Gangsta Granny

In Gangsta Granny, ballroom dancing represents family disagreements, adding to the story’s theme of Navigating Family Relationships. In the story, Ben’s parents are obsessed with ballroom dancing—much to Ben’s chagrin. Ben often feels lonely and misunderstood because of how his parents prioritize ballroom dancing over him: “Now, Ben’s mum and Dad loved ballroom dancing. Sometimes Ben thought they loved it more than they loved him” (12). Their differing opinions on ballroom dancing create tension between Ben and his parents, who hope that one day he will embrace dancing as well. Mum and Dad even want Ben to pursue dance himself and become a professional ballroom dancer, ignoring his dream of becoming a plumber.

This intense disagreement leaves Ben ashamed of his passion for plumbing, and he hides his plumbing magazine from his parents. At the end of the story, Ben’s parents accept that he is uninterested in dancing and are more open-minded about his dream of working as a plumber. As a result, Ben has less ballroom dancing talk—and family conflict—in his life.