The Outsiders Review
- Dallas Winston
- Apr 25, 2019
- 3 min read
In Chapter 1, the author really emphasized the point that it was dangerous for the Greasers to walk around alone. “Anyways, I [Ponyboy] went on walking home… wishing I had some company. Greasers cant walk alone too much or they’ll get jumped, or someone will come by and scream “Greaser!”…we get jumped by the Socs…” (pg. 2) The Socials would attack the Greasers if they were walking around alone. This happened to a Greaser named Johnny and it really impacted him and he was scared of his own shadow. “I remembered Johnny-his face all cut up and bruised, and I remembered how he had cried when we found him, half-conscious, in the corner lot. Johnny had it awful rough at home-it took a lot to make him cry.” (pg. 4) When Johnny was cornered by the Socials, he was hurt really bad.
Greasers and the Socs hate each other immensely. If a Greaser was walking alone outside, and the Socs saw that, then they would gang up on that Greaser and attack them. They probably hate each other, because they are from different social classes and the Greasers are less fortunate than the Socs. “We [Greasers] are poorer than the Socs and the middle class…” (pg.3)This quote is saying that the Socs were the highest class, then there were middle class then the Greasers.
Two Bit, one of the Greasers, was the eldest in the group and thought of life as a joke. He was six feet tall and had grey eyes. It was impossible to get him to stop talking and he cracked jokes whenever he had the opportunity. He was known for shoplifting and enjoyed fights. “You couldn’t shut that guy up; he always had to get his two-bits worth in. Hence his name. Even teachers forgot his real name is Keith…Life was one big joke to Two-Bit…he was famous for shoplifting…” (pg. 10) Dallas was another member of the Greasers. He had icy blue eyes, white blond eyes, and was the toughest and meanest in the group. He was arrested when he was ten. He had a really bad record, but he was well respected among the group. “ He had quite the reputation…He has been arrested, he got drunk, he rode in rodeos, lied, cheated, stole, rolled drunks, jumped small kids-he did everything. I [Ponyboy] didn’t like him, but he was smart and you had to respect him.” (pg.11)
When Pony boy says that, he was summarizing what Cherry had said before about the Greasers and Socs being separated. She had said, “You greasers have a different set of values. You’re more emotional. We’re sophisticated- cool to the point of not feeling anything. Nothing is real to us.” (pg.38)So when Pony boy summarizes what she said, he was saying that the Socs had no feelings whatsoever and the Greasers were too emotional. These are reasons why they hated each other.
When Cherry tells Ponyboy that he shouldn’t be offended if she doesn’t say anything to him in the school hallways because it isn’t because she doesn’t like him, but because of the social differences between them. She also had said, “We couldn’t let our parents see us with you all…” (pg.46)She was scared of what her family and friends would think of her when they found out she was talking to a greaser, someone below her social class.
Since the first three chapters was just an introduction to the characters and the lifestyle in that area, I can’t really tell why this book is popular among our peer group. My guess is because the characters in the book are also teens and it shows what they feel and their point of view of everything around them.
It is really hard to judge a book after only reading 3 chapters, but so far it’s an average book. I haven’t really read a book like this before, so it is a nice reading experience. Since it’s the first three chapters and there isn’t any plot twists, it is a bit boring. I am looking forward to reading this book though. :D
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