Two Types Of Violence In The Outsiders

Chapter 11: Literature involves two types of violence. The first type is specific injury characters inflict upon themselves or others. The second type of violence is where the author causes harm to characters to progress the plot. In the book The Outsiders there are two gangs, the socs and the greasers. They have tension between their groups that goes back for generations. This causes them to commit the physical violence. They hurt each other out of revenge and anger. After many casualties of their “gang wars” and deaths of close friends they come to the that the violence needs to end. By coming to this conclusion the main characters become better people. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, the neighbor Miss Dubose dies from old age. This is
an example of the second type of violence. The author has Jem become close to Miss Dubose and make an emotional connection. Once their relationship is strong the author allows Miss Dubose to die to make Jem grow as a character. The second act of violence has more meaning and depth to it.