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The Outsiders, a novel written by the author S.E. Hinton, is a beautifully woven tale of choices, love, and the intertwining of unlikely characters. Over on the dark side of Oklahoma, gang fights, money (or lack thereof), and family life are just a few examples of hardship that may be constantly on any greasers mind. There is the golden side as well, with rich socialites who jump greasers in their spare time and seem to have life laid out for them, but the greasers and Socs are more alike than they might think. Hardships have no boundary, it doesn’t matter how much money or reputation you have. The story is told from the perspective of Ponyboy Curtis, a 14-year old hood with two brothers, Soda Pop and Darry. His parents were killed in a car accident a long time ago, so now the gang in the neighborhood and his brothers are his only family. After a heated argument with Darry ending in Ponyboy getting hit, he runs away with his friend Johnny. A couple of Socs jump the two boys and Johnny end up killing one of them because Ponyboy is being drowned. Scared they’ll be caught and thrown in jail, they run away to an abandoned church with the help of another gang member, Dally. In the end, the two boys end up saving some kids and become heroes, but Johnny ends up dying. Because of Johnny’s death, Dally kills himself, and the whole gang is in pieces. Eventually all the boys get over it, but the memories still remind them of all the hardships they’d overcome.
Love relationships are a hardship for everyone: greasers, Socs, and any other non-recluse person in the world. Many people have to deal with love; it’s something you can’t hide from, really. The love doesn’t have to be romantic or sappy because family relationships, or lack thereof, can...

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... Johnny like a brother. This love is what causes him to kill himself. The problem with death, killing, and loss is that they are all the roots of chain reactions. Because of Johnny dying, Dally kills himself, and because Ponyboy loses two of his greatest friends, he shuts down and starts blocking out the world. He does this because he believes that if he can keep out everyone else, he can keep out that voice telling him “Dally and Johnny are dead, Pony. You’ll never get ‘em back.”
Peer pressure is also a serious problem in both social groups. It’s alright if you agree with things people say, but shaping your answers to fit what everyone else thinks isn’t the right thing to do. One might think they’re becoming the image that’s correct, but really are just molding to become another identical wannabe. At one point in The Outsiders, Randy, a Soc who was friends with Bob

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