The Winners Who Came in Second

Author’s Note: This writing piece is about the rumble between the greasers and the socs. It’s also about how the greasers always come in last in the eyes of all of the other people. No matter what happens.

Think about all of the times you were judged for whom you were by your looks or how you acted. Imagine, being looked at as no good thugs who would terrorize anybody and steal from any store. Lastly, I want you to wonder if you, as a greaser, would actually have a chance to prove yourself and make a point to the socs. As a greaser, I would be proud of myself and my family for winning the rumble. But even though they won the fight, the trashy greasers are still second to the west side socs through the eyes of all the other people in the world.

Nobody denies the fact that greasers are tough, strong, and overall better fighters. That is why they achieved their goal of winning the small but statement making fight. Although the greasers feel that they had won and were on their way to more rights and popularity, the group of kids is going to be disappointed. Through the eyes of all of the police, lawmakers, and socs, those families of greasy haired thugs are still going to be people who are going to steal things and hurt people for no reason.

During the story though, Johnny and Ponyboy did defy that stereotype by saving the children in the church. They actually cared about other people in the world and that made an impact on the citizens of the United States. (“Juvenile Delinquents Turn Hero”, Chapter 7)

Again, I would like to compare this theme to The Pearl by John Steinbeck. When Kino finds this wonderful pearl, he thinks they are going to live in a big house with riches, guns, and much more. But everybody else in their city still looks at them as the poor people who live in a small hut on the shore. Just like the greasers of The Outsiders.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton shows that regular delinquents can defeat and neglect their stereotypes to the opposite group, the socs. Did they really though? In the brains of all of the other human beings around them, they are still no good, very bad greasy haired thugs who would steal and/or harm anybody around them. "You can't win, even if you whip us. You'll still be where you were before- at the bottom. And we'll still be the lucky ones with all the breaks. So it doesn't do any good, the fighting and the killing. It doesn’t prove a thing. We'll forget it if you win, or if you don't. Greasers will still be greasers and Socs will still be Socs"(Randy page 103)