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
Two days later, Richard writes another letter to Sasha, but this one is much longer. “Dear Mr.—,” Richard begins, “I just wanted to say that I’m still very sorry and I hope your getting better.” He quotes the Bible and Jeramiah 1:5, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you: I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Richard knows he is not a prophet, but God “made a plan for us all, and we know its not evil because God isn’t evil.” He tells Sasha to “get better,” and says he is looking forward to meeting them, so he can apologize. Richard vows to write two letters each week.
Again, Richard’s letter is evidence of his remorse and accountability, but it also highlights his own inherent goodness. Just like his family claims, Richard is not a bad person; rather, he is just a kid who has made a very bad decision. Richard’s devotion to God and religion, and his knowledge of the Bible, further suggests this goodness, which is incompatible with the assumption that Richard is a “super-predator.”
Themes
