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
Slater also includes some numbers applicable to Richard’s case. 54,148 juveniles are “held in correctional facilities on any given day,” she writes, and while African Americans only make up 16 percent of total juveniles, “41 percent of incarcerated youths are African American.” According to Slater, it costs 2.5 million dollars to jail one single juvenile for life, and nearly 10 percent of all “confined youths” have experienced sexual assault while in custody. Sadly, 22 percent of “confined youths” have also attempted suicide.
Sadly, these statistics imply that similar progress has not been made to address the discrimination and racism present in America’s criminal justice system. These statistics are bleak; however, Slater ultimately argues, acknowledging this unjust reality is the first step to overcoming the hate and discrimination that fuels it.
Themes
