A Soc in Society At sixteen years of age, S. E. Hinton wrote The Outsiders, a fictional novel set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the year 1965. The story is told from the perspective of fourteen year old Ponyboy Curtis. Ponyboy, along with his two older brothers, and other friends, are Greasers. Greasers is a nickname directed towards people in the low-social class region. Those classified in the high-class category are called Socs, short for socials. The two groups tend to bear a great deal of clashing whenever they interact; Socs attack Greasers, Greasers fight back. One day, Ponyboy and a friend of his, Johnny Cade, are approached by a clique of Socs. During the brawl, someone attempts to drown Ponyboy. Johnny retaliates by stabbing a particular …show more content…
Soc, killing him. This causes Ponyboy’s, Johnny’s, and the rest of the gang’s lives to amend. Despite being in the upper class, Socs perceive to be more of a nuisance and dishonor to society than Greasers for the reason that they take advantage of their high status, the Greasers low ranking, and act considerably more violent and irresponsible. As a result of their high public rating, the Socs use this as an opportunity to act carelessly.
In spite of being called a disgrace by the local newspaper, they’re still praised and considered valuable to society. Socs aren’t afraid of being written about or shamed by the paper; they’re always going to possess that god-like aura that causes the papers to compile articles in their favor. Nothing obstructs them from acting the way they want to. Socs tend to “… jump greasers and wreck houses and throw beer blasts for kicks…” (3). Their heedless behavior was also illuminated when “Five Socs were coming straight at us [Ponyboy and Johnny], and from the way they were staggering I figured they were reeling pickled.” (54) In order to undergo elation and excitement, Socs attack people they classify below them, destroy property, drink alcohol, and drive intoxicated. They act as though they’re superior to those around them and are above the rules. They could hurt themselves or another person, yet that doesn’t seem to stop them. Their social status allows them to do this without worrying about repercussions. Their behavior reminds of the movie Mean Girls. There were 3 girls who were all fairly rich and adored. However, they terrorized others in order to claim what is their own and to make a statement. They spread rumors, told lies, and even hurt certain people. Similar to the Socs, they behave poorly and depend on the fact they’re rich and popular as a safety net. I like to think that …show more content…
everyone is responsible for their own actions, so when I come across situations similar to these where money and status keeps you out of trouble, it’s slightly dispiriting. Not only do Socs take advantage of their class rating, but also use the Greaser’s position to their benefit. Socs attack and terrorize Greasers, as a result of them [Socs] being ranked and valued higher.
Greasers are relatively poor and live in conditions worse than Socs and the middle-class type people. Their status in society is not glorified, and in fact, is often bashed. Socs use their superiority as an excuse to cause harm to Greasers. In one scene, Ponyboy had been walking home from the movies, when suddenly, he was being jumped by several Socs. “I fought to get loose, and almost did for a second; then they tightened up on me and the one on my chest slugged me a couple of times. So I lay still, swearing at them between gasps. A blade was held against my throat.” (5) There’s a strong possibility they could’ve killed him if Ponyboy’s gang hadn’t showed up. They [Socs] chose to purposefully harm a young boy with a blade on account of him being different and them seeking enjoyment. In the movie Beauty and the Beast, a similar situation occurred. The beast appeared large, scary, and nothing similar the townspeople. Therefore, the townspeople chose to kill him. In both incidents, the entity that was diverse from the others, transpired to be singled and hunted down. I don’t consider this a reasonable excuse to justify causing physical and internal damage to someone else. It sounds immoral and horrid. The social ranking of the two groups, resulted in many wild events which had displayed both gang’s
characteristics. In conjunction with abusing the social pyramid to their liking, Socs also possess a much more vicious, irresponsible, and carefree attitude than greasers, making them a hazard and a potential risk to society. For example, Johnny, one of Ponyboy’s friends, a Greaser, was horribly beaten up by a group of Socs. “He had been hunting our football to practice a few kicks when a blue mustang had pulled up beside the lot. There were four Socs in it. They had caught him and one of them had a lot of rings on his hand—that’s what had cut Johnny up so badly. It wasn’t just that they beat him half to death…” (33). The Socs deliberately attacked a person for their own pleasure. They find joy in violent behavior. On page 29, Two-bit Matthews, another greaser, had explained how to his type of people, there’s nothing wrong with a punch or kick, as long as it’s a fair fight. However, Socs just prey on anyone they seek. Along with that, it seems as though the Socs don’t even care about what they’re doing to Greasers since they jump them more regularly. They don’t convey much compassion or any emotions in general; they’re cold beings. “Socs were always behind a wall of aloofness, careful not to let their real selves show through.” (38) Greasers reveal themselves, as seen in the several scenes throughout the story where they cried. On page 8 Ponyboy sobbed after the Socs jumped him, on page 33, Johnny began to cry after getting harassed, and on page 98, Darry had wept at the sight of Ponyboy after their argument. Greasers express themselves and aren’t afraid to show sentiment, while Socs tend to keep it inside or not care at all. One stereotype in our world similar to this situation, is that it isn’t okay for men to cry or show emotion, only women can articulate themselves in this manner. In comparison, Socs befall to be the men who try to keep it all inside. Whenever I hear or see situation where a man is not allowed to say his opinion or how he feels based on his gender, It angers me. We are all people, we should be treated equally. If a man gets a good salary, a women should receive the identical salary for doing the same duty. If a women can discuss her feelings, then so can a man. Men don’t always need to be strong and rough like the upper-class constituents often exhibit. The Socs, in general, are a brutal, flighty, and cold-hearted group of people. The high-grade citizens, the Socs are considered more of a shame and dishonor to the environment of Oklahoma as a result of their actions, choices, and general characteristics. The convincing evidence shows that Socs act without thinking of repercussions, displaying the belief they’re above others, are quite violent, carefree, reckless, and irresponsible. Regardless of there being several upstanding Socs, Cherry Valance and Marcia for instance, I’m overall disgusted and disappointed by the Socs. Socs receive quality education, live in deluxe neighborhoods, and retain bright futures, yet they still prefer to be delinquents. They stoop down to such criminal behavior and enjoy harming and ruining others’ lives. If you find your life unsatisfying and disappointing, I’m truly sorry that you must result to causing pain in others, to feel whole and happy. I, personally, never want to be remembered as a “Soc” to someone. That just might be, one of the worst scenarios that can happen. After reading the novel, I saw life through a different lens and noticed several circumstances and matters I haven’t directed much attention towards in the past. S. E Hinton had touched me with her composition, and hopefully, it never loses that ability.
He acts like a mentor or mascot to the Greasers. Steve Randle - Soda's best friend and another member of the Greasers. Summary: The Outsiders is a coming-of-age story about a group of boys engaged in a dangerous feud with the wealthier residents of their town. The narrator, Ponyboy Curtis, is a teenager who lives alone with his two brothers. He is interested in academics and sports, but does not receive the same respect and treatment granted to the wealthier kids, who belong to a different gang called the Socs.
In The Outsiders there are two rival gangs, one from the lower class, who are the Greasers and their rivals are from the upper class, they are the Socials. The story takes place in the mid 1960’s in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The story is set in a large town in the United States, The east side of the town is where the Greasers live and the west side is where the Socs live. The story is told in first person narration from Ponyboy Curtis’s point of view. The protagonist is Ponyboy Curtis and the other major characters are,
The documentary, “Crips and Bloods: Made in America” talks about many social concerns. In the documentary, both discrimination and economics are the main factors for the problems in Southern California. The gangs started because of discrimination. By denying people because of their skin color to join social activities such as the boy/girl scouts is what led to the formation of groups that later turned into gangs. Apart from that, hatred and threats escalated the situations that then turned the gangs into what they are today. According to the documentary, because of the gang rivalry there exists an invisible line that separates the territories of both the Crips and the Bloods. Not only is that the only factor, but also
William J. Chambliss, a sociologist, wrote an article called The Saints and the Roughnecks. Chambliss discusses the Saints as a group of upper-middle class white kids who society perceived as good because of their social status’ and the fact that they were well dressed and well mannered. The roughnecks on the other hand, were not well mannered, and not- rich, who society recognized as troublemakers, even though they both act similarly. This can be connected to the Crips and the Bloods by the similar treatment the African Americans receive compared to the roughnecks. This recognition as being a roughneck makes it much more difficult to get a job...
The Outsiders identified the 60’s, often there would be violence between groups and often involving a group’s social class. For instance, the tensions between the Socs and Greasers is violent, and this will lead to Bob’s death, Johnny’s death, as well as many injuries throughout both gangs. The book The Outsiders is written by S.E. Hinton and is portrayed through the eyes of a high school student in Tulsa, OK where S.E. Hinton grew up. Hinton began writing The Outsiders in 1965 at the age of 17 and the book was finally published in 1967 when she was 19. The difference in perspective upon the society and social class creates issues throughout The Outsiders and they assume the problems will be solved with violence,
The Outsiders S.E. Hinton is about two gangs, the Socs and Greasers, who do not get along and are fighting each other as well as society. Both of the gangs are judged by their appearance, social status, and where they are from. One character that stands out in the story is Ponyboy because he is dynamic with many sides to his personality, and he is the protagonist of the story. Ponyboy can be described as sensitive, smart, and brave.
Did you know that many people join gangs because of Family issues. Socs and Greasers have problem with family issues.They also have problems with money and are judged by others.Both Socs and Greasers deal with money problems,family issues,and are judged by others because of the way they act.
"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."(3). This quote from the book shows that people will think even worse of the Greasers because of their actions. Normal people would not do what they are doing because they have principles. The Greasers were fugitives, and this gave people an even bigger reason to be fearful of them and consider them a disgrace to society. The Socs did comparable things, but were not punished for them like the Greasers, and were still able to keep a sterling image of themselves. "Not like the Socs, who jump greasers and wreck houses and throw beer blasts for kicks, and get editorials in the paper for being a public disgrace one day and an asset to society the next."(3). Unlike the Greasers, whatever the Socs do, it will not ruin their reputation at all. Overall, from looking at both the Greasers and the Socs, it is easy to say that the Greasers are a bigger disgrace to society concerning their behavior than the
The Outsiders, an enthralling novel by S.E Hinton, is an excellent story about the hardships and triumphs experienced by the Greasers and the Socs two rival gangs. S.E Hinton tells a thrilling tale about the Socs and the Greasers that are two gangs and she characterize how they live. Ponyboy, his brother and his friends have to deal with the challenges relating to their environment. The three most important topics of The Outsiders are survival, social class and family support.
In the book The Outsiders, written by S.E. Hinton, Ponyboy, along with his brothers and friends, has to face the daily struggles of being a greaser among the Socs. This fiction book focused on Ponyboy’s life and the problems he ran into with the Socs. He and his gang of friends had fights with the Socs that happened often, and had to deal with a Soc being killed by one of the Greasers, though it was an act of self defense. The three topics addressed in this intriguing novel are the fight between rich and poor, the power of friendship, and what it means to be a hero.
Unfortunately, most of the Socs do not have this, and to make matters worse, they are never chastised or given a consequence by society when they do wrong, just because they are the upper class. Consequently, they continue to do more and more wrong, knowing that at the end of the day, they will not be scolded or given a punishment. Bob Sheldon is the perfect example of this. Bob was the leader of the Soc gang, a rich child who had parents that never told him “No,” and ones that never got him in trouble. He continued to push his limits and his actions were progressively negative towards the Greasers and the rest of society, and one day, it cost him his life. This is a great menace to society for two reasons: One being that the society is being tricked into judging the Socs by their appearance, and they are being blinded by the status of the families they come from. They think the Socs are innocent, nice and proper, just because they have more money than most people. Secondly, they are a literal threat because the wrong things they do affect the people and the town, for instance, they have emotionally and physically affected the Greasers, and they constantly trash houses in the area with their parties and when they are drunk, which is quite
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is a late 60’s novel about a young 14 year old kid named Ponyboy. He is part of a hood group on the eastside of town called the greasers that to him are closer than family. Each and every person within the gang looks out for each other and would do anything for them, but sometimes these things they would do for each other without second thoughts have jurrasic effects that nobody could see coming in the future.
In order to meet the ideal measure of standards and morals to be a part of the usual social standard, one must be able to meet specific goals to achieve economic success. When these standards are not met, it is called anomie according to Robert Merton. In the documentary Bloods & Crips: Made in America, we see the underlying and outside factors which have provoked African American youth to become involved in gangs and gang related violence. According to Merton, “some social structures exert a definite pressure upon certain persons... to engage in nonconformist conduct,” (672). There are two social structures that are important in order for youth to succeed the normal standard of living which can cause pressure on the individual and cause
The Outsiders is about the life of a 14-year-old boy. The book tells the story of Ponyboy “Curtis” and his struggles with right and wrong in a society in which he believes that he is an outsider. Ponyboy and his two brothers, Darrel (Darry), who is 20, and Sodapop, who is 16, have recently lost their parents in an automobile accident. Pony and Soda are allowed to stay under Darry's guardianship as long as they all behave themselves. The boys are greasers, a class term that refers to the young men on the East Side, the poor side of town. The greasers' rivals are the Socs, short for Socials, who are the "West-side rich kids."
Do criminals still have the right to be respected or should people just disrespect and ignore them? In the book called The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, there is a gang called the Greasers. The greasers are also known as “hoodlums.” The Greasers live on the East side, they are poor, and they also break the law. They also steal, hold up gas stations, and they jump on children. The society might think that they break the law because that is just their hobby. Even though The Greasers are hoodlums, they are still considered as honorable people because they perk up for each other, they show concern for one another, and they gambled their lives for other people.