The 57 Bus Essay Questions

Why does Richard identify with Kaprice so much?

Kaprice is often referred to as "mom" by her students, because she provides them with a structure and a consistency that they equate with a parent. The reason she is so easy for the teens to identify with is that in her teen years, she was involved in the 69vill gang. Born in East Oakland, Kaprice's first love was a gang member who was killed in a shooting, and many of her friends were incarcerated before their sixteenth birthdays. At this point, she turned her life around; started staying in school instead of skipping, and graduated from college. She is uniquely placed to counsel the teens in her truancy program because she has already lived through what they are currently experiencing.

She is the catalyst that Richard needs to start bringing his grades up, and to realistically aim to graduate from high school. He identifies with her because she has come from the same place as him and is proof that it is possible to become something, even without the best of beginnings.

Discuss how Sasha's interest in language reflects their identity as a nonbinary-gendered person.

The English language and many other languages of the world organize their pronouns, and sometimes even their verbs and articles, around gender. Since early childhood, Sasha has been more concerned with the sound and shape of language than with the typical pattern of association, where children learn to associate the word for apple with the image of an apple, for example. By constructing their own language and joining communities of other "conlangers," Sasha has the freedom to create a language free of gender.

How is Richard seen by those closest to him, and how do his actions affirm their view of him?

Richard is seen as goofy, childish, and playful. He is known as "Hyphy," by his friends—Oakland slang for hyperactive. He likes to play pranks and make jokes. He is seen by school counselors as patient and compassionate, being able to calm down the younger siblings of his classmates during conferences. But he is also seen as a follower by many of his peers, which reflects in the way he followed Jamal's suggestion to light Sasha's skirt on fire.

How is Oakland diverse? In what ways does it harbor disparities?

Oakland is diverse in race, ethnicity, and identity. There are no racial majorities in Oakland, and it has the highest instance of same-sex-parent households in the nation. But it is also a place of huge income inequality. The tech boom in Silicon Valley has gentrified neighborhoods and driven rents way up, pushing the poorer residents of Oakland further and further east of the harbor.

How does Slater spur her readers to action? How is this call to action reflected in the narrative?

At several points in the book, Slater switches to the second-person perspective, implicating the reader with the pronoun "you." She uses this strategy from both Sasha's and Richard's side of the story, entreating the reader to use the proper pronouns for people who identify as nonbinary, and also asking the reader to imagine what it might be like to be booked into a juvenile detention center. Slater portrays several community efforts to advocate for people of all identities, including Sasha's petition to the White House and Oakland High's No H8 campaign.