Tessa Masterson Will Go to Prom: A reading response

In the “Tessa Masterson Will Go to Prom”, Tessa is lesbian in a town where the girls have purity rings and families that attend Mass every Sunday. Her longtime friend, Luke, first thinks he has feelings for Tessa, but after standing up for her in front of the community that barred her from attending her high school prom and the people that boycotted the Masterson’s grocery store.
As you can see, people aren’t allowed to be different in this text. In fact, the whole plot is centered on how Tessa, her girlfriend, and her family are treated. I think that barring Tessa from prom just because she wants to bring another girl as her date is ridiculous. Yes, it may be against your views to be homosexual, but you should not cancel a prom just because a lesbian plans to attend it. When the prom was canceled, Tessa receives more hate than ever. Josie, her girlfriend, becomes the target of vandalism. The Masterson’s store becomes the subject of a boycott.
Luke refers to it as Shark versus Jets, a West Side Story reference. In West Side Story, both gangs fight for territory, but in the end, nobody wins. The battle of Tessa and prom is the same way. Nobody actually wins. Sure, prom was canceled, but a new one was created for everyone but Tessa. However, Luke throws a bigger prom for Tessa. I think that this shows how Luke is different. Most people might assume they are in love with each other. Nevertheless, Luke knows that it is a kind of love that siblings share.
I really sympathize with Tessa. All her friends turn on her when they find out she is lesbian. I can just imagine how this feels. Sure, I’ve had a group of friends turn on me, but I’ve never had the majority of a school turn on me. Tessa is also being accused of being selfish because she refused to not attend prom. Everyone assumes everything is perfect in this town, but it turns out that there is a lot discrimination in this town. Everyone can pretend that nothing is wrong, but even if Tessa leaves, nothing will be the same.