East Side Story
By: Kevin • Essay • 262 Words • February 11, 2010 • 874 Views
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West Side Story
West Side Story is a modern novel version of Shakespeare's play,
Romeo and Juliet. The two main characters are Polish boy named Tony and
a Puerta Rican girl named Maria. Maria is Bernardo's sister, the leader of a
street gang named the Sharks. The Sharks are a Puerto Rican gang. Tony is
a member of the Jets, the rival white gang of the Sharks wanting to keep
Puerto Ricans out. The beginning starts as both gangs gather at a local
dance. There, Tony and Maria meet and fall in love. They both know that
their love is dangerous and begin to meet in secret. They continue meeting
for a few weeks.
When a street fight breaks out between the Sharks and the Jets, Tony
intervenes in hopes of putting an end to the senseless fighting. Despite his
intentions, Tony is pulled into the fight as he witnesses his best friend, Riff,
killed by Bernardo. Tony murders Bernardo, like Shakespeare's Tybalt
killing