The Outsiders Debate
In the book The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, the Socs are the ones to blame for all of the problems. After all they are the cause of the rumble. The Socs are no good drunk 24/7 idiots who need to turn their ego down, and intelligence up. They screw up MANY times in the book. Yah yah, greasers are not perfect, but at least they have some common sense. And I’ll tell you why the greasers are innocent and the Socs are not.
First of all, Johnny was justified in killing Bob. It was in self-defense, the Socs beat up Johnny before traumatizing him, and the only reason why Johnny had his switchblade was because of the same Socs who tried to kill Ponyboy. “The Socs caught my arm and twisted it behind my back, and shoved my face into the fountain”(pg 49/The Outsiders/ Hinton), this shows that Pony boy was being hurt by the Socs physically. “I had to. They were drowning you, Pony. They might have killed you. And they had a blade… they were going to beat me up…”(pg 50/ The Outsiders/ Hinton). This quote shows that Johnny stabbing Bob was in self-defense and that the Socs were going to kill Ponyboy and harm Johnny. “And Johnny who was the most law-abiding of us, now carried a six inch switchblade. He’d use it, too, if he ever got jumped again. They scared him that much.”(Pg 31/ The Outsiders/ Hinton), this quote shows that the only reason that Johnny carried a switchblade was that the Socs had jumped him. Don’t even get me started on how Johnny and Ponyboy should not have stayed when the Socs think that they should have.
Second of all, Johnny and Ponyboy should not have stayed and took the consequences for Bob’s death. If they stayed, the children in the fire would have died. “’I’ll get them, don’t worry!’ I started at a dead run for the church.” (Pg 78/ The Outsiders/ Hinton). This quote shows that Ponyboy did not think twice before putting his life before the children’s. Also “ ‘listen, I don’t mind it now. I was worth it. It’s worth saving those kids. Their lives
First of all, Johnny was justified in killing Bob. It was in self-defense, the Socs beat up Johnny before traumatizing him, and the only reason why Johnny had his switchblade was because of the same Socs who tried to kill Ponyboy. “The Socs caught my arm and twisted it behind my back, and shoved my face into the fountain”(pg 49/The Outsiders/ Hinton), this shows that Pony boy was being hurt by the Socs physically. “I had to. They were drowning you, Pony. They might have killed you. And they had a blade… they were going to beat me up…”(pg 50/ The Outsiders/ Hinton). This quote shows that Johnny stabbing Bob was in self-defense and that the Socs were going to kill Ponyboy and harm Johnny. “And Johnny who was the most law-abiding of us, now carried a six inch switchblade. He’d use it, too, if he ever got jumped again. They scared him that much.”(Pg 31/ The Outsiders/ Hinton), this quote shows that the only reason that Johnny carried a switchblade was that the Socs had jumped him. Don’t even get me started on how Johnny and Ponyboy should not have stayed when the Socs think that they should have.
Second of all, Johnny and Ponyboy should not have stayed and took the consequences for Bob’s death. If they stayed, the children in the fire would have died. “’I’ll get them, don’t worry!’ I started at a dead run for the church.” (Pg 78/ The Outsiders/ Hinton). This quote shows that Ponyboy did not think twice before putting his life before the children’s. Also “ ‘listen, I don’t mind it now. I was worth it. It’s worth saving those kids. Their lives