Preview

Why Are The Outsiders Considered The Menace To Society?

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
517 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Why Are The Outsiders Considered The Menace To Society?
"Greasers are like hoods; we steal things and drive old souped up cars and hold up gas stations and have a gang fight once in a while." (Hinton 6) Bob Sheldon, a Soc in the novel The Outsiders by S.E Hinton, was stabbed and killed by greaser, Johnny Cade. The greasers are considered the menace to society, because of the way they look and the actions they make. But what if I told you the only reason why 16-year old Johnny Cade stabbed Bob was because Bob and the others Socs were drowning Ponyboy... Socs are the real menaces to society because they assault and torment, they are selfish and disguise their personality with their appearance. "How'd you like that haircut to begin just below the chin?' (Hinton) Ponyboy a young 14-year old greaser,

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    The need to belong is a fundamental need within all of humanity, and has played a key role in society since the beginning of time. The novel by S.E Hinton, ‘The Outsiders’ conveys this need and the yearning to feel social acceptance within us all. ‘The Outsiders’ comments on this inherent part of humanity through its realistic portrayal of teenage gang life, centering on the dependency of the gang members to feel a sense of inclusion and support from their gang.…

    • 1190 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nobility In The Outsiders

    • 404 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton, there are two gang. They are defined by there social classes.The greasers are financially unstable and considered academically challenged. The Socs are financially stable and considered academically gifted. Even though ponyboy is financially unstable, that does not mean he will not secede in life; his educational aspect will determine his altitude.…

    • 404 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Ponyboy, listen don’t get tough. You’re not like the rest of us and don’t try to be…”-Two-bit Matthews Page 171. The Outsiders is a novel written by S.E Hinton in the 1960’s, the novel is based on a true story. The story is about Ponyboy, a teenager that belongs in the gang called Greasers. There is another gang that opposes the Greasers called the Socs. The two gangs live in two sides of Oklahoma, the Greasers being in the east, and the Socs being in the west. The Socs and the Greasers often fight each other. To society, the Greasers are low class and cause trouble, while the Socs are rich and can do no harm. Ponyboy dramatically changes throughout the novel, he starts to wonder if he should model himself to the members of his gang or follow his own path. There are three reasons to support my thesis statement.…

    • 971 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    That Bob’s death was the cause of all the problems. Readers can say that Johnny was the one that killed Bob and Johnny is a Greaser. However, Johnny didn’t have a choice, he needed to save Ponyboy’s life from the Socs because they were drowning him. In addition, the greasers are not a fault because they never intended to start a fight in the first place with the Socs, the Socs were the first ones to hurt Ponyboy and Johnny.…

    • 615 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    To gain the necessary background for her subject, Hinton read everything she could find on juvenile delinquency. She also explored the greasers’ world firsthand. Her passport into their territory was a long jackknife she carried. Fascinated by the knife, the boys would fall into conversation with Hinton and reveal their escapades, problems and frustrations. Hinton made a similar exploration of the Socs’ world, though she often found the Socs’ mask of “coolness” hard to penetrate.…

    • 570 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The greasers are definitely considered outsiders because they are “dumb and poor”. People always “looked down on them” because of the rumors they heard; like when the Soc girl says “They are right. You are a hood.” to Ponyboy. She stereotypes him by the name society gave to him. Ponyboy can seem like an outsider to the…

    • 511 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Outsiders Book Report

    • 440 Words
    • 2 Pages

    One example is when the book states,” We're poorer than the Socs and the middle class. I reckon we're wilder, too. Not like the Socs, who jump greasers…” This quote shows how the Socs jumped or beat up greasers for nothing. I also learned that the lives of greasers were rough. For example in the book it says,”"Need a haircut, greaser?" The medium-sized blond pulled a knife out of his back pocket and flipped the blade open.” This happened when Ponyboy was peacefully walking down the street. This demonstrates how greasers were always going through bullying for no…

    • 440 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Outsiders Book Report

    • 1321 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The title of this book relates to the story, because in the book, Ponyboy and Johnny are "outsiders." They can be thought of as Outsiders because they are labeled Greasers although they do not act like hoodlums, like the rest of the Greasers. They are thought of as Greasers just because they live on the East Side of town, and because they slick back their hair. But Ponyboy and Johnny are different then all of the other Greasers because they show their emotions, and are sensitive.…

    • 1321 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The theme of the novel ‘The Outsiders’ as the main characters are explained to be represented as juvenile delinquents who belong to a violent neighbourhood and lawless gangs. The gangs that fight the most are the ‘Greasers’ and the ‘Socs’. The ‘Greasers’ are tough and as, they steal from the shops, rob cars, jump people, sneak into drive in movies and don’t do well in school. The Greasers wear- long oily hair and scruffy clothes. The Socs are tough, cold- blood and mean trouble-makers. The Soc’s do well in school; the Soc’s wear- short hairs, nice clothes, and have expensive cars. "How'd you like that haircut to begin just below the neck…?" (Dialogue). This reveals that the Socs are attacking Ponyboy and are trying to cut his hair. “What kind of world is it where all I have to be proud of is a reputation for being a hood, and greasy hair?" (Rhetorical Question). Ponyboy is asking himself that what world he would have to live in to put up with his reputation and having greasy hair. "You get tough like me and you don't get hurt. You look out for yourself and nothin' can touch you..." (Dialogue). Dally is telling Ponyboy that if your get tough like me you won’t have to put up with what you’re going through. The ‘Greasers’ and the ‘Socs’ are juvenile delinquents who fight a lot and this is how teenagers are represented in the novel.…

    • 792 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the book The Outsiders by S.E.Hinton they were two different groups. The Socs and greasers, the two groups are viewed differently in that city. They are the same, but the dress,act…

    • 608 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Outsiders In The Outsider

    • 583 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Today more than ever, people are grouped into social classes based on their friends. You could be considered popular, or lame. This is not just true for middle school, but also life in the 50s. The book The Outsiders focuses on two main cliques, the Greasers and the Socs. One might think that the name represents Greasers, and what they have to deal with, but the real outsiders are specific people. The outsiders are the people who dare to be different from the stereotype of their group, who believe people should be judged on who they are, not social class. Major outsiders in the book are Darry, Ponyboy, and Cherry Valance.…

    • 583 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    One similarity they share is, both groups the Socials and Greasers , do wrong/bad things such as commit crimes. In the novel The Outsiders, Ponyboy stated, “I ducked and tried to run for it, but the Soc caught my arm and twisted it behind my back, and shoved my face into the fountain. I fought, but the hand at the back of my neck was strong and I had to hold my breath. I’m dying.” Ponyboy stated this to the readers when the Socs attacked Ponyboy. They traveled to the East Side to find Ponyboy. After they found him, they wanted to kill him for hanging out with their Soc girl, Cherry Valance. The Social tried to drown him in a fountain in the park. Mostly, all Socs commit crimes by assaulting the Greasers. Greasers also do wrong/bad things such as commit crimes. For example, in the novel Ponyboy stated, “Greasers are almost like hoods; we steal things and drive old souped-up cars and hold up gas stations and have a gang fight once in a while.” In the novel Ponyboy thought this when he is walking home from the movie house. He was making a comparison between the Socs and Greasers. Some Greasers commit crimes. Although they don’t go out to hurt or kill people they carry weapons with them for self-defense. Although it’s illegal to have, they use it only for protection. Another similarity they share is, both Socs and Greasers have problems. According to the novel The Outsiders Cherry stated, “It seems like we’re always searching for something to satisfy us, and never finding it. Maybe if we could lose our cool we could.’ That was the truth. Socs were always behind a wall of aloofness, careful not to let their real selves show through.” As Cherry was talking with Ponyboy while coming from the movie house, she explained to Ponyboy that although Socs don’t show their problems, and their problems cannot be seen, they have problems inside them. They always…

    • 1376 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    ela essay

    • 325 Words
    • 1 Page

    S.E Hinton the author of The Outsiders says that the Greasers are outsiders. The Greasers are different, because they wear grease on their hair. They were different clothes than the Socs. The Socs is a rich gang and they are richer than the Greasers. The Greasers are poor. That is why they wore different clothes than them. The Greasers are not gentlemen, they are wild people.…

    • 325 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ponyboy and his gang are pitted against the hateful, judging, and cruel middle class and higher. They are discriminated against because of their lack of money, and are constantly being cornered and beat up. After being cornered by the Socs, Ponyboy was asked, “You guys know what Greasers are? White trash with long greasy hair,” to which Ponyboy replies “You know what a Soc is? White trash with mustangs and madras,” this shows that the Greasers are seen as nothing more than trouble makers with slicked back hair, compared to the rich Socs (Hinton (chapter 4, paragraph 16). Once again, the Socs are “the jet set, the West-side rich kids,” and that seems like the only thing that separates the Greasers and the Socs, but the these two gangs, that is the only thing that matters (Hinton 2). In a way, this conflict was beyond the characters control. They cannot control how they are treated by others and the lives they were born into. However, Ponyboy, did in a way overcome this obstacle by becoming friends with a Soc named Cherry with whom Ponyboy has a lot in common. Although their slight friendship creates a larger conflict, it changes Ponyboy’s assumption that all Socs are the…

    • 868 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sunset In The Outsiders

    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Usually if a greaser is by themselves and the sun has gone down they have a very high chance of getting jumped. This has happened to the greaser Johnny multiple times. Johnny was so worried that he would get jumped and seriously injured again that he started to carry around a knife. The quote “We get jumped by the socs” says how the greasers are even use to getting jumped. Secondly, the sunset shows how some of the greasers and the Socs relate. “It’s okay… we aren’t in the same class. Just don’t forget that some of us watch the sunset too.” Cherry said this to Ponyboy since they would talk about their love for…

    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays