West Side Story

Which, if any, of the adult characters in West Side Story is a good role model? Discuss the function of two or three on-stage adult characters in the story. How does each serve to propel the narrative to its tragic conclusion? What effect does it have on the audience to see authority figures who are so severely flawed?

Teaching Suggestion: It might benefit students to work as a group to create a chart showing adult characters who play on-stage roles, those who speak from off-stage (e.g., Maria’s parents), and those who are merely mentioned (e.g., Tony’s mother), mapping them to the characters they are most likely to influence.

Differentiation Suggestion: Many parents are referenced in the dialogue, but none appear on stage. How might it affect the audience to be reminded of so many parental figures who never appear? More advanced learners might write a brief journal entry as a letter from a character to an unseen parent (e.g., A-rab to his father, Action to his mother) to explore these relationships.