adolescent Crime vs. Adult Crime Theme Icon

Accountability, Redemption, and Forgiveness Theme Icon

...another kid laughs, and the driver still has no idea that anything has happened. A man with a mustache leaps into action and “smothers Sasha’s flaming skirt with his coat.” It is over as... (full context)

Discrimination and Social Justice Theme Icon

As he walks home after talking to the police, the man with the mustache has “tears streaming down his face.” He cries and keeps asking, “Why? Oh my God,... (full context)

Binary Thought and Inclusive Language Theme Icon

One Saturday in early December, a guy named Dan Gale sits in Sasha’s living room. Sasha’s family has invited Dan for brunch, and much... (full context)

They all thank Dan for putting out the fire, and he awkwardly responds, “Man, I’m sorry I couldn’t’ve done... (full context)