Previous
Part 4: Birthdays
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
In January, before heading back to college, Sasha and Michael get together and play the index card game. The game is “still funny,” and Sasha draws the card that is meant to “remind” everyone to use proper pronouns, but “nobody needed reminding” now. Michael and Sasha had “digitally scanned” stacks of the cards the day before for “posterity.” The cards were, according to Sasha, “part of the historical record.” The cards reflect who they are, and Sasha is “an autistic kid with a special interest.” “That’s probably the best answer I can give,” Sasha says.
When Michael and Sasha scan the cards for “posterity,” they are effectively reminding future generations of the importance of inclusive language. This also legitimizes Sasha’s nonbinary identity and makes them more visible. In this way, the index card game encourages others to accept and respect Sasha’s nonbinary gender identity, in keeping with Slater’s overarching argument of inclusion and tolerance.
Themes
