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Stereotypes In The Outsider

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Just because stereotypes are placed on the extremely high class and the extreme low class, it doesn't mean that they can't go against the stereotype that’s placed on them. In the book The Outsider, by S.E. Hinton, Ponyboy and his friends are greasers who struggle with lack of money. A typical greaser is a person that greasy hair, smokes, doesn't try in school, doesn't have a job, and will stay in one spot for the rest of their lives. The Socs consistently try to get into fights with them whenever they get the chance because they are from two different social classes. The Socs look down upon the greasers and think they're stupid, non emotional, and could never do something good. Regardless of society's view on greasers, their actions showed …show more content…

Ponyboy explains how the socs expect him to do poor in school and get awful grades, just like his friends did by saying. “They are right. you are a hood.” That didn't make me feel so hot. There were a lot of socs in that class - I get put into A classes because I’m supposed to be smart - and most of them thought it was pretty funny. I didn't though” (S.E. Hinton). In this quote, Ponyboy was able to go against the stereotype that greasers can't succeed in school when he had the ability to get higher than average grades. Also, the socs thought it was funny that he was placed in a higher class because people who are more poor, usually are put in lower classes than rich people that are put in higher classes which showed he proved them wrong. The book The Outsiders illustrates the point that greasers have the same human traits as other people because in society because people who are rich and poor, even though their from different backgrounds, have the same human traits. Society is ignorant and wont except that a greaser can be smart which shows that they can go against society's view. Society's view on what is expected for a greaser to do can be proved wrong when a greaser trys hard in

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