Reputation In S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is a novel about two neighborhoods separated because of classes in society. In these two neighborhoods, teenagers are separated into two different gangs, the lower-class Greasers and the upper-class Socs. Ponyboy, a greaser comes from a hard life. His parents died and he is left being raised by his older brother Darry. After both his brothers failed at accomplishing their dreams in life, Pony is left feeling like he will only be a greaser. Throughout the novel, Ponyboy realizes he has many traits making him have an outstanding future, such as his intelligence instincts and heroic skills.

As Ponyboy states when he starts to understand this, “No, it wasn’t Cherry the Soc who was helping us, it was Cherry the dreamer who watched sunsets and couldn’t stand fights.” (Hinton 86). Ponyboy was previously under the impression that all Socs didn’t care about anything, and was surprised when he met Cherry, a Soc who watched the same sunset as he did. The stereotype of Socs being heartless and cruel was all he had seen and heard, so it was hard for him to understand how one could be so different. Ponyboy’s friends felt similarly, and most of them found it even harder to grasp this concept than Ponyboy had. The Greasers were used to judging the Socs as a group, and did not see them as individuals. These group stereotypes are what ultimately caused most of the biggest fights in the novel.

In the book the Outsiders, Ponyboy faces many conflicts, some had carried more significance than others. The author of this novel is S.E. Hinton. The main characters of this novel are Ponyboy Curtis, Sodapop Curtis, and Darrel Curtis (Darry). The Outsiders is novel about the wars between the two social classes formally known as Socs (The higher class/richer people) and the Greasers (The lower class/poorer blue collar workers.) This novel however is told from the perspective of the Greasers, more specifically a young boy at the bottom of a small gang or family of greasers. In the novel The Outsiders the character Ponyboy experience multiple conflicts with his family, his friends, and the law.

The Outsiders is a young adult novel written by S.E. Hinton. The book was first published in 1967 by The Viking Press. Today, the book is published under Speak, an imprint of Penguin Group. The book has a total of a hundred and eighty pages. The Outsiders fits in the genre of young-adult fiction because it relates to teens on emotional levels. Like Ponyboy, the teen protagonist of the story, teens relate to his emotional growth as he tries to piece his life together. The story follows a rivalry in a socially divided community. The Greasers are a gang of teenage boys who live on the east side of town; the wrong side of town. Their rivals, the Socials, better known as the Socs; come from the wealthier side of town. The two groups are always head to head with one another, seeking a fight. Ponyboy belongs to the Greasers. He is the youngest out of the three brothers in his family. Apart from his brothers, Ponyboy hangs out with Johnny, Dallas, Two-Bit and others who are also Greasers. The rivalry between the two groups heightens when Johnny kills Bob, a Soc, in an attempt to save Ponyboy from drowning. In this book report, I will go through the meaning of this book and my opinion on the story itself.

The 1967 novel The Outsiders by S.E Hinton is about the social outcasts; the Greasers and their rivalry against the high class Socs. In the beginning of the book the characters values and attitudes are revealed to the reader through the point of view of Ponyboy. As the book progresses and the lives of the characters take a turn for the worse there is a significant impact on the characters resulting in an alteration of their values and attitudes. Ponyboy, Dally and Johnny experience these changes due to the death of Bob the Soc and the chain of events that follow.

It is good to see that Ponyboy can look past people’s differences and begin to like the Socs for who they are.

Socs. Greasers. Two different groups who are just teenagers trying to find their way in life and who all have their problems. The book The Outsiders written by, S. E. Hinton, is based on a true story and how two different social groups interact. The wealthier, classier group with Mustangs and Madras shirts are called the “Socs.” The less wealthier, greasy, slicked-back hair group are called “Greasers.” Both groups are stereotyped by society. Greasers are prone to crime and Socs are spoiled and can’t do anything wrong. The Outsiders has multiple themes, one is that loyalty between people can keep each other from getting hurt. Another is how the reputations people hold aren’t always accurate. Both play roles in changing the lives of the characters in the book.

The outsiders, there are two groups of people that are called Greasers and Socs. Characters in the novel tend to believe that Greasers are troublemakers and Socs are the higher class teens. Socs are a disgrace because of their actions and attitudes.

The Outsiders is a Novel set in the 1960’s that explains the divide between people with similarities and differences. The book explains life as it was in the past, is in the present, and will be in the future. It talks about the rift between different people in society and their social classes. Every rift must try to be changed by someone for the benefit of society, and that person is exalted as a hero. There are many heroes in the outsiders, but the biggest hero is Ponyboy because he was empathetic to others, quick to think and act, and stands strong and moves forward to overcome challenging events in life that seem impossible to overcome.

Have you ever read a very hard hitting and the phenomenal story about rival gangs and the effect it has on the lives of the people and the society. In The Outsiders, is a story of 14-year-old Ponyboy Curtis and his two older brothers, Soda and Darry. The boys are orphans and struggle to stick together in their lower-class neighborhood, known as the East Side. They and their friends are part of a gang of tough street boys called the Greasers. Even though other people might think you're unimportant and below them. You will always have your friends and family. In The Outsiders, we see the idea of the difference in the society based on the economic level of the characters, honor among the lawless and violence among the youth.

Soc’s. Greaser’s. Two different groups who are just teenagers trying to find their way in life and who all have their problems. The book The Outsiders written by, S. E. Hinton, is based on a true story and how two different social groups interact. The wealthier, classier group with Mustangs and madras shirts are called the “Socs.” The less wealthier, greasy, slicked-back hair group are called “Greasers.” Both groups are stereotyped by society. Greasers are prone to crime and Socs are spoiled and can’t do anything wrong. The Outsiders has multiple themes, one is that loyalty between people can keep each other from getting hurt. Another is how the reputations people hold aren’t always accurate. Both play roles in changing the lives of the characters in the book.

“The silence grew heavier, and I could hear the harsh heavy breathing of the boys around me. Still Darry and the Soc walked slowly in a circle” (Hinton, 143). The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is a realistic fiction novel taking place in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1966. The story informs the reader of a rivalry between two gangs, the Socials (Socs) who are the rich people that have nice cars, clothes, and have a bright future ahead of them. The Socs live on the West side. The Greasers are the other gang who weren’t rich, weren’t known to have bright futures and always had grease in their hair, hence the name Greasers. Throughout the story many themes have been applied to our society today. Two themes that I have chosen were that loyalty is a thread that holds people together and to not judge people based on how society labels them.

In the story The Outsiders, there is many life lessons that could help many people. Ranging from the people you hang out with, to people who need your help. You should always treat people how you want to be treated,even if that means giving something up. The main character, Ponyboy, experiences certain events in the story that makes you realize that these kind of conflicts are a reality. Ponyboy lives with his two brothers, Darry and Soda. Their parents died in a car crash. Ponyboy never realized how much his parents did for him. There is a “Gang” that Ponyboy is involved in called the Greasers. Their rival “Gang” is called the Socs. The Socs are kids that have a better upbringing and are more of rich kids. The Greasers are basically the opposite. The theme of this story is don’t take the things you have for granted.

As a result, Pony doesn’t know what the life has a Soc is truly like. He can only assume based on what he sees. As is human nature, Pony readily victimizes himself and views the Socs as savages and as though their lives are perfect. This, of course, prokes a feeling of rage, which in application, is violence. Though isolation, violence is achieved. Later Pony and his Greaser friend Johnny are confronted by a group of Socs among who are Bob and Randy, the boyfriends of two girls Pony and Johnny had hung out with at a movie. In their exchange, their hatred for each other is all too clear to see, "Next time you want a broad, pick up yer own kind--- dirt." I was getting mad. I was hating them enough to lose my head. "You know what a greaser is?" Bob asked. "White trash with long hair..." "You know what a Soc is?" I said, my voice shaking with rage. "White trash with Mustangs and madras." And then, because I couldn't think of anything bad enough to call them, I spit at them” (Hinton, 55). Pony and Johnny knew nothing of these Socs except what stereotypes had told them. Likewise, the Socs were prejudiced and judged Pony and Johnny as scum without knowing them. The Socs go on to almost drown Pony, only to be stopped by Johnny stabbing and killing one of them in defense. Because of the gap and separation between them, that was brought by judging, Pony and Johnny were the other boys and enemies, and thus violence ensued. The same is true in

The Outsiders is a novel written by Susan Eloise Hinton, also known as S.E Hinton. The setting of the story takes place in the 1960s. The Outsiders is written in first person view, by Ponyboy Curtis. The story revolves around the greasers and Socs. The Socs are the west side rich kids, they wrecked houses and “threw beer blasts for kicks”. While the Greasers were the east side kids, they “drove old souped-up cars, held up gas stations and had gang fights once in a while.” One of the conflicts the characters face is man vs man, which is because the greasers and Socs don’t get along, this is because they feel superior to each other. They both had different ways of lives, they did different things for fun, and they did not understand each other. This conflict was later resolved towards the end of the story when Ponyboy speaks to Randy about no longer fighting after Bob’s death.