The 57 Bus

The 57 Bus

by

Dashka Slater

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The 57 Bus makes teaching easy.

The 57 Bus: Part 4: Back at Juvie Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
At Juvenile Hall, Richard quickly falls into the routine—he has been here before, after all. He attends classes and goes to church, but he mostly keeps to himself. One day, early in his stay, Richard is put in a room with the kid who had “stripped” him at gunpoint. He quickly apologizes to Richard and Richard accepts, since “he, too, hoped to be forgiven.” “Forgive, but don’t forget,” Jasmine says. Richard tells her to “stop saying that.” Richard says, “you have to forget. Because otherwise you haven’t truly forgiven.”
The fact that Richard can so easily forgive the kid who “stripped” him is further evidence of his innate goodness. Richard does not hold the boy’s actions against him, and instead of fighting or dwelling on what has happened, Richard chooses to forgive and move on.
Themes
Accountability, Redemption, and Forgiveness Theme Icon