The Outsiders

“I’m not saying that either Socs or greasers are better; that’s just the way things are.” 

At the beginning of the novel, Ponyboy explains the differences between Socs and greasers, but he does not assign an implicit moral value to either group. Ponyboy comes to realize that even though everyone’s social standings seem to be set in stone, there is a potential for change. 

“I had to read Great Expectations for English, and that kid Pip, he reminded me of us—the way he felt marked lousy because he wasn’t a gentleman or anything, and the way that girl kept looking down on him.” 

Ponyboy enjoys reading, as it helps him escape from his present circumstances into different worlds. Nevertheless, he often finds parallels between his own life and the life of a novel’s characters, like Pip. Pip’s treatment in Great Expectations mirror experiences Pony has had with Soc girls and prompts him to reflect on labels and assumptions people make about one another.

“I had just as much right to use the streets as the Socs did. Why did the Socs hate us so much? We left them alone.” 

Following his attack, Ponyboy wonders about the senselessness of these gang muggings. Through this kind of deeper introspection, which is unique to him among his fellow greasers, Ponyboy arrives at various profound conclusions about his world and the ways it should change.