When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way. And the Sharks have plenty of loyalty on their own side as well. It works, but it leads to a lot of conflict. Most of the Big Moments in West Side Story come when someone's loyalty is tested or betrayed. Tony's expected to stick by the Jets even though he's not one of them anymore, while Maria's expected to start hating Tony after her brother Bernardo gets killed. Her loyalty to Tony wins out, but it's one of the themes that produces the conflict in the film.
Questions about Loyalty
- When is loyalty to your brothers a good thing? When is it a bad thing?
- At which points in the movie does a character do something out of loyalty rather than actually wanting to themselves? What kind of repercussions do those decisions have?
- At what points are the characters' loyalties pulled between one person and another?
Chew on This
Take a peek at these thesis statements. Agree or disagree?
Loyalty provides a sense of purpose to the gang members in the film, who don't have much else going for them.
Loyalty is a hollow concept in this film because it's based on nothing except hate.