Tragic love

The first thing that came to my mind as I was watching West Side Story were the extraordinary similarities between this and Romeo and Juliet, and therefore I am very certain that it is meant to be a modern adaptation of it. What I found to be very compelling about the musical other than its elements of Shakespeare was the perspective that this was shot in. The viewer sees both sides of the argument both sides of the scuffle. Although the Jets are the white gang they are still confronted with a lot of the same issues that the Sharks go through. Both groups come from very underprivileged backgrounds, and we are able to see both their perspectives and their differences. Both unwilling to budge and each protecting what they believe is the only thing that gives them power from what they have grown up as. In the end the death of the leaders of both gangs and the death of Tony demonstrates the impossibility of their happiness because of these opposing houses. In the end both sides seem to recognize the ridiculousness of their feud that has now caused the death of three people. Despite their having similar backgrounds and in terms of personality they share a lot of the same characteristics they are both still very different in the issue of race and this is too big of a difference for them to overcome. I think that the ending is very pessimistic in that sense because all the hopes and dreams of living together as a race that Maria and Tony had are shattered.