Laurents, Arthur: West Side Story

The book was written by Arthur Laurents and the music was composed by Leonard Bernstein.

I think most of you know the film or the book and the important characters.But I will give you anyway a short view about them.

The Jets (Americans) and

the Sharks(Puerto Ricans)

THE JETS:Riff ...the leader Tony....his friend

Their girlfriends: Graziella , Velma, Minnie, Clarica, Anybodys

Action

A-Rab Clarice

Baby John

THE SHARKS: Bemardo ...the leader

Their girlfriends: Anita , Rosalia, Francisca, Estella, Marguerita, Trestita

Maria ...his sister

Chino ...his friend

Pepe

Indio

Luis

Other important characters: Doc ...has a drugstore

Schrank. ..an inspector

The story starts with a fight between the Jets and the Sharks.But they have to stop because Schrank comes and warns.them.

The Jets decide that they will fight for their street. They want to meet the Sharks at Doc's at midnight after the dance in the gym.

Riff persuades Tony to come although he has stopped to be a Jet. He works at the drugstore.

Tony knows that something will happen with him and someone else. Maria is also allowed to go to the dance.It's the first time for her. At the gym she gets to know a lot of new people.

Suddenly she sees Tony and reverse.They dance together and Tony kisses her. But then Bemardo sees them and takes Maria horne.

At midnight the Jets wait for the Sharks. They want to decide the weapons.

They talk about Revolvers and knifes.But then Tony comes in and reduces the big fight to a fair fight.

In the evening Tony visits Maria and they confess their love.

They meet each other on the next day at the store where Maria works.Anita sees them, but she doesn't say anything to Bemardo.

Maria wants T ony to prevent the gangs of the fight

In the evening he tries it,but without any success. The fight starts harmless but suddenly Bemardo and Rifftake knifes.Action and A-Rab hold Tony back. There's a lot of hate between these two.

One moment later Riff could kill Bemardo but Tony holds him back.Bemardo gets on his feet again and stabs Riff to death. . Tony is shocked and kills Bemardo.

They hear a police siren and they all run away.Neither does Tony.But then Anybodys takes him away.

Maria has already heard what had happened and prays. T ony comes in and she calls him a killer.

Tony wants to go to the police,but Maria doesn't want that.She forgives him.

Anita enters and Maria tries to visit Tony at Doc's.Because Chino wants to kill Tony. At first Anita cannot understand her.But when Schrank arrives she wants to help her.Schrank asks her a lot of questions.

Anita goes to the drugstore. There are all the Jets. They hurt her and don't want to let her go.Then Doc comes in and helps her.

In her hate she says that Chino has killed Maria.But that isn't true. Doc is shocked and tells it Tony who is waiting in the cellar.

Tony is totally desperate he runs out ofthe street and calls for Chino to kill him too. Suddenly he realizes that it is Maria who is standing there. They run to each other but then there is a shot and T ony dies in the arms of Maria.

Both gangs run together.Maria takes the gun ofChino and wants to kill some people and herself.

But she can1t do it.She leans low over Tony's face.

She doesn't want that Schrank takes Tony away.She gives Chino and Action her hand. And both gangs take Tony away.

Mv opinion:If you read the book you think automatically for Romeo and Julia. It is a modem romance.

But it's not easy to read because there are a lot of colloquial words.

The story is an example for our thinking.Often something terrible has to happen that we change our opinion.

Ifyou like lovestories it's very nice to read.

fair fight...Zweikampf confess ...gestehen

reverse. ..umgekehrt

prevent ...verhindern

stab to death...erstechen

colloquial...umgangssprachlich