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12 - The Real Gang History of New York

from Part II - The Work Itself and Its Context

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 January 2025

By
Elizabeth A. Wells
Edited by
Paul R. Laird  and
Elizabeth A. Wells
Paul R. Laird
Affiliation:
University of Kansas
Elizabeth A. Wells
Affiliation:
Mount Allison University, Canada
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Summary

From the 1940s into the late 1950s, juvenile delinquency was a real and potent threat to Americans. Gang violence, especially in large centres like New York, threatened the fabric of society and local communities. A series of artistic responses, from films to novels, attempted to address the problem and the reasons why teens became delinquent. Ultimately, West Side Story addressed the phenomenon for the first time in musical theatre terms, but it also galvanized original audiences with its gritty and realistic portrayal of crime in the streets. Although the musical has come to be seen as tame by today’s standards, it was cutting-edge entertainment in its time and fitted in with other contemporary portrayals of gang violence and its outcomes.

Keywords

juvenile delinquencyNew York1950sgang violenceyouth culture
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Companion to West Side Story , pp. 198 - 212
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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