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How similar are we? Usually, when we talk about people that are complete opposites of ourselves we usually say something along the lines of “I am NOT like this person at all!” We say this because of the different variables that we believe make us nothing like the said person. These variables can be multiple different things, however, they usually involve appearance, class, and the difference in privilege. This is exemplified in the novel The Outsiders by S.E Hinton. The Greasers think they are nothing like the Socs and vice versa because of the different lives they lead, and the different opportunities each of the groups have. However, there is a lot of evidence – both in real life and the novel – that we are all more similar than we might think. S.E Hinton uses the different gangs in The Outsiders to prove that appearance, social class and privilege divide people, no matter their intent or their personalities.
The appearance of a person has always been a primary indicator of what we think of them and how we think of them, and this stops many friendships that could have blossomed. This is not only a significant theme in The Outsiders, but it is also a big divider between the Socs and the Greasers. The Greasers wear “…our hair long and dress in blue jeans and T-shirts, or leave our shirttails out and wear leather jackets and tennis shoes or boots.” (Hinton, 3). This illustrates that the greasers dress more casually and with a hard edge. This could be seen by others by dressing ‘sketchy’ in the 1960s, and, while their hearts and intentions to the world are good, people like the Socs and others can see them as being “bums” (Hinton, 45) or hoodlums. On the other hand, the Socs wear “… a white shirt and a madras ski jacket and … light yellow shirt(s) and …wine coloured jacket.” (Hinton, 44) As proven from the text, the Socs definitely dress on the more preppy side and present a more clean-cut and respectable appearance. Although this isn’t necessarily true, that is how people judge each other and how barriers are put up.
However, there are many instances in the novel that the Greasers and Socs could get along, and it is unfortunate that their different appearances can get in the way of being friends. For example, Cherry and Pony did become quick friends, but Cherry said that “… if I see you in the hall at school or someplace and I don’t say hi, well, it’s not personal or anything but… We couldn’t let our parents see us with you all. You’re a nice boy and everything…” This heartbreaking part in the novel proves that even though Ponyboy is nice and means well, Cherry can’t hang out with him and be friends with him because of how he looks. It is extremely unfortunate that this is a reality because Ponyboy and Cherry want to be friends. Although appearance has nothing to do with someone’s character, it divides people into groups and prevents them from being friends.
Another significant theme in The Outsiders is the difference in social class. The Greasers are the lowest social class, and the Socs are one of the highest. We know this information from the quote from page 3, “We’re poorer than the Socs and the middle class.” It goes onto explain that the Socs are the highest class, followed by middle class, and finally the Greasers. People in the highest social class unfortunately usually look down upon people of the lowest class, and that is most likely another reason why the Socs target the Greasers.
In addition, Ponyboy explains his frustration that social class seems to be the deciding factor in every situation in the following quote, “No rival gangs, only Socs. And you can’t win against them no matter how hard you try, because they’ve got all the breaks and even whipping them isn’t going to change that fact. (1.47)”. Ponyboy is explaining that even if the Socs are doing bad things, they get all the breaks, and no matter how hard you try you can’t win against them because of their status and class. This is obviously very frustrating for the Greasers because even if the Socs do the same exact thing as the Greasers, they won’t get in trouble for it but the Greasers will. Because of their social class, the Socs look down on the greasers and they get all the breaks.
Despite the difference in social class, Cherry proves that Greasers and Socs are much more similar than they believe. Cherry and Ponyboy become quick friends and find out they have many similarities. For example, on page 40, they find out that they both love watching sunsets, and Ponyboy feels so relaxed with her that he tells her things that he seldom shares. Most Greasers think they have nothing in common with Socs and vice versa. However, Cherry and Ponyboy prove that no matter their social class they can still be friends and that different classes can always have something in common.
Lastly, because of the Socs appearance, social class and wealth, they are way more privileged than the Greasers, and that is a massive divider in the town they live in. The Socs will get more opportunities in life, they get away with things more easily and they generally have an advantage because of their social standing. The Socs are extremely privileged. They have lots of money, nice cars, nice houses and fancy clothes. Meanwhile, the Greasers live in rundown houses, and Soda and Pony not only share a room, they even have to share the same bed, as implied on page 17 when it states “Sodapop, who had jumped into bed by this time… laying beside Soda, staring at the wall…” In addition, Ponyboy express his anger and frustration about the difference in privilege between the Greasers and the Socs by stating “It ain’t fair!’ I cried passionately. ‘It ain’t fair that we have all the rough breaks! (Hinton, 43). The difference in privilege is so large, that the Socs go around beating up the Greasers and no one cares, but if a Greaser beats up a Soc, it would most likely make the news.
Even though there is a big gap in privilege between the East and West side, that does not mean that the two groups are entirely different. Some Greasers think that the Socs don’t feel. Ponyboy thinks this because Cherry tells him that Socs are ‘too cool to feel.’ However Randy changed Ponyboy’s outlook on that. When Randy pulls Pony aside to talk to him, Pony sees that Randy is close to tears. “Randy was supposed to be too cool to feel anything, and yet there was pain in his eyes.” This is an eye-opening moment. Pony realizes that Socs do feel things, just like Greasers do. He realizes that Randy is just a regular guy that wanted to talk. He’s a human, just like everyone else. And for the first time, Ponyboy realizes that they are all the same deep inside. A quote that is really crucial to realizing that the two sides aren’t completely different is made by Cherry Valance when she says to Ponyboy “I’ll bet you think the Socs have it made. The rich kids, the West-side Socs. I’ll tell you something. Ponyboy,… We have troubles you’ve never even heard of… Things are rough all over.” This quote proves that the Socs are more like the Greasers then they imagined. They thought that the Socs had no problems, and therefore they couldn’t be even remotely like them. Cherry proves that nobody’s life is perfect and everyone has issues and problems – that’s what makes us human. That’s what makes all of us the same.
The two gangs in The Outsiders seem completely different at first glance, but after analyzing the novel, it’s clear that they are more similar then one might think. In the end, appearance, social class, and privilege do not define a person, but personality, thoughts and outlooks are ultimately what makes a person who they are. The Greasers learned this important lesson throughout the book, thanks to people like Cherry and Randy. This lesson doesn’t just apply to the Greasers and Socs though, it also applies to everyone. It makes you think, How different are you from the people you think are the polar opposite of you?
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