The Socs In John Hinton's 'Greasers'

At this point in the novel, the "Socs" seem more dangerous than the "Greasers. This is because at this point, the Greasers haven't done anything particularly violent, unlike the Socs. The text states "... I had seen Johnny after four Socs got hold of him, and it wasn't pretty. Johnny was scared of his own shadow after that. Johnny was sixteen then" (12) and "I remembered Johnny- his face all cut up and bruised, and I had remembered how he had cried when we found him, half-conscious, in the corner of the lot. Johnny had it awful rough at home- it took a lot to make him cry." (12) So, as you can see, the Socs are obviously brutal. If they can beat up a sixteen year old guy and make him cry, they have a lot of force. The after affect of Johnny being afraid of his own shadow also shows the effect these Socs can have.

Another reason I think the Socs are more dangerous is that they have access to weapons, and are relentless.

For example, The text says "The medium-sized blond pulled a knife out of bis back pocket and flipped the blade open" (13). This shows how the Socs have access to weapons, and can get more dangerous objects whenever they want. The text also states "A blade was held against my throat" (13), and "It occurred to me that they could kill me" (13). This piece of evidence supports that the Socs are hesitant to draw blood, and can execute any of the "Greasers" if they get them in that position. Clearly the Socs are dangerous, but I think if the Greasers come to a point when they want revenge, they can be just as dangerous. First of all, they are always around rough areas. The text says "The Dingo is a pretty rough hangout; there's always a fight going on there and once a girl got shot" (27). This shows that the Greasers can manage in hazardous situations, and if they can thrive there, who knows what else they can

do. Additionally, the Greasers have the physical strength to be as menacing as the Socs. The passage proclaims "They came running toward us now- four lean, hard guys. They were all tough as nails and looked it" (17). A part of the book also revealed how Darry didn't go out much, except to go to the gym and occasionally go skiing with friends. So, if the Greaser gang is in great physical condition, and constantly works out and exercises, they can be in an even match with the Socs when they have the same number of member fighting at once. Anyway, as you can, the Socs are more dangerous, but I believe that the Greasers have the potential to become just as or more dangerous as the story goes on.