It's Just Not Right

Author’s Note: If haven’t heard the term don’t judge a book by its cover, then this piece of writing will help you understand it a little more.

Stereotypes can make a lot of people mad. Most of the time they hurt people because they don’t know how or what a person really would do. Say there was a house burning down with children inside. What would you do?  Would you just sit and watch or would you be the hero and save them? If you think about it, it would be a hard choice to make. How would you feel if you didn’t go into the burning building, or did go indie to save them? To understand more how the Greasers felt back in the day because everyone judged them by their covers. The Outsiders shows plenty of the themes of stereotypes.

First off the Greasers have always had the problem of being misjudged by society. The Greasers just looked like criminals. When Dally came into the gang he didn’t just bring another member for the gang. He also brought his criminal record. He was one of the bad Greasers. When he was younger he ran into some trouble with the cops.  There is Dally the bad Greasers then there is Ponyboy and Johnny the more nice Greasers and so since Ponyboy and Johnny where younger than Dally everyone thought that they would follow him and do what he does and look up to him. But of course they didn’t.

The way people misjudged them was by saying they don’t belong in our group and/or here because of how they looked. That’s really how the Greasers had it because they had long greasy hair, leather jackets, and didn’t go to school. So everyone thought they were criminals and they were always misjudged. When Ponyboy and Johnny saved the kids from the burning building they changed the way Greasers were looked at a little but not a lot. Would you be able to do that if you were a Soc I bet not because the Socs were snotty nose rich kids that people thought were perfect little angles. But when Randy told Ponyboy that he would let the kid’s just burn to death that dropped a huge bomb on the people reading and the people watching the movie.

The most recent and most common is the judging things before getting to know them or it. The Greasers to me is that they got screwed because they were born into the poor side and had no choice of their lives. The way they live is different then what people think a Greaser really should be. There are of course some Greasers that go to what society thinks they should be. Such as Dally is one of those bad Greasers. There a only a few Greasers that are basically good. First there is Johnny and Ponyboy, even Ponyboy’s brother Darry is good because he actually could have been a Soc. Sodapop is one of the more good Greaser basically the entire Curtis family could have been a Soc but then their parents die and their entire lives turn around and they go to the bad side of town.

The group that is most definitely misjudged is the Socs. People think of them as being perfect angles and never breaking the law or doing anything bad or even bad thoughts. We misjudge everything just about every day when you are trying to pick out a book you look at the cover and say this book looks terrible without reading the back and so you midjudge books. If you were one of the Greasers how you handle the burning fire with children inside? How would you handle the way society would treat you? It’s just not right to judge a book by its cover. That’s how the theme of stereotypes has to do with the Outsiders.

Family is the Most Imprtant Thing

Author’s note: This is a point of view of what happen to Ponyboy’s family in the car crash and he feels about it.

Family is the most important thing because when there is no else to talk to there is family there and they. Without them you have nobody to really love you and make you laugh you always need someone to love you and make you laugh. The outsiders have to deal with no family at except for the people in the gang and or their own brothers but there are on parents in the picture because most of them die. Ponyboy had one of the worst things that could ever happen to him and his two brothers.

Dark, Scared, cold, the worst that could ever happen I didn’t know what to do I wanted to stay tough in front everyone but I just couldn’t I burst into tears. Family as I know is the most fragile thing and one of those things you need to hold onto to tight or you might lose them. I Ponyboy thought my world would come to an end sitting there in my room getting the news. It’s true they were dead my parent I was so sad. When Darry finds out I don’t know what he is going to do the first I thought was blame it on me. But the one thing he did I didn’t think he would was he dropped out of school to help support me and Sodapop.

A year gone by without them my life with Darry as grown weak he is always mean to me I don’t know why. Me Sodapop are still close me Darry used to be tight too but after the accident he thinks he is dad now but he’s not doing the best job. I miss my parents so much I loved them I always wondered what would happen to me if they died then before my eyes bam they were gone like that. They were the best parents a kid could ask for. I lived playing catch with my dad in the back yard now be barley have a yard to run in. As well as helping my mom all the time with the laundry.

Thanks to the greasers I would not be alive really they were the wall I could lean on. They are the best thing that has happen to me since my parents died. Especially Johnny he has been the best friend I never had he really helps ease the pain. Now you know about Ponyboy’s family. So no matter what you do family is the most important thing. To tell you the truth Ponyboy got screwed because he had both his parents die at the same time. Now you understand how and why family is the most important thing. Ponyboy had one of the worst things that could ever happen to him and his two brothers.

A Troubled Letter

 Author's Note: this is a letter a friend sent to his friend asking what side of the groups he should be on the Greasers or the Socs.

Dear Jim,


I am enjoying the first week in the new town I wish I didn’t move or you moved with me. We had some of the best times ever. The school isn’t just the place where there are groups of people fighting it’s through out the town. There are two groups called the greasers and the socs. I am the new kid in town you know me being 17 years old i have to chose basically or one of them will kill me I don't know what side to chose I need you help. I will tell you a little bit about each side.

    
First there is the greasers that are the bad boys of the town and are really cool I think. They have slick hair and leather jackets and have greasy hair. All of the greasers are misjudged because they have one or two people that are in the group that do bad stuff first there is Dallas but everyone calls him Dally. He is from a gang in New York and went to juvy when he was 14 years old. but everyone else is cool like Ponyboy and Johnny are really cool.

    
Then there is the Socs, they are the snoty rich kids that get everything and are clean dress nice and are basically the complete opposite as the greasers. There are the one person that sticks out of the socs and that is Cherry. She is dating Bob but thinks Ponyboy is dreamy. She is not afraid to talk to anyone and she doesn’t really think anyone should get hurt. She doesn’t want anyone to get hurt especially Ponyboy.

    
These two groups have always been fighting and off when they don’t fight most of them have to deal with family business and other stuff that may not have to do with their opposite group. I believe in the end that something terrible will happen to both sides like someone will die on both sides or if not that something great like they forgive each other and they all become friends because. One last prediction would be that Ponyboy and Cherry start dating and so they greasers and socs try to become friends because of it.

    
So I would really like your help on what group I should go to because I am kind of between them both. You know me best so that’s why I am asking you I trust your judgement.



Your Friend,




James