Character Analysis
Steve is another one of Mr. Ward's students with big dreams. This kid is going to Broadway, and nothing's going to stop him. We like his style:
The first time my folks set me down in front of a Broadway stage to watch a musical, and I saw walls rising into the ceiling and staircases disappearing into the floor, I knew: I wanted to be a set designer, and I wanted to work on Broadway. (56.2)
Steve's parents aren't as thrilled with their son's goals—all they see is that the path of an artist isn't the easiest thing in the world. Maybe he'd like to be a banker instead? Fostering such a practical dream is part of why they're moving out of the Bronx to a different school district. The logic seems to be that different friends and different teachers will inspire Steve to have different dreams.
But Steve's not going to be deterred. He's holding onto what he wants, plus he loves his old neighborhood and doesn't want to leave even if his new school is "better." Steve may be white while most of his classmates are black and Latino, but he likes it here and fits in pretty well. Or, he digs rap music enough to impress Tyrone, at least.