The novel, The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton, follows the character Ponyboy as we learn about the two groups in his society, the Socs and the greasers. Socs are the wealthy young people who live in the nicest part of town. They have expensive tastes and possessions, and are portrayed as very arrogant and rude. The greasers live in the run down area of their town, devoid of money and stable family environments. The Socs and greasers are greatly affected by where and how they live, making them victims of their environment in social, emotional, and economic ways. Hinton shows us even upper class youth - like the Socs - have challenges and can be victims of their environment. As rich young adults, they experience pressure to live up to that economic
…show more content…
They live in the poorest part of town, where crime is more common and people are often concerned about safety. Soda proudly shares this social and economic stereotype, “‘I am a greaser... I am a JD and a hood. I blacken the name of our fair city. I beat up people. I rob gas stations. I am a menace to society.’”(Hinton 136) It is unlikely that Soda came up with this view of greasers on his own. He is probably repeating what the stereotype of a greaser is in their town. What most people do not see is that greasers have tight emotional bonds through friendship. In fact, most of the greasers find a lot of safety with their friends. In Darry, Soda, and Ponyboy’s case, security also comes from family. But sadly, most of the greasers have difficult home lives. Take Johnny for example. His parents hate him and yell at him a lot. Due to this emotional trauma, he has learned to be quiet and timid at home to avoid unwanted attention. He behaves in the same manner with his friends, which is likely why he is the gang pet. The way Johnny is treated at home has affected him socially.(Carroll) Emotional challenges faced by a lot of the greasers are the result trauma that occurs frequently in their lives. Johnny is traumatized when he is jumped by the Socs. So when Ponyboy is in danger of being drowned, Johnny is ready to protect him, which is part of the reason he kills Bob. After doing so, Johnny encumbers himself with more …show more content…
For example, socioeconomic status and appearance have a big affect on how people view you. In our society, there are a lot of stereotypes based on a person’s perceived wealth and social identity. There are also many painful truths about social and economic status. In the real world, 60% of children have at least 1 traumatic experience each year, and of those children, 22% have at least 4 or more traumatic experiences each year. If you are a boy, African American, impoverished, or have only one parent, a stepparent, or a non-biological parent, you are more susceptible to being one of those children.(Carroll). In the novel, the greasers mainly make up that 60%, and we immediately assume that the greasers have more difficulties because they are lower class. But the Socs have problems as well that are just as bad as the greasers’, they are just harder to recognize because the Socs wear a mask that covers up most of their struggles. After a few tough experiences in my life, I have empathy for the people who deal with trauma intermittently. I also think that “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs” provides a structure to understand our reality and the society of the Socs and greasers in the book. There are 5 main categories of needs we desire: the physiological needs, the needs for safety, the needs for love and belonging, the needs for self esteem, and the need to self actualize.(Maslow). In The Outsiders,
They live in the poorest part of town, where crime is more common and people are often concerned about safety. Soda proudly shares this social and economic stereotype, “‘I am a greaser... I am a JD and a hood. I blacken the name of our fair city. I beat up people. I rob gas stations. I am a menace to society.’”(Hinton 136) It is unlikely that Soda came up with this view of greasers on his own. He is probably repeating what the stereotype of a greaser is in their town. What most people do not see is that greasers have tight emotional bonds through friendship. In fact, most of the greasers find a lot of safety with their friends. In Darry, Soda, and Ponyboy’s case, security also comes from family. But sadly, most of the greasers have difficult home lives. Take Johnny for example. His parents hate him and yell at him a lot. Due to this emotional trauma, he has learned to be quiet and timid at home to avoid unwanted attention. He behaves in the same manner with his friends, which is likely why he is the gang pet. The way Johnny is treated at home has affected him socially.(Carroll) Emotional challenges faced by a lot of the greasers are the result trauma that occurs frequently in their lives. Johnny is traumatized when he is jumped by the Socs. So when Ponyboy is in danger of being drowned, Johnny is ready to protect him, which is part of the reason he kills Bob. After doing so, Johnny encumbers himself with more …show more content…
For example, socioeconomic status and appearance have a big affect on how people view you. In our society, there are a lot of stereotypes based on a person’s perceived wealth and social identity. There are also many painful truths about social and economic status. In the real world, 60% of children have at least 1 traumatic experience each year, and of those children, 22% have at least 4 or more traumatic experiences each year. If you are a boy, African American, impoverished, or have only one parent, a stepparent, or a non-biological parent, you are more susceptible to being one of those children.(Carroll). In the novel, the greasers mainly make up that 60%, and we immediately assume that the greasers have more difficulties because they are lower class. But the Socs have problems as well that are just as bad as the greasers’, they are just harder to recognize because the Socs wear a mask that covers up most of their struggles. After a few tough experiences in my life, I have empathy for the people who deal with trauma intermittently. I also think that “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs” provides a structure to understand our reality and the society of the Socs and greasers in the book. There are 5 main categories of needs we desire: the physiological needs, the needs for safety, the needs for love and belonging, the needs for self esteem, and the need to self actualize.(Maslow). In The Outsiders,