Examples Of First Impressions In The Outsiders

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In the novel “The Outsiders”, the plot demonstrates the idea that first impressions can not be trusted. Society was split between two groups, the Greasers and the Socs. PonyBoy is the main character and he belongs to a gang called the Greasers, along with his brothers. They encounter the Socs a lot throughout the story and most of the time it is for negative reasons. The gangs were rivals and gave off an impression that made them seem violent and tough, but they had some good qualities too. This includes friendliness and caring for their fellow gang members. Bob, along with the rest of the Socs, kept physically hurting the Greasers. One time, he and his friends had beaten Johnny so badly that he almost died. On the contrary, Bob’s best friend and girlfriend, Randy and Cherry, felt he was a good guy. His parents spoiled him and he only wanted one thing, “‘to have somebody lay down the law, set the limits, give him something solid to stand on’” (Hinton dig 38). The Greasers would only see the side of Bob when he was drunk, the part that beats up Johnny. Cherry loved Bob because he was sweet, friendly, and because he had “...something that made …show more content…

He would get beat up a lot at home and on the streets, therefore the Socs thought he was an easy target. Johnny had a bad history with his parents. “His father was always beating him up, and his mother ignored him…” (Hinton dig 11). The Greasers then took him under their wings and he became the gang’s pet. Ponyboy describes him as “...a little dark puppy that has been kicked too many times and is lost in a crowd of strangers…” (Hinton 11). Both gangs were shocked when Johnny had killed Bob. He was protecting Ponyboy and himself from the Socs because Bob and the Socs were drowning Ponyboy. The Socs’ violent behavior eventually led to Bob’s death. The Socs’ first impression of Johnny being weak was inaccurate because he later showed that he could defend and protect

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