“A blade was held against my throat. ‘How’d you like that haircut to begin just below the chin?” Ponyboy, a Greaser, struggles to get loose while Socs pin him down and start beating him up on his way home from the movies. It’s hard to conceive of living under the persistent threat of another gang. The novel The Outsiders revolves around the continuous conflict between two gangs, the Socs and the Greasers. The narrator, a Greaser named Ponyboy, describes the Socs as “the West-side rich kids” whereas Greasers are “poorer than the Socs and the middle class.” While both gangs are constantly fighting and issuing threats towards each other, resulting in unnecessary injury and even death, ultimately which gang is more responsible? Since the novel’s narrator is a …show more content…
As Ponyboy and Johnny notice the church they had been staying in was on fire, Ponyboy admits they most likely caused it. “‘I bet we started it,’ I said to Johnny. ‘We must have dropped a lighted cigarette or something.’” After this, Johnny and Ponyboy venture into the church that is aflame and make a daring rescue of children who are trapped inside. Unfortunately, Johnny sustains injuries from this experience that later kill him, however Johnny believes it was worth it. “Listen, I don't mind dying now. It's worth it. It's worth saving those kids.” This quote proves that Johnny did in fact cause his own death, and he wanted to die, he believed it was worth it. Secondly, the Greasers are to blame for Bob’s death since Johnny physically killed him. ‘"I killed him," he said slowly. "I killed that boy.” Bob, the handsome Soc, was lying there in the moonlight, doubled up and still.”’ The Socs had come to fight with the Greasers, since Johnny didn’t want to get hurt, instead of trying something else, he stabbed Bob. In conclusion, the Greasers are guilty for the deaths of Bob the Soc and Johnny the