Violence In The Outsiders

S.E. Hinton’s 1967 Young Adult fiction novel The Outsiders, is a story that tells us about a fourteen-year-old boy, Ponyboy Curtis, who goes through many dangerous situations. He lives on the East Side of town and is known as a “Greaser”. Greasers are known for their long greased up hair, they weren’t the richest people, but they weren’t broke. The West Side of town is where the Socs live, they are thought of as no good rich kids, who throw parties and have life easier than everyone else. Ponyboy is introduced as a boy who had two things on his mind: Paul Newman and a ride home. He wishes he looked like Paul Newman, and wishes he had someone to talk to as he walks home. As the story goes on he and one of his friends, Johnny Cade, find themselves in a bit of trouble. They were charged with murder and now are on the run. With nowhere to go and nothing to do. Over the course of the novel, Hinton’s The Outsiders teaches us violence shouldn’t be the only solution because it doesn't always end well. There are three different fights/violent acts that align with my theme. One being on page 5, the next being on page 33, and the last being on page 49. On each of these pages an act of

Hinton teaches us violence shouldn’t be the only solution because it doesn't end well is at the beginning of the novel, when Ponyboy got jumped by some Socs. They kept saying to him “Need a haircut Greaser”. With their blades drawn ”We’re gonna do you a favor, Greaser. We're gonna cut all that long greasy hair off."..."How'd you like that haircut to begin just below the chin?"(5) This shows readers that right from the beginning, the Greasers and Socs were on bad terms. I think this goes with my theme because it shows you the aftermath of the fights Socs and Greasers get into. Ponyboy had gotten punched in the face multiple times and had a large cut on the side of his head from one of the Socs switchblade. If any cops had been around some of them would have gotten in serious