West Side Story Sociology Sociological

West Side Story Sociology

Sociological Issues in West Side Story

The film West Side Story took as its theme the sociological problems of an inter-racial marriage in New York City. The story takes place during the 1960s when racial issues were boiling over around the nation. The main characters are a Puerto Rican girl, Maria, and a Caucasian boy, Tony, meet and fall in love. The story is a modern day Romeo and Juliet with much of the same problems of prejudice, male domination of he family and social unrest. Discrimination of all sorts at many levels is a main theme of this film.

West Side Story marked a turning point for American Puerto Ricans in that they were finally identified as a distinct minority. They previously had not been classified, due to the mixed heritage of most Puerto Ricans. At that time, there were other social problems in the inner city: gang violence, drugs and guns and police corruption. This film covered all of these to different degrees, but the plot centered almost entirely upon racial discrimination and gang violence in inner cities. Poverty was a side issue, but it was not very visible in the film. We have made much progress since that film's debut, but it is a sad fact that racial discrimination and gang violence still exist today.

One sociological theme this film illustrates very well is the theory of group membership. The major problem in the film centers around the theories of group membership and how the group members live by the accepted norms and govern their actions by the attitudes they have internalized. The two main groups are racially segregated gangs: the Puerto Rican Sharks and the White Jets. The members of each of these groups see themselves as the in-group and the others as the out-group. The struggle is for the control of the New York City West Side streets. The actions of the characters seldom deviate from the accepted group norm. When any character acts differently he or she is suspected of disloyalty to the group. Even pronouncing the Spanish correctly makes Tony's loyalty suspect. Group membership is the driving force behind the actions of most of the characters.

In fact, it is membership in each group that controls the attitudes and actions of most members. Whenever they are confronted with a decision they adhere to the policies of the group. This is true of the members of both gangs and of the members of all three cultural groups: Puerto Rican, white lower class and government civil servants. All of the characters begin the story acting in true character for their roles in their respective groups. Tony and Maria are the first to act differently and they get Anita to deviate also. Finally we see some change in most of the characters, excepting the officers.

Racial discrimination cuts both ways in this film. The Puerto Ricans are just as angry about the relationship of one of "their" women with a "white boy" as the white gang members are about their white boy, no longer a member, but still attached, to a Puerto Rican girl. The side issue of police corruption is illustrated in the person of Officer Krupke, a corrupt white policeman who often victimizes the members of both gangs. The world of West Side Story is a frenetic world of gang violence, passionate dance and deep emotions. We can sense a disapproval of war in the depiction of a mini-war in this film. It hurts everyone and benefits no-one. The gang members hate each other out of fear and competition. They all hate Officer Krupke for his symbol of authority. Tony, the hero, dies as a result of uncontrolled access to guns and racially-based hatred.

Several of the characters of West Side Story are shown in great detail, and we see them in the context of their heritage, their racial group and economic status. We see how their membership in the class and racial group has power over their attitudes and actions. At the time of this film, they were contemporary, but the film was true to the times, so they are now historically correct also. The social mores and customs are well depicted in the forms of dances and music and in the morality of the time. Maria's dress for the dance must have a certain propriety about it, with a proper hem and neckline. She dresses in white to symbolize purity. Anita, a married woman, can dress in red, as she has more freedom and need not be chaperoned. Maria's age, innocence and single status require a chaperone.

Family is very important in this film, as family connections are used as reasons for action. However, the family structure of the Puerto Rican culture is the main focus, and its very Catholic cultural attitudes. The gender roles are extremely well defined for both groups, though Maria crosses them when she steps in to settle arguments and to supply the resolution at the end.

Social roles in this movie follow accepted norms of the time and are patterned after the original Shakespearean roles. Maria has immigrates to become betrothed by a previous arrangement between the parents. Anita, a married aunt, is charged with protecting her honor. The dance substitutes for a coming out party, and Maria is to be formally presented to her betrothed. The role of male protector comes in the form of the leader of the Sharks, Bernardo. Tony is the symbol of upward mobility from the poor white lower class. He goes to night school, works and stays out of trouble. He is making it. However, his friends in the Sharks feel abandoned, even though he still comes around and helps them out. Both groups are at the bottom of the economical social heap, and some, like Tony, are struggling to raise their status.