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Inderbitzen's 'The Outsiders And Justice Consciousness'

1063 Words5 Pages

In the merit-worthy novel The Outsiders, society proves to be a challenging concept to understand as two gangs live in hatred of one another. The Greasers and Socials survive in two opposite sides of town and hold two opposite outlooks on life. The Greasers feel rejected from society, making them turn to violence as a resolution. The struggle between society and family come to play as the boys fight for their place in the community. Their vulnerability is stressed through discrimination from society, and violence is shown as a coping method. In another light, a reason for their violence may be a desire for justice. Michelle Inderbitzen's article on the novel's justice conscience practices this idea and brings forward the boys' emotions. She …show more content…

This particular article discusses the Greaser's use of gang fights and violence as a way to show dominance and pride. The boys of the gang are troublesome as they try "to someday find a comfortable place for themselves in society" (Inderbitzen, 3). They cause fights, fires, and even deaths, but Inderbitzen's article offers that violence might be the only thing they know. Inderbitzen discusses the aftermath of the potent rumble: "They beat the Soc's at the rumble, but the elation is fleeting as they are all battered, bruised and broken, and basically no better off than they were before" (Inderbitzen, 4). Many times, the Greasers show their dignified personalities. S.E. Hinton shows the Greasers' pride in the rumble as they chant "I am a greaser, a JD, a hood. I blacken the name of our fair city... a menace to society... victim of environment, underprivileged, rotten, no-count hood" (136). The Greasers' lives go around in a cycle: the boys do something illegal, they get caught, and then they receive resentment from society which only makes them want to do something illegal again. The reality of proper resolution is not apparent to the Greasers, and the boys continue to act in violence. Michelle Inderbitzen's article attempts to provide an understanding of their society: "Being labeled a greaser put in motion a process by which all Ponyboy's behavior would subsequently be judged, whether he consented to it or not" (Outsiders and Justice Consciousness 3). The Greasers try to achieve personal justice and assurance of their pride by using violence and

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