The Outsiders Comparative Essay

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Daniel Sutikno Parcells ELA 3 October 2023. A comparative Essay Analyzing the Theme of Identity in Two Texts The world is full of issues like discrimination, poverty, and violence. The novel The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton and the short story On the Sidewalk Bleeding by Evan Hunter both develop a plot in which two gangs display their hatred towards each other in discriminatory and violent ways. In The Outsiders, there are two gangs named the Socials and the Greasers. Both sides despise each other and try to degrade each others lives. There are many fights between the two groups, but one, the Socs, is seen by society as superior to the other because they are wealthier. Throughout his struggle, however, Johnny learns to find pride in who he is. …show more content…

Although both texts have a different outcome, they develop the same theme; not everyone in society receives social justice. Primarily, by examining the characters’ thoughts and actions, it is made evident that the characters of both stories face discrimination, specifically, because of the gang they are in, and not necessarily because of their actions. For example, in The Outsiders, Ponyboy remembers when his friend and fellow gang member, Johnny, was jumped and questions why the Greasers have to be targets of violence: “I remember how awful Johnny looked when he got beaten up. I had just as much right to use the streets as the Socs did, and Johnny had never hurt them. Why did the Soc hate us so much? We left them alone” (Hinton 15). Here, Ponyboy recalls a tragic memory of Johnny. He had been beaten for the sole reason of being a Greaser and nothing more. Johnny never did anything to hurt the Socials. In fact, he was one of the calmest people in The Outsiders. This relates to the issue of discrimination and social injustice. The Socs don't want to accept that in many ways, they are very similar to the Greasers. It’s like rich people and poor

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