Maya Angelou once stated, “We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.” True to this statement, a likeness of basic humanity can be found within all people in the face of hardship. S.E. Hinton, the author of The Outsiders, displays evidence supporting this idea through the characters within the wealthy East-side gang known as the “Socials” and the self-described “hoodlums” within the far poorer West-side gang known as the “Greasers.” The Greasers and Socials, like all other people, are more alike than different, their economic statuses notwithstanding.
Throughout the novel, Johnny Cade, a Greaser who faces physical abuse at home, and Bob Sheldon, a Social who is emotionally neglected by his parents, display evidence of lasting …show more content…
Such a similarity can be seen through Dallas Winston, a heavily jaded Greaser, and Sherri “Cherry” Valance, a bright, empathetic Social. Dallas faces grief through the loss of what many considered the “only thing Dally loved”, Johnny Cade. Hinton wrote, “Whirling suddenly, he slammed back against the wall. His face contracted in agony, and sweat streamed down his face. ‘Damnit, Johnny…’ he begged, slamming one fist against the wall… ‘oh damnit Johnny, don’t die, please don’t die…’” Dallas, in response to the death of Johnny, was overcome with such an extreme sense of grief that he reacted violently. Cherry also experienced grief over the killing of her temperamental boyfriend, Bob Sheldon. The true extent of her grief is presented through her refusal to visit Bob’s killer, Johnny Cade, in the hospital. “‘I couldn’t,’ she said in a quiet, desperate voice. ‘He killed Bob… I couldn’t ever look at the person who killed him.’” Cherry, although she reacted in a far more subtle manner, was devastated by the death of Bob just as Dallas had been by the death of Johnny. This shared devastation proves that both Socials and Greasers are alike through death and …show more content…
Their most prominent difference is wealth. The Greasers and Socials are, despite their similarities, from significantly different economic classes. But, the aforementioned similarities do, in fact, outweigh this difference. Issues such as harmful family situations, conformity, and death deeply affect the members of each gang in a manner that is far more emotional than physical. Such a deep and lasting effect can never be replicated by something as materialistic as money, based purely on how severely the characters were changed by the loss of loved ones, feelings of being oppressed by the expectations of others, and lifetimes of neglect from their families throughout the
Throughout the novel, Johnny Cade, a Greaser who faces physical abuse at home, and Bob Sheldon, a Social who is emotionally neglected by his parents, display evidence of lasting …show more content…
Such a similarity can be seen through Dallas Winston, a heavily jaded Greaser, and Sherri “Cherry” Valance, a bright, empathetic Social. Dallas faces grief through the loss of what many considered the “only thing Dally loved”, Johnny Cade. Hinton wrote, “Whirling suddenly, he slammed back against the wall. His face contracted in agony, and sweat streamed down his face. ‘Damnit, Johnny…’ he begged, slamming one fist against the wall… ‘oh damnit Johnny, don’t die, please don’t die…’” Dallas, in response to the death of Johnny, was overcome with such an extreme sense of grief that he reacted violently. Cherry also experienced grief over the killing of her temperamental boyfriend, Bob Sheldon. The true extent of her grief is presented through her refusal to visit Bob’s killer, Johnny Cade, in the hospital. “‘I couldn’t,’ she said in a quiet, desperate voice. ‘He killed Bob… I couldn’t ever look at the person who killed him.’” Cherry, although she reacted in a far more subtle manner, was devastated by the death of Bob just as Dallas had been by the death of Johnny. This shared devastation proves that both Socials and Greasers are alike through death and …show more content…
Their most prominent difference is wealth. The Greasers and Socials are, despite their similarities, from significantly different economic classes. But, the aforementioned similarities do, in fact, outweigh this difference. Issues such as harmful family situations, conformity, and death deeply affect the members of each gang in a manner that is far more emotional than physical. Such a deep and lasting effect can never be replicated by something as materialistic as money, based purely on how severely the characters were changed by the loss of loved ones, feelings of being oppressed by the expectations of others, and lifetimes of neglect from their families throughout the