Analytical Essay: Themes Of West Side Story
Themes of West Side Story:
Peer pressure: this is seen when the gangs are about to have a rumble and some of the members don’t want to use weapons or even fight. By looking at this scene closely you see that they seem to be forced to do so to stay in that gang. As well as Maria being forced to accept Chino’s marriage proposal which is also in Romeo and Juliet where Juliet is being forced to marry.
Family: There is a bond between Maria and Bernardo that is seen, where Bernardo is seen as being overprotective. It looks like he needs to protect Maria due to something happening in past possibly. This is a great example of a strong bond between family members but he seems to almost push her away with all the smothering behaviour he surrounds
her with. This is also reflected in Romeo and Juliet where the Lady and Lord Capulet are overprotecting their daughter which eventually forces Juliet to run away.
Cultures: there seems to be many battles between them over their area as if they are arguing over who gets which hang out spots. This obviously stems from the fact they do not like one another and their co-existence in the same neighbourhood. Because the Sharks come over and possibly doing the same jobs as the Jets for a cheaper rate.
Love: Love one of the main themes, the two lovers have so much deep love for each other that they defy their friends as well as their social world, Maria and Tony would be frowned upon and split up if their Friends or Marias brother found out. The love between them is strong and forceful that when Tony killed Maria’s brother, Maria was angry at the death of her brother yet still carried on seeing Tony and loving him as much or even more than before. So much that at first when she found out from Anita that she had lost her brother she did not believe it was Tony.
Death: The Death of Bernardo, Maria’s brother, brings Maria and Tony closer together as a couple and eventually Tony is killed although Maria does not take her life where as Juliet does when Romeo commits suicide to be with her.
Peer pressure: this is seen when the gangs are about to have a rumble and some of the members don’t want to use weapons or even fight. By looking at this scene closely you see that they seem to be forced to do so to stay in that gang. As well as Maria being forced to accept Chino’s marriage proposal which is also in Romeo and Juliet where Juliet is being forced to marry.
Family: There is a bond between Maria and Bernardo that is seen, where Bernardo is seen as being overprotective. It looks like he needs to protect Maria due to something happening in past possibly. This is a great example of a strong bond between family members but he seems to almost push her away with all the smothering behaviour he surrounds
her with. This is also reflected in Romeo and Juliet where the Lady and Lord Capulet are overprotecting their daughter which eventually forces Juliet to run away.
Cultures: there seems to be many battles between them over their area as if they are arguing over who gets which hang out spots. This obviously stems from the fact they do not like one another and their co-existence in the same neighbourhood. Because the Sharks come over and possibly doing the same jobs as the Jets for a cheaper rate.
Love: Love one of the main themes, the two lovers have so much deep love for each other that they defy their friends as well as their social world, Maria and Tony would be frowned upon and split up if their Friends or Marias brother found out. The love between them is strong and forceful that when Tony killed Maria’s brother, Maria was angry at the death of her brother yet still carried on seeing Tony and loving him as much or even more than before. So much that at first when she found out from Anita that she had lost her brother she did not believe it was Tony.
Death: The Death of Bernardo, Maria’s brother, brings Maria and Tony closer together as a couple and eventually Tony is killed although Maria does not take her life where as Juliet does when Romeo commits suicide to be with her.