The Outsiders Literary Analysis

Words: 462
Pages: 2

Theme-Based Literary Analysis Essay

You should never use stereotypes on people you barely know. You could see someone driving down the street in a really nice convertable and think “wow they must be a rich person!” but maybe not. Maybe they are just an average teenager who got a second job and saved their money to buy the car they have wanted for a long time. They worked for it, they weren’t just given the money. Stereotyping someone is like a lie from their appearances. In “The Outsiders” Ponyboy learned how stereotyping people isn’t the best thing to do.
Ponyboy always thought that the Socs were rich people who drove really nice cars and he always thought, really everyone thought that Socs and greasers would never get along or be friends, but once he met Cherry Valance, he knew he was wrong. He first saw her and thought she was like the other Socs at his school. ‘Boy, she was good-looking. I'd seen her before; she was a
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Randy wanted to talk to Ponyboy in his car. They talked about how the world hates him and how they call him a Soc. ‘"Thanks, grease," he said, trying to grin. Then he stopped. "I didn't mean that. I meant, thanks, kid."’ (p. 117) He didn’t want to label him because he is just a person. Ponyboy had gotten out of the car and, ‘Two-Bit asked. "What'd Mr. Super-Soc have to say?" "He ain't a Soc," I said, "he's just a guy. He just wanted to talk."’ He was trying to tell him not to label or give stereotypes to them just how they seem.
Cherry, Marcia, and Randy really helped him realize not to stereotype people in the book. He now knows it’s not the nicest thing to do, especially to people you don’t know. I know people have labeled me before, and I definitely know I have labeled people too. It’s easy to do without realizing it. If you were to live by a stereotype then it would be pretty annoying. People just guessing how you act and how you live, but then they don’t know the truth about