Injustice In The Outsiders By S. E. Hinton

The greasers in “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton live difficult lives because of their social class. The three brothers in this novel, Ponyboy, Darry, and Sodapop, had to experience the traumatic event of their parent’s death while the three boys were still young. Johnny Cade, one of the boys from the greaser gang, dies young after a life full of abuse from his parents. Greasers are no strangers to injustice. While the injustice wreaks havoc on the greasers, it also brings about something beautiful: loyalty. Because of the injustice in the social class of the greasers, they have a strong bond together and this makes the greasers a family. Injustice gives the greasers the one thing that the Socs do not have. Although injustice is mostly shown

“Things were rough all over, but it was better that way. That way you could tell the other guy was human too” (Hinton 118). Injustice is the main theme of The Outsiders and it is shown throughout the novel through characters, symbolism and imagery, and setting. Injustice is shown through the novel most prevalently through the characters. The greasers are tormented because of their social class. This is insanely unjust because there is nothing that these teenagers can do about their social class. The injustice starts off as a group injustice. The boys on the East side are mocked and called greasers because they cannot afford the fancy things that the boys on the West side can. “I’m not sure how you spell it, but [Socs] is the abbreviation for the Socials, the West-side rich kids. It’s like the term greaser that’s used to class all us boys on the East side” (Hinton 2). The term “Soc” is even capitalized while the term “greasers” is not. The fact that the greasers do not have money makes the Socs torment them. When Cherry agrees to be a spy for

Hinton’s novel, The Outsiders, is injustice which is shown throughout the entire novel through the character, symbolism and imagery, and setting. The greasers lived life looking from the outside in. The greasers in the novel did not go looking for a fight, the greasers went looking to belong. The greasers struggle through life fighting, and living, with the injustice of the social class. The injustice that the greasers endure brings about closeness and loyalty to each other. Loyalty and family is the only way that the greasers are able to face the injustice and the Socs throughout the novel. “We wear our hair long and dress in blue jeans and T-shirts, or leave our shirttails out and wear leather jackets and tennis shoes or boots. I’m not saying that either Socs or greasers are better; that’s just the way things are” (3). The greasers take the injustice that they are handed in life and take it as if that is the way things are supposed to be. S.E. Hinton wrote The Outsiders because she knew that there are real people in the world that needed a novel to give them a glimpse of hope. That is what this novel is,