DeducingTeenageProblematicsin

TheOutsiders
TheauthorS.E.Hinton,oncesaid,Ijustfeltbeingpartofmypeergroupsostrongly.I
wasimmersedinteenculture,butnottakenbyit.Thismeansthatlotsofteensthesedaystry
toohardtofitintosociety,andtheyendupbeingdevouredbytheirownthoughtsandwouldend
upwithhorrendousconsequences.Manycharactersin
TheOutsiders
sufferfromthisconflict.
Thestory
TheOutsiders
byS.E.Hintonrevolvesaroundthetwomaincharacters,Ponyboyand
Johnny,strugglingtomatureandfitintotheirsocialgroups.ThisbooktakesplaceinOklahoma
aroundthe1960s,andtalksabouttherivalrybetweentheGreasersandtheSocs.Despitetheir
strong,heroicactions,thecharactersstillsufferfromteenageissues,suchasbadinfluence,
suicide,andsocialacceptance.
Notably,oneofthemainreasonsofteenissuesisbadinfluence.Forexample,when
RandymetPonyboyinhiscar,heholdPonythatBobwantedsomeonetosayNotohimbut
itneverhappened(116).NoonetaughtBobaboutdisciplineandcontrol,andhisparentsalways
spoiledandpamperedhim.Thismadehimthinkthathehadnorulestoobeyandcoulddowhat
hewanted.TheyallowedBobtoavoidresponsibilityforhisownactions.IfBobsparentswould
setalimitandteachhimbetweenrightandwrong,hewouldnthavegottenintosomuchtrouble
anddied.Inaddition,Bobgotreallydrunkonce,andhethoughthisparentsweregonnaraise
theroof.(116).Buttheydidnthithimorpunishhim,instead,theylookalltheblameandsaid
itwastheirfault.Theysaidtheydrovehimintoitanddidntdoanythingtohim.Becauseofthis,
Bobsparentsprovidedanegativeinfluenceonhim.Bobneverhadtoworkforanything.His
parentshavegivenintohimforhisentirelife,andneversetanyboundariesforhim.Bobisa

victimofhisownfamilyrelationship.Byoverindulginghim,theylefthimwithathoughtthat
thereisnoruleorbarrier,whichmadeBobassumethathecandowhateverhewants.
Inthesameway,suicideplaysabigpartinteenageissues,andistheaftermathofstress
anddepression.Infact,Johnnyhasconsideredsuicidehimself.Inthelot,JohnnytoldPony,"I
can'ttakeitmuchmore.I'llkillmyselforsomething....Itseemslikethere'sgottabesomeplace
withoutGreasersorSocs,withjustpeople."(4748).Johnnydidn'twanttobepartofagang
anymore,buthewantedtoliveinaplacewithoutanygangs,butjustnormalpeople.Hewas
tiredofbeingjumpedandlivinginthefearoftherivalgang,theSocs.ThefearoftheSocs
causedhimtohavesuicidalthoughts,andhefeltlikehecan'ttoleratehisfearanylonger.Johnny
saidhewouldkillthenextSocthatjumpedhim,whichshowshowmuchhefearstheSocs.
Likewise,suicidecanbecausedbyformsofdepression.AccordingtoPonyboy,"Dallydidn'tdie
ahero.Hediedvioletyounganddesperate...DallyWinstonwantedtobedeadandalwaysgot
whathewanted."(154).Dallycommittedindirectsuicidebecausehecan'tbearthefactthat
Johnnyisgone.Johnnywastheonlythingheevercaredaboutorloved,andDallycouldn't
possessthethoughtthatpersonisdead.AnotherreasonwhyDallycommittedindirectsuicideis
becausehefeltguilty.Hethoughtthatifhehaven'thelpedJohnnyPonyboytohideoutatthe
church,noneoftheeventswouldhavehappened.Hemighthavethoughtofhewasthereto
protectJohnny,hewouldn'thavekilledBob,andifhehadgoneontheburningchurchsooner,
JohnnyandPonywouldhavegoneoutfasterandJohnnywouldnothavedied.Thestress,guilt,
anddepressionmentallyguidedthecharacterstohavefatalthoughts.
Followingthisfurther,socialacceptanceisprobablythebiggestteenissue.Forinstance,
Ponyboyonceclaimed,ItwasntfairfortheSocstohaveeverything.Wewereasgoodasthey

wereitwasntourfaultwewereGreasers.(47).Ponyboywastiredofthedivisionbetween
socialgroupsbecauseofmoney.EventhoughGreaserswereasgoodastheSocs,theywerestill
wereconsideredthelowclassandtheywerentasrespectedastheSocs.Whiletheteenson
theeasthadeconomicproblemsandweren'tacceptedintosociety,theteensonthewestsidehad
plentyofmoneyandandgotsocialacceptanceeventhoughtheyjumpGreasersandwreck
houses.Inthebeginningofthestory,Ponyboyalsohasproclaimedthat"I'mnotsurehowyou
spellit,butit'stheabbreviationforSocials,theWestsiderichkids.It'slikethetermgreaser
that'susedtoclassallusboysontheEastSide."(2).FromPonyboy'saspect,moneyseemstobe
themainthingthatdividestheGreaserfromtheSocs.Heseessocietydividedbythosewhohave
moneyandthosewhodon't.Adolescenceisatimewherepeoplestruggletofindasocialgroup,
whichtheycanbeacceptedin.Inthemodernday,societyisalwaysjudgingyoubythestyleof
dress,groupbehaviors,lifestyle,andeconomicstatus.Ifyouarenotwealthy,wearniceclothes,
orliveinanacademicallypromisinggroupthatcancontributetosociety,youwillnoteasilygain
socialacceptance.Becauseofsocialstandingandwealth,mostteensfeelrejectedanddenied
fromsociety.
Inconclusion,
TheOutsiders
isastoryaboutteensthatfacemanyinternalandexternal
conflicts.Everyoneonbothsides,GreasersandSocs,hadsomeonedieinviolence.Bothgroups
ofteenshadtoughlives.Theyallhadtheirproblems,whichcausedsomuchviolencebetween
themall.TheSocshadsomuchmoneythatcanbuyyouallkindsofluxuriousmaterialitemsbut
itcannotbuythemfriendshipsorlove.WhiletheGreasershadtodealwiththelowreputation
becausetheywerehoodsandhadnomoney,buttheyhadthefriendshipandloyaltythattheSocs

canneverbuy.Someofthepoorestpeoplearethehappiestwhilesomeoftherichestarethe
mostmiserable.