Social Rivalry Between Athens And Sparta

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Since the beginning of time, societies have consisted of various social groupings typically based on stereotypes or your socioeconomic status. In the novel The Outsiders’ and the city-states, Athens and Sparta from Ancient Greece these groupings were based on income, wealth, residence and even the education you received. But, most of these groups were made based on assumptions or misinterpretations. The quote ¨The two different worlds we live in weren't so different. We saw the same sunset.¨ This quote relates to both the gangs in the =outsiders and the difference between the people of Athens and Sparta. The Outsiders book depicts a social rivalry between two main gangs, one of which relates to Sparta, the other which relates to Athens. “The Greasers” are the first gang, they are known as the bad boys or the troublemakers. The other group from the outsiders are “The Socials”, they are known as the rich kids from the west side of town. Just like the rivalry between Sparta and Athens, there is a conflict between “The Greasers” and “The …show more content…

The “Greasers” share many of the same life aspects as the Spartans. For example, the “Greasers” have a lack of knowledge, just like the Spartans because they were not trained to be scholars. Another example is how both the “Greasers” and Spartans were born into a forced lifestyle. If you were a Spartan boy you were forced to start training as young as seven years old. The “Greasers” were forced to live a life without much money, forced to stick together at all times. Lastly, the Spartans were given more freedom than not just the Athenians but most other city-states. This relates to the “Greasers” but especially the Curtis boys since there parent passed away in a car crash they lived alone giving them all the freedom they needed. All in all, the “Greasers” and the Spartans shared many similarities in both the way of life and their own

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