The Outsiders A villain is an “evil character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters” (Web). In S.E. Hinton’s book, The Outsiders, the villains are the members of the gang called the Socs. Their rival gang is the Greasers and their hatred for them fuels their villainous actions. The antagonist of the story is the opposing force. The antagonist is usually the villain in the story. In The Outsiders, the villains are members in the gang called the Socs. Socs “is the abbreviation for the Socials, the jet set, the West-side rich kids” (Hinton 12). They are a gang of wealthy, well-dressed, privileged …show more content…
They think the Greasers are poor and trashy, because they are middle class kids that live on the East-side of town. They wear jeans and t-shirts and have long greasy hair. The Socs are the rich kids from the West-side of town. They are seen as the good kids who do not get into trouble because they are well-dressed, drive nice cars, and come from more affluent backgrounds. In reality, the Socs are arrogant, spoiled, and cruel. They are vengeful, vindictive and villainous. The villainy of the Socs is introduced to us in the beginning of the story when Ponyboy, is walking home from the movies. He is stopped by a gang of Socs. They beat him up, badly injure and threaten to kill him. Suddenly, some of the Greasers, show up and the Socs run away from the scene. This incident sets the tone for the rest of the story because it tells the reader that fights between these two gangs were not unusual. The Socs villainous attitude towards the Greasers enhances the story. The reader wants to cheer for the Greasers because the Socs are entitled bullies, who don’t play by the rules. This villainous behavior creates a feeling of sympathy towards the Greasers as the