As you pointed out, there indeed are assorted real life analogies to Outsiders. Scenarios that are analogues to the Socs and the Greasers are the Blacks and the Whites, the rich and the poor, and countless others. Even in this modern ere, there are innumerable struggles between the upper and the lower class, especially in the field of politics. The rich want to keep their position, and the poor want a piece of their wealth. This resentment of the lower class has been going on since time began, with the peasants and the kings.
I very much agree with you about the class differences being closely alike to slaves in America. One difference that I do notice is that today slaves are almost entirely gone, where as class differences and gangs still very prevalent. Gangs are widespread in lower income neighborhoods, but may be competing against the higher income ones, in gang wars. Gangs are not limited to the United States either; there are in many, if not all countries.
With these class struggles, there are always the people who are stuck in the middle. The middle class, the middle aged people, and a character that played a significant role: Johnny are all stuck between two places. It is either between the rich and poor, the old and young or between Soc and Greaser. Being stuck between can be very stressful, as Johnny experiences. He had a satisfying economic background, that he could have been a Soc, yet his community was that of the Greasers. This conflict, which arose, gave him the will to save the lives of the children in the burning church. He knew that he was a misfit, and stuck in between, and that his death would not destroy the gang, so he took it upon himself to save the children in the flaming church.
I agree with you about the differences between the Socs and the Greasers, though I would like to add a bit more to your description. The difference between the Socs and the Greasers is much more that just money, for not all the Socs are filthy rich, nor are all the Greasers beggar poor. As you said, the distinction also comes from the community. The Greasers are like one big family, leaving their doors open to others, and helping out whenever it is needed. The Socs seem more like a band of people, who group together sometimes to beat up Greasers, or rob a store. The Greasers practically live together, eat together, and if someone needs a bed, there is always a couch open.
