Riding the Bus with My Sister essays

Riding the Bus with My Sister essays Riding the Bus with My Sister: Informal Response In the novel Riding the Bus with My Sister by Rachael Simon I found that the many issues and ideas developed in the book are very important in todays society and apply to most people in some way or another. Probably the issue dealt with the most in the book is tolerance for the physically or mentally challenged. Throughout the book there are many instances of this for example Gus, one of the bus drivers, tells Beth that she shouldnt be going into the drivers room even if she just goes in to use the bathroom. As you read on you later find out that some drivers, even past friends, cant stand her. Most have a tolerance for mentally retarded people but Beth is different, this ties into another issue but more on that later. This intolerance doesnt only exist with the drivers who know Beth but complete strangers also feel the same way as she chats persistently at the front of the bus. This intolerance can mostly be found in old people because back in their day the mentally retarded werent given so many freedoms and now that they are why shouldnt they have to earn money like everyone else? Some even decide to speak up asking whether she has a bus stop because they want to embarrass her for in stance. A few people here and there even befriend Beth like Jacob or Rick and a few passengers of the bus too. But even her sister cant stand her sometimes; Rachael constantly battles a dark voice inside her. This voice tells her to get angry at Beth for her flaws sometimes this voice wins leaving both Beth and Rachael hurt. The familys intolerance is also told through flashbacks witch appear frequently throughout the book. Like when Beth greets Rachael, whose riding back home on a bus from high school, with a volley of water gun fire. This embarrasses Rachael as all the other kids laugh at Beth and her to, she hates it and since Beth executes...