In the novel The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, a young teenager named Ponyboy experiences problems that will shape how he sees life and the people around him. In this novel there are two social classes; the Socs and the Greasers. The Socs are preppy rich kids who can get around any trouble they get themselves into. The Greasers are the polar opposite. Greasers are tough, poor, and always in trouble with the cops, or “fuzz”. With the help of his new friend, Cherry, Ponyboy learns that the Greasers aren’t the only ones with problems. The Socs are known for jumping the Greasers. One night when two Socs, Bob and Randy, decide to jump Ponyboy and Johnny, things take an unexpected turn, and the Greasers are left with a mess. On an interesting journey, Ponyboy and Johnny discover the meaning of life and
…show more content…
In The Outsiders, one very prominent conflict is man v. society. The novel is about being put into social classes that divide us as people. One of the main social focuses of the book were the Greasers. As previously stated, the Greasers were the lower class families. Society demeaned the Greasers because they weren’t like everyone else. They had torn clothes, long hair, and were rude. Society placed the Greasers into stereotypical categories, so no one ever took a second to think that maybe, just maybe, they were real people with real emotions. Shunned by the way they dressed, it was hard for the Greasers to go in public without being embarrassed. “ I looked down at my worn, faded blue jeans, my too-big shirt, and Dally’s worn-out jacket. They’ll know we’re hoods the minute they see us, I thought. “ (S.E. Hinton 64). For example, this quote shows how Ponyboy feels like people will immediately see him as Greaser instead of a person, based on the way he’s dressed. Through years of conflict it has come to be almost forbidden for a Greaser to talk or interact with someone of another social class. Other groups feel awkward or embarrassed to be seen with a
In The Outsiders, one very prominent conflict is man v. society. The novel is about being put into social classes that divide us as people. One of the main social focuses of the book were the Greasers. As previously stated, the Greasers were the lower class families. Society demeaned the Greasers because they weren’t like everyone else. They had torn clothes, long hair, and were rude. Society placed the Greasers into stereotypical categories, so no one ever took a second to think that maybe, just maybe, they were real people with real emotions. Shunned by the way they dressed, it was hard for the Greasers to go in public without being embarrassed. “ I looked down at my worn, faded blue jeans, my too-big shirt, and Dally’s worn-out jacket. They’ll know we’re hoods the minute they see us, I thought. “ (S.E. Hinton 64). For example, this quote shows how Ponyboy feels like people will immediately see him as Greaser instead of a person, based on the way he’s dressed. Through years of conflict it has come to be almost forbidden for a Greaser to talk or interact with someone of another social class. Other groups feel awkward or embarrassed to be seen with a