Discussion Topic

Characterization and Identity of the Greasers in "The Outsiders"

Summary:

In S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders, the Greasers are depicted as a close-knit group resembling a family, providing emotional support and protection to each other, unlike their dysfunctional biological families. They are characterized by their rebellious appearance and pride in being outsiders, often dressing up for rumbles to assert their worth against the Socs. While some Greasers engage in criminal activities due to their tough circumstances, they are primarily portrayed as misunderstood youths rather than delinquents. Their identity is shaped by their socioeconomic status and the need to maintain a tough reputation for self-esteem and protection.

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How is the Greasers gang similar to a family in "The Outsiders"?

You can understand this by looking at how they treat each other and what they mean to each other.

Think about Johnny, for example.  His parents do not really like him.  He gets no love or sense of belonging at home.  Instead, he gets that stuff from the other members of the gang.  The same goes for Dally, although he apparently doesn't get enough emotional support giving how he ends up.  Speaking of Dally, look how far he goes to help Ponyboy and Johnny after Johnny kills the Soc -- it's like family.

So they are family because they care about each other and support each other the way a family is supposed to.

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Why do the Greasers dress up for the rumble in The Outsiders?

Greasers dress up to maintain their image. Additionally, they do not want to be perceived as trash by the Socs. It is important to note that both the Socs and Greasers...

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have distinctive ways of dressing and it is difficult to mistake a Greaser for a Soc or vice versa. Thus, for both groups, it is important to maintain that image and differentiation. For instance, the Greasers like to heavily oil their hair (hence the name Greasers), while the Socs dress up in expensive shirts. Although the rumble is the main event, it is important how the different groups show up, and for the Greasers, it is important to look good. Besides, their fight emanates from the issues surrounding their different social classes. The Greasers don’t like to be looked down upon because they are poor. Furthermore, neither group wants to be perceived as weak.

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The greasers in S. E. Hinton's teen novel, The Outsiders, don't exactly get dressed-up--not in suits and ties or anything--but they do like to look their best when they rumble. Ponyboy was late arriving home to eat before the rumble after visiting Johnny and Dally in the hospital, and then meeting up with Cherry Valance near the vacant lot. Pony didn't have time to eat one of his favorite meals--baked chicken--but he did manage to swallow five aspirins "when Darry and Soda weren't looking" in hopes of getting rid of his headache.

    Then I hurried to take a shower and change clothes. Me and Soda and Darry always got spruced up before a rumble. And besides, we wanted to show those Socs we weren't trash, that we were just as good as they were.

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The answer to this question is right there at the start of Chapter 9.

Basically, what Pony is saying is that the Greasers get dressed up for the rumble because they want to show that they are just as good as the Socs.  They do not want to look like they are just trashy little punks.

So it is a pride thing.  The Greasers want people to know that they have pride in who they are and what kind of people they are.  Because the Greasers are typically seen as the lowlifes of the community, they want to try to prove that they are not.

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How do the greasers in The Outsiders show pride in their gang?

The greasers show pride by standing up for each other.

Pony tells us that greasers stick together.  He is proud of being a greaser, because in his neighborhood it is something to be proud of.  It is more than long, greasy hair, although greasers are proud of their hair.  It is one of the ways they identify each other.  Being a greaser means that you always know someone will be there to look out for you.

When Cherry calls Dally “trash,” Pony defends him.  He tells her that he is also a “grease” and that Dally is his buddy.  Pony tells us that being called greaser by another greaser is acceptable and they don’t mind.  They use the word “playfully” (Ch. 2).  Greasers do sometimes fight each other, but not violently.

Pony tells us that the greasers have different attitudes toward being greasers.

It wasn't fair for the Socs to have everything. We were as good as they were; it wasn't our fault we were greasers. I couldn't just take it or leave it, like Two-Bit, or ignore it and love life anyway, like Sodapop, or harden myself beyond caring, like Dally, or actually enjoy it, like Tim Shepard. (Ch. 3) 

So while all greasers seem to have a fair amount of pride in being greasers, some of them enjoy the lifestyle more than others.  Pony seems to have mixed feelings about the whole thing.  He likes having the gang to look out for him, but he doesn’t like living in fear and being labeled and judged.  He is horrified when Bob calls him "White trash with long hair" (Ch. 4). 

When Pony is preparing for the rumble against the Socs that is supposed to avenge Johnny and Bob, he feels proud to be a greaser.  Generally, greasers show their pride in their gang by fighting the Socs.  This rumble has extra significance because each side has pride on the line, and grief. 

Soda and Steve and I had put on more hair oil than was necessary, but we wanted to show that we were greasers. Tonight we could be proud of it. Greasers may not have much, but they have a rep. That and long hair. (Ch. 9) 

Pony feels that it is sad that all he can be proud of is his hair and his neighborhood, but as he has already established, the pride really comes from the fact that the greasers are a family.  They stand up for each other against the Socs, and against the world.  The greasers are not real criminals, he reflects, like Tim Shephard’s gang.  They are just guys from the neighborhood looking out for each other.

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Who are the greasers in The Outsiders?

In S. E. Hinton’s young adult novel The Outsiders, the narrator is fourteen-year-old Ponyboy. He, his brothers, and their friends are members of a gang called the greasers. The greasers are generally at odds with the more privileged “west-side rich kids,” who are called the Socs. (Socs is short for Socials.) Ponyboy and the other greasers are “outsiders” in their hometown because of their relatively low socioeconomic status.

The greasers also look different from the Socs. greasers can often be untidy and do not have the same kind of clothes, as their budgets are lower. Some of the difference in appearance is also probably attributable to the greasers’ desire to rebel against what the Socs and other more privileged people deem to be the norm. In chapter 1, Ponyboy describes himself:

My hair is longer than a lot of boys wear theirs, squared off in back and long at the front and sides, but I am a greaser and most of my neighborhood rarely bothers to get a haircut.

Another sign of their rebellious streak is that greasers often violate the law. Ponyboy seems to understand that when greasers break the rules, they are viewed as hoodlums, whereas there is more leeway given to the wealthier Socs. Ponyboy understands the difference between his group and the Socs. He writes:

We're poorer than the Socs and the middle class. I reckon we're wilder, too…Greasers are almost like hoods; we steal things and drive old souped-up cars and hold up gas stations and have a gang fight once in a while…I only mean that most greasers do things like that, just like we wear our hair long and dress in blue jeans and T-shirts, or leave our shirttails out and wear leather jackets and tennis shoes or boots. I'm not saying that either Socs or greasers are better; that's just the way things are.

Ponyboy wishes that things could be different. When he spends time with Cherry, a girl from the more elite Socs background, he notes that there are similarities between the two groups—including that they watch the same sun and they share the same earth.

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Are the Greasers in The Outsiders kids or criminals?

The answer to your question, of course, will depend upon your interpretation of the Greasers' words and actions. Many consider a group such as the Greasers a gang of juvenile delinquents.

However, the Greasers are an important social barometer of their time; the majority of the members come from impoverished, dysfunctional families. Ponyboy Curtis (the narrator of the story) is a Greaser, and his only biological family members are his two brothers, Sodapop and Darry. While the brothers love each other, they often experience conflict in their domestic lives. The boys are orphaned, and Darry is the presumed father figure and family provider.

However, Darry is only 20, while Ponyboy is 14. The latter often resents what he considers his older brother's efforts to meddle in his life. However, Darry (at his wit's end himself) is merely trying to keep his family together. The other members of the Greasers gang (Johnny, Dallas, Steve, and Two-Bit) also come from dysfunctional family backgrounds. For example, Johnny suffers emotional and/or physical abuse from both his parents.

The Greasers are at odds with the Socs in the novel. The Socs are another gang, one made up of upper-middle class youths. Invariably, the Greasers fight the Socs for two reasons: they enjoy fighting, and they see it as their duty to defend themselves against attacks from the Socs. 

The one Greaser most associated with being a criminal is Dally. In the novel, Dally openly revels in his gang background from his New York City days, and he is the one who robs a convenience store after Johnny's death. No one quite knows why Dallas chooses to commit a crime, but there is every indication that he was deeply affected by Johnny's death.

So, on the surface, Dally appears to be a criminal. However, he is also an adolescent. In his short life, he has never learned constructive ways to process his grief and anger, and he has never envisioned a different life for himself (one beyond the criminal world). So, is Dally a criminal or just a kid? It really does depend upon your perspective and how you think we should treat kids who commit criminal acts.

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Why are the Greasers in The Outsiders proud of their tough appearance?

Unlike the Socs, who come from affluent families that can afford nice clothes and possessions, the Greasers grow up poor and are considered lower class. The Greasers wear their hair long and are usually dressed in blue jeans, white t-shirts, and leather jackets. They admire their "bad boy" persona and appear to be rebellious, dangerous individuals. The Greasers do not have a lot to be proud of, but what they do have is a reputation as tough boys. Instead of being pitied by others for growing up poor, they would rather be feared. Their appearance essentially protects their self-esteem and is meant to intimidate others. They value the fact that they are feared and viewed as dangerous. Their "mean" appearance diverts attention and protects their self-conscious personalities.

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How are the Greasers and the Brumly Gang similar in The Outsiders?

The Greasers and the Brumly gang share several similarities. The primary similarity between both gangs concerns their background and home life. The members of both gangs reside on the poor East Side and hail from dysfunctional families. Each member of the Greaser gang, including the Curtis brothers, has turbulent home lives. The Curtis brothers lost both of their parents eight months ago, Steve Randle hates his father, and Johnny is abused by his violent father. Although Hinton does not go into extensive detail about the Brumly boys, one can surmise that their members experience similar struggles at home.

The Greasers and the Brumly boys also look and dress similar. Pony mentions that most "hoods" look alike and share the same skinny, slouchy appearance. In addition to their background and appearances, the Greasers and the Brumly boys also detest the Socs, who are rich, privileged teenagers from the other side of town. The Greasers and the Brumly boys are allies during the rumble against the Socs. Despite their many similarities, the Brumly boys are used to strict discipline and obey their leader like Tim Shepard's gang. Pony mentions that unlike Tim Shepard's gang and the Brumly boys, the Greasers are a group of close-knit friends and fight as individuals. During the rumble, the Greasers, Tim Shepard's gang, and the Brumly boys defeat the Socs.

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