“What a lot of people don’t realize about gangs, in my opinion is that gang is not there to attack you. Eighty percent of people in a gang are there to stop anyone from attacking them. You join a gang for protection, not to go out and hit someone”- Micheal Caine. In other words, gangs are suppose to be like family, protect each and be there when they are in trouble. Although the Socials and Greasers are considered to be young teenage gangs sharing the same passion to be noticed for who they are from the inside and not the outside, they differ in terms of personalities.
In the novel, The Outsiders written by S. E Hinton, two groups are introduced. These groups are the Greasers, the East-side poor kids, and the Socials, the West-side rich kids. The Outsiders is told through the point of view of the protagonist Ponyboy Curtis, who is also known as a Greaser. Some similarities the two groups share are, they both do wrong/bad things such as commit crimes and both have problems. Two differences the groups share are, the Socials are rich, whereas the Greasers are poor, and Socials for fun, jump Greasers, wreck houses, and throw beer blasts.
However, the Greasers for fun, steal things, hold up gas stations, and have gang fights. Although they have many similarities and differences amongst the groups, it is preferable to join the gang that would be there when someone is in trouble or needs help. The Socs is the gang that would be a preferable group to join. Although the Socials and Greasers are adolcent gangs in society they have differences, as well as show common qualities. One similarity they share is, both groups the Socials and Greasers, do wrong/ bad things such as commit crimes. In the novel The Outsiders,
Ponyboy stated, “I ducked and tried to run for it, but the Soc caught my arm and twisted it behind my back, and shoved my face into the fountain. I fought, but the hand at the back of my neck was strong and I had to hold my breath. I’m dying. ” Ponyboy stated this to the readers when the Socs attacked Ponyboy. They traveled to the East Side to find Ponyboy. After they found him, they wanted to kill him for hanging out with their Soc girl, Cherry Valance. The Social tried to drown him in a fountain in the park. Mostly, all Socs commit crimes by assaulting the Greasers.
Greasers also do wrong/bad things uch as commit crimes. For example, in the novel Ponyboy stated, “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. ” In the novel Ponyboy thought this when he is walking home from the movie house. He was making a comparison between the Socs and Greasers. Some Greasers commit crimes. Although they don’t go out to hurt or kill people they carry weapons with them for self-defense. Although it’s illegal to have, they use it only for protection.
Another similarity they share is, both Socs and Greasers have problems. According to the novel The Outsiders Cherry stated, “It seems like we’re always searching for something to satisfy us, and never finding it. Maybe if we could lose our cool we could. ‘ That was the truth. Socs were always behind a wall of aloofness, careful not to let their real selves show through. ” As Cherry was talking with Ponyboy while coming from the movie house, she explained to Ponyboy that although Socs don’t show their problems, and their problems cannot be seen, they have problems inside them.
They always have to stand like a rich kid and can’t ruin their personality of being a Soc. They hide their true feelings. Greasers also have problems. For example, in the novel Ponyboy states, “Greasers can’t walk alone too much or they’ll get jumped, or someone will come by and scream ‘Greaser! at them, which doesn’t make you feel too hot, if you know what I mean. We get jumped by the Socs. ” In the novel Ponyboy states this to his readers when he is walking home from the movie theater, waiting for anyone from his gang.
One of the problems Greasers have is getting attacked for no reason by the Socials just because they are a Greaser. They must be ready to protect themselves at all times. Therefore, the Socials and Greasers both do wrong/bad things such as commit crimes, and both have problems. Although the Socials and Greasers both share many similarities, they are diverse in many ways, too. For example, the Socials are rich. In the novel Ponyboy stated, “I’m not sure how you spell it, but it’s the abbreviation for the Socials, the jet set , the West-side rich kids”, while he was walking and thinking about the Sics to readers.
Therefore, the Socs are in the top class and are known to be from the West side, They can afford expensive cars such as Corvairs and clothing such as Madras. On the other hand, Greasers are not rich, they are poor. In the novel Ponyboy stated, “We’re poorer than the Socs and the middle class”, as Ponyboy was walking and thinking how the Greasers are different from the Socs to the readers. Therefore, Greasers are considered to be in the lowest class. They don’t own expensive clothing or cars, because they cannot afford the luxury.
A second example to show their differences is what they do for fun. In the novel Ponyboy stated, “Not like the Socs, who jump greasers and wreck houses and throw beer blasts for kicks, and get editorials in paper for being a public disgrace one ay and asset to society the next. ” As Ponyboy was walking and thinking of how the Greasers are different from the Socs to the readers, he stated this about all Socs. In other words, the Socs for fun commit many bad things for their own entertainment. They wrecklessly misbehave by getting drunk and acting rowdy.
However, the Greasers meaning of fun is different from the Socials. In the novel Ponyboy stated, “Greasers are almost like hoods; we steal things and drive old souped-up cars and hold up gas stations and have gang fights once in a while. I don’t mean I do things like that. As he was thinking and comparing the Greasers to the Socs to his readers. Therefore, both Socials and Greasers have some differences, such as the Socs are rich whereas the Greasers are poor, and the Socs and Greasers commit different crimes.
The Socials and Greasers are two main groups in society. However, the preferable group for members of society to join is the Socials. For instance, the Socials are the preferable group to join because they have good grades. In the novel Ponyboy stated, “Even if they did have their own troubles. I really couldn’t see what Socs would have to sweat about- good rades, good cars, good girls, madras, and Mustangs and Corvairs- Man, I thought, if I had worries like that l’d consider myself lucky. ” Although the Socials do have problems, they do well academically.
A second example why society would choose the Socials is for their style. In The Outsiders Ponyboy stated, “They were tuff-looking girls-dressed sharp and really good- looking.. One had short dark hair, and the other had long red hair. ” In the novel Ponyboy described to the readers that the Social’s girls have style, as he compared them to Greaser girls. They are well dressed unlike the Greaser girls. Therefore, ecause the Social’s have good grades and style, society should join the Socials.
As a result, the author S. E Hinton has proven that both groups the Socials and Greasers have many similarities and differences in her novel, The Outsiders. The Socs and Greasers both do wrong/bad things such as commit crimes and both have problems. On the other hand, the Socials are rich and for fun, the Socs jump greasers, wreak houses, and throw beer blasts, whereas the Greasers are poor and for fun the Greasers steal things, hold up gas stations, and have gang fights. S. E Hinton has also proven the Socials to be the preferable group to join.
