Rivalry Between The Socs And The Greasers By S. E. Hinton

S.E. Hinton displays the rivalry between the Socs and the Greasers. Most readers have never had this type of rivalry or encounter where they grew up. Hinton is able to display that through the characters in her book. Letting Ponyboy narrate the book shows the readers in a different perspective on how they lived their life’s and the thoughts that would play through their head. Showing the readers from this perspective let us know how it really was, not just from a bystander’s point of view. While no one really understands why the Socs and Greasers hate each other and why they fight so much other than their wealth differences, Hinton is able to show their true colors and what they learn through their life’s. While reading, Ponyboy shows his …show more content…
In the novel, Two-Bits switchblade represents how the Greasers disregard the police and laws, and this is how Greasers have always had pride in themselves. It shows how they think they can do anything and try and get away with it. Brining a knife to a fist fight can show power and strength to even use one on a person. Another symbol that Hinton shows is cars that the Socs have. Even though some of the Greasers have access to cars, Greasers mostly travel by foot. Socs drive around in their cool cars always looking for a fight. The cars represent wealth, all of the Socs have cars because their families can afford them, that’s why they are the wealthy social group in the book. Greasers are perceived as poor because they can’t afford much. Another symbol that represents the same thing as the car is the Socs rings and jewelry. The Socs wear big rings so that when they get into fights with the Greasers they can hit them harder. Readers may also perceive them as wealth. Wearing the rings around and showing them off to the Greasers because the Greasers can’t afford them. The Socs are trying to show that they are more powerful, bigger, and