English
The outsiders is a story that depicts a set of teenagers in a rivalry, which occurs because of the differences in their socioeconomic background. The actual difference in their classes are not what causes the strife, but the idea that one set is better, or higher than the other. The Socs are the socialites, who are from a wealthy background, clean and wear brightly-colored clothing, while the greasers are the opposite and live in less than favorable conditions. They slicked their hairs back on their heads with grease. The book shows how people are judged based on their economic standing and cast aside because of what they don’t have (Wohlfarth).
The book shows a set of boys, the greasers, who are duty bound to keep each other safe from harm. It shows that even though they are from the wrong side of the tracks, they are committed to each other and would do anything for their friends and brothers. The greasers faced difficult situations because of their poverty and were constantly looked down on by the Socs. Ponyboy and his brother Darry, who was older than he was, were always getting into arguments because of the frustration that they experienced in their situation. Darry was responsible for his younger brothers, Ponyboy and Sodapop Curtis, as their parents had died in an accident.
Ponyboy was the youngest and also the narrator of the novel. he was different from the others, quiet and talented. He was interested in reading and did well in school. He struggled with class issues, violence, and conflict, but in spite of everything, he had the love of a family. He eventually realized that there was strength, even in the bias that he faced because of his class. Because of his level of intelligence, Ponyboy was able to recognize the personalities of his friends and brothers and know what motivated them.
He fully understood the way in which his group operated and each member’s role in the group. He viewed Two bit as a wise guy, Darry as a born leader and Dally as a delinquent and a hood. He did not like the Socs and described them subjectively in his narration. There was a distorted effect of hatred and rivalry between the two groups. He is gifted literally and the author used that fact to show that despite the levels of poverty that they experienced, he did not lack culture and that not all gang members were delinquents (Hinton).
Darrel Curtis, or Darry as he is also known, was the oldest of the three brothers who was responsible for raising the younger boys. He was athletic, strong and smart, but had to quit school because of obvious economic reasons. He held two jobs to provide for his family. He was the head of the greasers in an unofficial way and a figure of authority for all of them. Sodapop was the middle boy, who was mostly happy. He had charm and good looks and planned to get married to Sandy, who was his girlfriend.
Two-bit Matthews, who was also known as Keith, was the joker in the group and was fond of shoplifting. His prized possession was a switchblade. He was one of the primary instigators of the hostility that was evident between the two groups, as he constantly flirted with one of the soc ‘s girls, Marcia. Steve was Sodapop’s best friend and had been since they were in grade school. He worked with him at a gas station. He knew a lot about cars, but stole the hubcaps from them. He was intelligent and a show off who wore his hair in thick swirls. He was tough, he had fought against four with a broken bottle.
He viewed Ponyboy as the annoying younger brother of his friend, who always tagged along with them. Dallas Winston was the roughest greaser. He was a tough teen who was a member of gangs when he lived in New York. According to Ponyboy, his eyes were blue ice and there was no grease in his hair like the others. He had violent tendencies, which made him a lot more dangerous. His main accomplishment was his criminal record.
Johnny Cade was another member of the greasers, he had big, fearful eyes and dark hair. He was not doing well in school, but focused his attention on anything that was of an intellectual nature. His parents were alcoholics who abused him, causing him to be sensitive and always nervous. He adopted the greasers as his family, because his parents did not care for him. Dally is also protective of him. Johnny, who was passive and somewhat quiet, was the main catalyst for the events that occurred in the book. He stood up to Dally while they were at the drive-in, telling him not to harass two Soc girls, Marcia and Cherry. Because of that intervention, the girls were pleased and spoke with the greasers, much to the chagrin of the Socs. The interaction sparked anger and acted as motivation for the Socs to attack Ponyboy and Johnny.
Cherry Valance was a cheerleader and a Soc, Bob was her boyfriend. Herself and Ponyboy had a lot in common, they realized afterwards. He found it easy to speak with her. She also secretly admired Dally and eventually became the greasers’ spy, leading up to the fight that proceeded afterwards. She explained to Ponyboy that she would not call to him when they are at school, as acknowledgment that she is aware of the social divide. Her role was miniscule, yet it showed sympathy for the Greasers. Her perspectives were mirrored as someone who was close to what was happening, yet she remained an outsider who was not fully aware of their motivations or their emotions (Gillespie).
The others, Marcia, Randy, Bob, Paul, Jerry, Tim, Curly, Holden and Mr. Symes all added to the list of characters who make up the cast. The first four on the list were Socs, Curly and Tim Shephard were from another set of greasers, who were friends with Dally, while Jerry and Mr. Symes were teachers. Their roles, although important, were not as significant as that of the Greasers, but the teachers showed that they believed in the boys regardless of where they were from. Later on, Ponyboy and Johnny were hiding out in an old church because of the death of Rob, a Soc, in the rumble.
They, along with Dally, ended up saving some children who visited the church and were caught in a fire. They temporarily forgot that they were being sought by the police and bravely saved the children. They instantly became heroes, even though they were the cause of the fire. It goes to show that even though they were from humble beginnings, they were able to rise above that and be seen as people of substance. Everyone forgot about their misdemeanors and delinquency and cheered them on (Martin). Johnny died as a result of burns he sustained from the fire, but he died a hero.
There were many similarities between the characters in the novel at the time when it was written. Even though their backgrounds were dissimilar in nature, they were able to connect on different levels. Two-Bit found out that he shared Marcia’s sense of humor and musings that were nonsensical. Randy showed Ponyboy that the Socs, just like the Greasers, could feel pain and made his peace with him after the rescue. He then refused to participate in the fight against the two groups. Paul Holden and Darry shared an interest in football and were team mates and friends in high school. Even though the rivalry became dangerous after a time, the boys were able to anticipate their rival’s actions towards their enemies.
Ponyboy created a bond between him and his other characters with his love for literature by reading to Johnny, who couldn’t read, and discussing his books with Cherry. The realization that Ponyboy had written his story as a means of passing his English course showed that literature was and still is, important to society and can be used as a means of communicating with others. Ponyboy realized that in the same way that the Greasers experienced problems, so to do the Socs. He notices other similarities between the two groups.
Ponyboy, a Greaser, and Cherry, a Soc, shared not only their love for literature, but also sunsets and popular music. This connection transcends the reasons that fueled the feud, if only temporarily. The passion that they share, based on their conversations, could help to fill a void between the different socioeconomic groups. It also disputes the book’s analogy that the feud was long standing. Throughout the novel, Ponyboy noticed a pattern of their experiences that are shared. He came to grips with the realization that hardships were experienced by everyone at some point or another. Even if the form is different, everyone still has to experience fear, sorrow and love (Martin).
The cars were the Socs expression of wealth, while Bob’s rings were his. Because of their inability to afford the things that the Socs had, the Greasers chose to use their hair as their symbol of ownership. They also view their greased hair as a form of identity. Other similarities existed in the novel. One such similarity is that, in much the same way that the Socs view their positions in life as important, so too do the Greasers.
Even though they could have changed the way they looked at any time, they chose to remain that way in the same way that the Socs chose to do so. They had strong convictions about how they were perceived in their dressing and social interactions in the same way that the Socs did. They were also both fiercely loyal to each other and refused to be disrespected by the other. These similarities make the book an interesting read, as it shows that even though they were different and came from different places in the society, their similarities were able to bring them together and eventually resolved their differences when the two greasers became heroes.
After the death of Johnny, instead of convicting him in the death of the Soc boy, the judge showed him favor and acquitted him of the charge. The ruling was that Ponyboy had to stay at home with his oldest brother Darry.
Works Cited
Gillespie, Joanne S. 'Getting Inside S. E. Hinton's "The Outsiders"'. English Journal 95.3 (2006): 44. Web.
Hinton, S. E. The Outsiders. New York: Viking Press, 1967. Print.
Martin, Sydeana M. 'Teaching "The Outsiders" To The Real Outsiders'. The English Journal 87.3 (1998): 81. Web.
Wohlfarth, Tamar. 'Socioeconomic Inequality And Psychopathology: Are Socioeconomic Status And Social Class Interchangeable?'. Social Science & Medicine 45.3 (1997): 399-410. Web.
