fights." Ponyboy comments that Two-Bit's a conformist and chooses to fight because it's the "thing" to do. Ponyboy can't think of a good reason to fight, other than self-defense.

Ponyboy says that Steve and Sodapop get into fights because they have too much energy. He says: "I can understand why Sodapop and Steve get into drag races and fights so much, though--- both of them have too much energy, too much feeling, with no way to blow it off." However, Steve is motivated to fight in part because he feels hatred inside, unlike Sodapop. Ponyboy says:

"I thought of Soda and Steve. What if one of them saw the other killed? Would that make them stop fighting? No, I thought, maybe it would make Soda stop, but not Steve. He'd go on hating and fighting."

In other words, Sodapop would not be motivated to keep fighting if he saw that it resulted in real injuries or death because he is not driven by hate but just an excess of energy for which he doesn't have any real outlets. However, Steve is motivated to fight out of hatred. Sodapop says about fighting: "It's action. It's a contest. Like a drag race or a dance or something." Steve, on the other hand, says, "I want to beat those Socs' heads in. When I get in a fight I want to stomp the other guy good. I like it, too." In other word, Soda likes the excitement of fighting, but Steve enjoys hurting people.

For Darry, fighting is another way to exercise his strength. Ponyboy says, "Darry liked anything that took strength, like weight lifting or playing football or roofing houses, even if he was proud of being smart too." Darry clearly enjoys fighting for the physical challenge of doing it, but Ponyboy, unlike his brothers, does not enjoy fighting at all and only fights so he doesn't disappoint his brothers and his friends. 

The Outsiders traces the harsh reality for the "Greasers," a gang of boys who try to survive in an unforgiving environment where class distinctions are a good enough reason to fight and the rival gang, the "Socs", which is short for the "Socials, always seems to have the upper hand. The Socs are the "west-side rich kids" and the greasers are from the "East side." Greasers, Ponyboy who is the narrator explains, cannot "walk alone too much or they'll get jumped" by Socs for no reason. 

Darry and Sodapop are Ponyboy's brothers and Pony describes Soda as "happy-go-lucky and grinning while Darry's hard and firm and hardly grins at all" (ch 1). Together the brothers help look after Ponyboy as their parents were killed in "an auto wreck." The Greasers have the occasional gang fight but Pony tries to stay out of trouble. However, Pony and Johnny find themselves changed forever after a series of events which include Johnny killing someone and the boys saving some children from a fire. 

However, tensions are running high as Johnny has killed a Soc and the Socs have almost killed Johnny, he is so critically injured. Therefore, the Greasers talk about the "rumble" that will take place between the Socs and Greasers. Dally reminds them that "we gotta get even with the Socs. For Johnny" (ch 8). In chapter 9, the fight takes place. There are twenty-two Socs' and twenty Greasers. 

Soda says that he likes fights because they are like drag-racing, "It's action. It's like a contest." Steve likes fights because he wants to "stomp the other guy good" and Soda suggests that Darry likes fighting because he gets to show off his muscles.  

Being a member of a gang is perfectly normal for Ponyboy and the boys in The Outsiders. It's also clear from Ponyboy's descriptions in chapter one that the boys are classified according to whether they are Socs—"the jet set, the West-side rich kids"—or "greasers, all us boys on the East Side."

The Socs get into fights for no reason other than "for kicks." The greasers, of which Ponyboy is one, "have a gang fight once in a while." Each gang member has his own reasons for fighting, but Ponyboy points out that they never set out to hurt anyone. For them, it's more about protecting their image and looking out for each other.

During one misunderstanding, Johnny kills a Soc in self-defense, and he and Ponyboy need to take cover somewhere far away so as not to be discovered. Dally helps them get out of town; meanwhile, the Socs and greasers "are having all-out warfare all over the city" (chapter five) because of the incident. The two boys stay away, and during their hideout they become unlikely heroes, saving some children from a burning building. As the newspaper headline reads: "JUVENILE DELINQUENTS TURN HEROES" (chapter seven). However, the cost of their actions is high, as Johnny is seriously hurt and later dies from his injuries.

It is this incident that sparks an arranged fight between the Socs and the greasers, and regardless of their motivations, all the greasers want to participate in this "rumble" because they feel the Socs are to blame for everything that has happened. As Ponyboy says, "Greasers may not have much, but they have a rep."

As the boys prepare for the rumble, Soda admits that he likes the fact that fights are like contests. Steve just likes to "stomp the other guy good," and Darry likes to show off his muscles because it is a show of strength. Two-bit thinks fights are the thing to do, but Ponyboy admits that he does not like fighting. He sums it all up when he says (in chapter nine), 

Soda fought for fun, Steve for hatred, Darry for pride, and Two-Bit for conformity. Why do I fight? I thought, and couldn't think of any real good reason. There isn't any real good reason for fighting except self-defense.