Socioeconomic Status In S. E. Hinton's 'The Outsiders'
Introduction
In “The Outsiders” S.E Hinton creates a realistic theme and a protagonist that will intrigue young readers.
The Theme
Mclean (2011) states that young readers experience real life situations by reading about them. Division by socioeconomic status is a theme that all teenagers can relate to. According to Hinton (1967) there is a clear social division between the teenagers that live on the West- and East-side of the town. This division is caused by socioeconomic status. Hinton (1967) states that the rich teenagers live on the West-side and the poor teenagers live on the East-side of the town. Hinton (1967) classifies the East-side teenagers as ‘Greasers’ and the West-side teenagers as ‘Socs’. The protagonist, Ponyboy, is from the East-side of town. He is a ‘Greaser’. Ponyboy, dresses, behaves and even talks like a typical ‘Greaser’. Ponyboy is aware of the social division between the ‘Socs’ and ‘Greasers’ and the fact that these two social groups do not get along or like one another. Socioeconomic divisions are found in everyday life. Irrespective of all other trades and circumstances we are labelled by demographics. In their adolescent stage, teenagers will become aware of their socioeconomic status as they realise and start to weigh their monetary worth according to their peers. Teenagers will measure their status using non-traditional measures for …show more content…
instance, their parents wealth, parents career choices, and also their parents stand in the community. As teenagers gain more independence from their parents, they will create their own social environment and therefore, it will include peers with mostly the same values and social status. If a teenager is from the wrong side of town, he/she will be seen and classified according that specific status. Socioeconomic division has been there for generations, and will be there for generations to come.
The Protagonist and the supporting characters.
According to McLean (2011) the target audience to read Young Adult Literature is twelve to eighteen year olds. Teenagers want to read characters that have the same interests, concerns, thoughts and experience levels as themselves. Ponyboy is a fourteen year old teenage boy that is still establishing his own identity and where he belongs in the ‘greater scheme of things’. “ I was wishing I looked like Paul Newman” Hinton (1967). Ponyboy has concerns about his looks, as will any teenager at a stage in adolescence. When Ponyboy describes himself, he says that his own looks are not so bad. Therefore the reader can assume that even though Ponyboy is from the poor side of the town, he smokes, he does not wear fashionable clothes he does not have a proper hairstyle, he is simply a normal teenager with thoughts and concerns similar to those of a rich teenager. “ And nobody in our gang digs movies and books the way I do” Hinton (1967). This shows the reader that Ponyboy, classified as a ‘greaser’- only supposed to do bad things and be ignorant and lazy, has different interests from the rest of his social group or gang. Most teenagers will struggle with this specific element – being different or having different interests than that of their friends or peers. The fear of rejection is just too great. Ponyboys` friends and peers accepted the fact that he is different or has different interests from them.
Conclusion
“The Ousiders” by S.E Hinton (1967) can be classified under the genre of Young Adult Literature as the writer uses the realistic theme of division by socioeconomic status that teenagers can relate to as most teenagers will face or deal with their socioeconomic status in their adolescent faze.
The protagonist, Ponyboy, is portrayed by Hinton (1967) as a normal, inexperienced teenage boy that has to deal with real life problems that all teenagers will face such as looks, being disliked by peers as well as being different or having different interest from a social or peer
group.
Reference List
Hinton, S.E. (1967) The Outsiders, New York, NY, Viking Press
Mclean, L. (2011) Young Adult Fiction: Breaking down the market. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/xXe1UWDD5Kk
In “The Outsiders” S.E Hinton creates a realistic theme and a protagonist that will intrigue young readers.
The Theme
Mclean (2011) states that young readers experience real life situations by reading about them. Division by socioeconomic status is a theme that all teenagers can relate to. According to Hinton (1967) there is a clear social division between the teenagers that live on the West- and East-side of the town. This division is caused by socioeconomic status. Hinton (1967) states that the rich teenagers live on the West-side and the poor teenagers live on the East-side of the town. Hinton (1967) classifies the East-side teenagers as ‘Greasers’ and the West-side teenagers as ‘Socs’. The protagonist, Ponyboy, is from the East-side of town. He is a ‘Greaser’. Ponyboy, dresses, behaves and even talks like a typical ‘Greaser’. Ponyboy is aware of the social division between the ‘Socs’ and ‘Greasers’ and the fact that these two social groups do not get along or like one another. Socioeconomic divisions are found in everyday life. Irrespective of all other trades and circumstances we are labelled by demographics. In their adolescent stage, teenagers will become aware of their socioeconomic status as they realise and start to weigh their monetary worth according to their peers. Teenagers will measure their status using non-traditional measures for …show more content…
instance, their parents wealth, parents career choices, and also their parents stand in the community. As teenagers gain more independence from their parents, they will create their own social environment and therefore, it will include peers with mostly the same values and social status. If a teenager is from the wrong side of town, he/she will be seen and classified according that specific status. Socioeconomic division has been there for generations, and will be there for generations to come.
The Protagonist and the supporting characters.
According to McLean (2011) the target audience to read Young Adult Literature is twelve to eighteen year olds. Teenagers want to read characters that have the same interests, concerns, thoughts and experience levels as themselves. Ponyboy is a fourteen year old teenage boy that is still establishing his own identity and where he belongs in the ‘greater scheme of things’. “ I was wishing I looked like Paul Newman” Hinton (1967). Ponyboy has concerns about his looks, as will any teenager at a stage in adolescence. When Ponyboy describes himself, he says that his own looks are not so bad. Therefore the reader can assume that even though Ponyboy is from the poor side of the town, he smokes, he does not wear fashionable clothes he does not have a proper hairstyle, he is simply a normal teenager with thoughts and concerns similar to those of a rich teenager. “ And nobody in our gang digs movies and books the way I do” Hinton (1967). This shows the reader that Ponyboy, classified as a ‘greaser’- only supposed to do bad things and be ignorant and lazy, has different interests from the rest of his social group or gang. Most teenagers will struggle with this specific element – being different or having different interests than that of their friends or peers. The fear of rejection is just too great. Ponyboys` friends and peers accepted the fact that he is different or has different interests from them.
Conclusion
“The Ousiders” by S.E Hinton (1967) can be classified under the genre of Young Adult Literature as the writer uses the realistic theme of division by socioeconomic status that teenagers can relate to as most teenagers will face or deal with their socioeconomic status in their adolescent faze.
The protagonist, Ponyboy, is portrayed by Hinton (1967) as a normal, inexperienced teenage boy that has to deal with real life problems that all teenagers will face such as looks, being disliked by peers as well as being different or having different interest from a social or peer
group.
Reference List
Hinton, S.E. (1967) The Outsiders, New York, NY, Viking Press
Mclean, L. (2011) Young Adult Fiction: Breaking down the market. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/xXe1UWDD5Kk