America (West Side Story) Essay

Introduction This document is the lyrics of the song the States extracts from the movie West Side Story. This movie is a musical order by Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise in 1961. It sets in NY in the 50s. It deals with a confrontation between two rival gangs the Jets (ameri tin) and the Sharks (Portori locoweed). It also deals with a applaud story between Tony and Maria. Their love story is based on Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet as the two lovers belong to different groups. The song the States was save up by Stephen Sondheim and composed by Leonard Bernstein.During the scene, the portorican girls support the life in the States whereas the portorican male childs criticise it. To study this song, Im going to present in a first part the life in Puerto anti-racketeering law and because in a second part the life in the US. And to finish, in a third part, the boys intention. I The life in Puerto Rico (l. 1 to l. 7) = The climate There are a conduct of hurricanes which destroy the h ouses and the plantations. It is also very hot, so hot that it must be difficult to work. = The working conditions In Puerto Rico, they are waiting for jobs.A circle of people are unemployed or all the same if they stir a job, they are low-paid and they contrive to borrow (emprunter) money from the banks. They are exploited and indebted. = The stomach rate The birth rate is very high. The portoricans are Catholic and they put one overt know anything about the birth control or the path of contraception. There are to a greater extent and more mouths to feed and more and more unemployment. Consequently, they have to emigrate, mainly to the US, in order to have a reveal life. It was easy for them to get the American citizenship because Puerto Rico depended on the USA.It is a minus image of Puerto Rico. Maria criticises it and yet she says my hearts devotion (l. 1) moreover she is ironical. She prefers the life in the US and doesnt care if P. Rico disappears because she says permit it sink plunk for in the ocean. II The life in the US (l. 8 to l. 31) ? Girls opinion The girls say that its a better life because there is more slackdom (free to be anything you choose), you can give-up the ghost whoever you want. The life is more comfortable, you can have your own washing machine, and there is more space because you can have big and good apartments.There is no more unemployment because of the fabrication boom (l. 15) so there is more job opportunities, more chances to become someone soci every last(predicate)y. For the girls, the US are a land of freedom and pride. ? male childs opinion For them, everywhere in America, they suffer from racial discrimination. At work because they can just access to low-paid jobs. In housing because their requests to have a house are refused. In the street and shops because of their skin food coloring and their accent. They have low-paid jobs and they cant afford big apartments so they have to live in promiscuity (t welve in a means in america).Moreover they cant afford turn so the washing machine is useless (what will you have, though, to keep exculpated). The life in America isnt as good as the girls say because its violent and dangerous (organized crime in America) and dirty (everywhere grime in America). The girls hope in the American dream whereas the boys are disillusioned and pessimistic. III The boys intention (l. 32 to the end) The boys intends to (ont lintention de) go back to San Juan in Puerto Rico because settling down in America didnt bring any real changes. Moreover, they cant stand the racial discrimination anymore.They expects to be cheerfully welcome in San Juan. Maria pretends not to care about it, she pretends not to be upset (contrariee). She has the last actors line with Everyone there will have moved here l35. She means that all the portoricans are sensible (senses) enough to understand that their future is in the US. cobblers last To conclude the life in the US an d the life in Puerto Rico are confronted because of the situation. The girls support the America just the boys underline the fact that even if they found liberty and pride in the US, they are still confronted to distress and they suffer from racism and violence.Maria conclude with the fact that all the portoricans in Puerto Rico would be in the US. However, I can understand that the boys taket find out good in America and want go back to Puerto Rico because even if they will be poor, its their land. They should feel better with portoricans than with american. Its up to them to make a choice but I think that their survival instinct will lead them to America because they will have more chance to succeed than in Puerto Rico.