Stereotypes are used every day, by most humans, no matter how much effort we put into speaking objectively. Throughout the centuries, stereotypes have been made for almost every race or group of individuals. Examples of such include all blonds are unintelligent, all men don’t think before they act, women are not strong, and so on. In the book my RC class read, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, many stereotypes were made about greasers that the narrator, Ponyboy, completely went against. Specifically, greasers are a group of people who lived in The North side of town, and they were believed to be uneducated, violent, and emotionless. However this protagonist absolutely shattered these imposed molds that society has crafted for anyone who is part …show more content…
For example, when he was being beaten up by the Socs, he didn’t fight back, and he started to cry. Although this may be a normal reaction to such an assault, a greaser was never thought to do what he did in this situation. Another example of him not being like his friends is on page 137 when he did a survey to see why everyone fought. Some said to blow off steam and others just liked to fight. However, he realized he fought for self defense, for there was really no other reason for violence. At one point in the book, however, he tried to be menacing by breaking a bottle and threatening some Socs that were approaching him, but to drive him to this point, to of his really close friends had died. Despite his best efforts, he could not be menacing, for after he scared away the Socs, he began to pick up the broken glass and said,“I didn’t want anyone to get a flat”. Although he attempted to be intimidating throughout the book, he never succeeded, always reverting back to his lovable self. The reason he cannot be threatening is he feels emotions too deeply. Without a doubt, he defies what everyone has said about him and the people whom Pony has aligned himself with. Despite what the stereotype suggests, Ponyboy feels deeply, even when so many say he should be solid with no emotion. Unlike thousands of people, greaser or not, he is not afraid to show his feelings to others. On page 8, after being beaten …show more content…
On page 51, after Darry slapped him because he came home late, he ran away to find Johnny. Later he mentions how he “ran for several blocks until (they) were out of breath. Then (they) walked. (he) was crying by then”. However, Ponyboy wasn’t crying because he hurt physically, he was crying because he hurt mentally that Darry would slap him. If anyone he didn’t care about slapped him, he wouldn’t feel hurt the way he did that night. Also, on page 98, there is confirmation that he cares about Darry. When he was in the hospital after the church fire, he see's Darry in the doorway. After a moment’s hesitation, he shouted “Darry”, then said, “and the next thing I knew I had him around the waist and was squeezing the daylights out of him.” He may have had mixed emotions about Darry, but it is evident that Pony truly cares about him. Dally is another example of someone he had mixed emotions about, but when he died, Ponyboy said, “My stomach gave a violent start and turned into a hunk of ice.” He thought he didn’t care about Dally, but when he died, Ponyboy realized how much he admired
He is smart, and gets good grades in school. This is purposefully mentioned several times within the story, and people tend to be surprised to learn that he is a Greaser. In addition, some Greasers are nicer than people tend to think. When the church burned down, Ponyboy and Johnny run in to save the children without a second thought. They acted with selflessness, putting the safety of the children above their own. In the ambulance on the way to the hospital, Ponyboy is asked if he and Johnny are "professional heroes". He responds by telling the entire story of how they're Greasers and Johnny is wanted for murder, shocking the man in the ambulance. It is difficult for him to believe that a group of Greasers would do something so heroic. Johnny dies as a direct result of their actions, but neither Ponyboy nor Johnny regretted what they
The Greasers feel emotions so harshly. Throughout the novel, Ponyboy loses two very close friends, almost dies himself, and he is almost taken away from Darry and put in a boys’ home. With those things happening to anyone it would be emotional. But Greasers feel more emotion that the Socs do. Socs are “... sophisticated- cool to the point of not feeling anything” (38). But when you compare Greasers and Socs it’s a different story. “That’s why we’re separated … It’s not money, it’s feeling- you don’t feel anything
This started to happen when he was in the church trying to hide away from the police because of the murder of one of the Soc’s. “I was trembling, and it wasn’t all from cold” (Hilton p.57). This shows that Ponyboy was scared, starting to break, and noticed that maybe this “hard bad boy” life isn't for him. Ponyboy put more and more thought about what it takes to be a greaser, which made him realize that maybe the gang life wasn’t good for him. “We were good fighters and could play cool, but we were sensitive and that isn’t a good way to be when you’re a greaser” (Hinton, p.88). Ponyboy is expressing that it is hard to be as strong as the other boys and sometimes he just couldn't or he couldn't be ok with what they were doing. “It drives my brother Darry nuts when I do stuff like that, ‘cause I’m supposed to be smart’ I make good grades and have a high IQ and everything, but I don't use my head” (Hinton, p.4). Ponyboy knows he has the potential to be something else and while being in hiding in the church it helps him realize that if he really wanted to he could be whatever he puts his mind
He realizes that he had an identity that he can communicate and be like a greaser, but doesn’t devote to the greaser way of life. In the scene, Ponyboy has an advanced way of life that includes both the Soc and greaser style, “Socs are just guys after all...Thing are rough all over.” Ponyboy at this time, understands how a Soc and a Greaser are similar and are of the same kind, human, yet are also different. He establishes an idea that the identity of a person is important because it describes who you are. As a result, Pony learns to look between the lines of people, not just at the extremes. The evidence that supports this is also “On the Sidewalk Bleeding” as I stated before. Andy says, “I’m Andy, he screamed wordlessly, I’m Andy.” When Andy’s death was coming close, the only thing we wanted in the end, was an identity. Similar to Ponyboy who is different from the gang and has a distinct personality. He is disparate because in the gang, Pony was the only one who ever thought about the sky, clouds, and books, which proves him exclusively in the group. This proves that Andy and Ponyboy are different from their gang and have a personality different from the group, and they both actually want to be different and be known not as a Royal or a Greaser, but as Andy and
A choice made by Darry affects Ponyboy by making Pony do bad things.”You don’t yell at him!” Darry wheeled around and slapped me so hard that it knocked me against the door”(Hinton 50). This choice was made because Ponyboy was being disrespectful to Darry, and that's why he slapped Ponyboy across the face.
Ponyboy was a bad kid, he fought against Socs and he even smoked a weed, which is a cigarette. Later on he got into worse trouble and had to hide. He wanted to change and be a different person. While he hid he was scared and frightened and was beginning to think of how he was doing in life, and his thoughts were not very well. After the church incident, he began to change a little.
It’s possible for greasers to thought as outsiders because they were poor, less privileged and they acted more violently, so people, generally, looked down on them. For example, In Document B, Ponyboy was in a biology A class because he was “supposed to be smart” and he had to dissect a worm, but his razor-blade “wouldn’t cut” so he brought out his razor blade, which created a mood in the class that he was a “hood”, implying that he’s a greaser, violent kid from the slums with a switchblade. People might also think they were outsiders because they felt too violently (Doc. C).
“Since Mom and Dad were killed in an auto wreck, the three of us get to stay together only as long as we behave (2).” This explains why Ponyboy, Dally and Sodapop did not have parents. In the novel, this really effected their life and character. "…It was Darry. He hit me. I don't know what happened, but I couldn't take him hollering at me and hitting me too... He didn't use to be like that... we used to get along okay... before Mom and Dad died. Now he just can't stand me (2)." This shows that not having their parents anymore effected Darry’s character and how he treated Ponyboy, which in return effected how Ponyboy felt about himself in comparison to how he was treated. This illustrates that Ponyboy believes that Darry picks on him all the time. This shows that Darry was like a caring parent in a tough way,
Have you ever made an assumption about someone due to a stereotype? In the realistic fiction novel, The Outsiders by S.E Hinton and the short story “Geeks Bearing Gifts” by Ron Koertge, stereotypes often come up. In The Outsiders, the town that the main character, Ponyboy, lives in is separated into two rival sides. The rich and wild Socials, or Socs, and the poor outcasts, the Greasers. The characters are defined by what side of town they live in. In “Geeks Bearing Gifts”, Renee’s school is separated the same way, with the preppy and popular students, and those who are labeled ‘outcasts’. By reading both of these stories, the reader learns that our thoughts about people revolve around stereotypes and assumptions, but everyone has an individual
Dally was hard, but this incident would eventually change him for the better. The only thing Dally loved, Johnny, gave Ponyboy words of advice for Dally, “Listen,
After the church fire Ponyboy comes to the realization of many things. Two-Bit and Ponyboy are eating at a restaurant known as Tasty Freeze when Randy asks to speak with him. Ponyboy tells Randy, ¨Maybe you would have done the same thing, maybe a friend of yours wouldn’t have. It’s the individual¨(115). He finds out that you cannot define someone based on of they are part of the Socs or the greasers. Furthermore, he finds out that every one is a individual and that means that just because he is a part of a certain group it does not mean that they are all going to react or perceive a situation in the same exact way. In addition, he say this to Randy because when there was a fire in the church Dally was not willing to risk his life to save someone else's when Johnny and Ponyboy were more than willing to help the kids. This shows event shows how all Greasers and Socs are not the same. In the beginning of the novel Ponyboy believed Darry disliked him and thought he was a nuisance. However, later on at the hospital Ponyboy tells Darry, “I’m sorry” (98). Ponyboy’s words expose how he feels bad for thinking Darry disliked him all along when in truth he loved him more than words could describe. He realizes that Darry fears losing another family member that is why he is so overprotective of Ponyboy. Hence, proving Ponyboy is clearly a dynamic character.
Ponyboy doesn’t act like any regular greaser who is tough and likes to pick fights. Ponyboy cares about other people and will do things to benefit others. “I didn’t know what he was talking about, so I just went on picking up the glass from the bottle end and put it in the trash can. I didn’t want anyone to get a flat tire.” (pg. 172) Instead of leaving the
In The Outsiders it is given that through faith and devotion to one another Ponyboy and the gang use their close friendship in troublesome situations for instance when Johnny tells Ponyboy “i had to” he does this as an act of loyalty to Ponyboy to show him that he can trust him no matter what situation they are in. Most of the story is told from first person or Ponies perspective which shows us without exception every aspect of the story. When Johnny dies at the end of the book Ponyboy only then realizes the importance of him, and the gangs need for someone like Johnny to give them a sense of purpose after mentioning “we couldn't get along without him . We needed Johnny as much as he needed the gang.” Throughout all of Ponyboys hardships Johnny was always there to support him even when Ponyboy wanted to run away after darry slapped him, he never asked any questions.
Ponyboy Curtis struggles growing up as a poor youth with his two brothers. One night while he is out with Johnny, Ponyboy is attacked by the Socs. Johnny ends up killing one of the Socs. They both flee from the scene before the news gets out. They are caught in a fire and Johnny and Ponyboy become heroes for saving some children. The story has a tragic end for Johnny but Ponyboy realises that he is fortunate, having family and friends that love him
Typically, greasers are depicted as people similar to hoods, as Ponyboy states, "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" (Hinton 4). Yet, even though Ponyboy is a greaser, he avoids getting into trouble for the sake of staying together with his family. He explains that, "I don't mean I do things like that... Since Mom and Dad were killed in an auto wreck, the three of us get to stay together only as long as we behave. So Soda and I stay out of trouble as much as we can, and we're careful not to get caught when we can't" (Hinton 4). Alternatively, Pony also enjoys activities such as reading and watching movies. Even simpler things, such as sunsets and clouds, are something he found beauty and enjoyment in. This sets him apart from the greasers because according to Pony, he states that, "And nobody in our gang digs movies and books the way I do" (Hinton 3). Since nobody other than Ponyboy himself shares the enjoyment of these particular pastimes, which is drastically different from pursuits such as shoplifting and fighting in rumbles, Ponyboy is divergent from the standard attributes of the greasers. Therefore, Ponyboy is a thoughtful and dreamy individual who holds different interests and aspirations than the