Response to: All that is not innately one’s own, should not be taken for granted

Family is very important in life, for it gives you the structure to face the challenges in life. Although, in That Was Then, This Is Now by S.E. Hinton shows the challenges that occur to maintain the relationship. It is said that it takes years and years of hard work to do something positive, but one decision to erase all that work. The same thing happened in That Was Then, This Is Now. Mark and Bryon were brothers from different mothers. Their love and affection towards one another was heartfelt, but all this changed by one decision of Bryon. Bryon chose to turn Mark in for selling LSD. This was the right decision because it was harming people, but this very decision changed the lives of both individuals. Their love turned to hate, their smile turned to tears, and it went to killing.

Teal, I agree with you that family is important. Bryon made a decision, which made both of them lose their families. That love that a family stands up on disappeared. It was heartbreaking that one right decision can lose so much. What would you have done if you were in that situation? I would explain Mark and see if he changes his attitude and his perspective of life. If he didn’t change, then I would pick up the phone and call the police.

I noticed that parents (Bryon’s mom) didn’t have as much involvement in the lives of her children, as parent today do. Is that a good thing? If Bryon’s mom paid attention to what was going on with her children, would Bryon and Mark get into the violence they got into? I do believe that Bryon’s mom should have helped Bryon and Mark sort out their lives. She was much older than them, which means more experience of life. Parents are the guide to their children, without their support a child can make wrong decisions. Bryon’s mom should have helped her children in the hard times.

Response to: Love to Hate With One Decision

I mainly agree with you on this. That was a very hard decision, but it was for the better of almost everyone. Bryon got another drug dealer off the street, which is a positive, but also lost his ‘brother.’ Even as Bryon did not want to call the cops on Mark, he wanted no LSD dealer to be a friend of his. It was a very hard decision, for as Bryon recalled, "The cop jerked Mark around and shoved him out the door. Suddenly it was deadly quite–just the distant siren and mom's quiet sobbing. I went into the bathroom and threw up. I was sick" (149).I do agree with Bryon's decision, to a degree as did you Ramneet. I would definitely have talked to Mark first, and if he didn't stop, then I would call the cops, not before. I believe in a second chance for redemption.

I do wonder a few things though. As you said, Bryon put 2 and 2 together, the pills and the money, to find that Mark was a 'pusher' and sold drugs. Even though money was scarce, I’m surprised that Bryon never asked, or wondered more than a little, about where all the money Mark was bringing in came from. Bryon supposed it was from hustling, or some other such activity, but as 'brothers' I’m surprised Bryon didn't ask. It was a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy with Bryon's mom (about where the money was coming form) but as a brother, I’m surprised he didn't find out, for they shared so much time together.

This idea, which you touched on briefly, I believe, could be summed up by one world. Impermanence. How one day a person may be as a brother to you, and the next a criminal to be despised, is just life. Impermanence is discussed in Buddhism, for they speak of how nothing will always be the same, and that everything is in constant influx. As they say in Buddhism, "this world there is nothing that is fixed and permanent. Every thing is subject to change and alteration" (Khin). This fact of impermanence can only be dealt with my living in the moment, and remembering that at anytime things may change, as Bryon found out.

Khin, Sayagyi. "Meditating on Anicca or Impermanence." Hinduwebsite. Hinduwebsite.com, 2010. Web. 02 Jan. 2012. <http://www.hinduwebsite.com/buddhism/essays/aniccainmeditation.asp>.

That was Then, This is Now: Love to Hate with ONE Decision

That was then, This is now by S. E. Hinton is a breath-taking novel on brotherly love turning into intense hatred by a single action. Hinton arises all emotions in a reader through a basic story, told with creativity. A story about two close friends (two magnets), who get separated forever when one friend chooses to put the other behind bars because it was the right thing to do. Bryon takes a close look at two things before making the tough, but clear decision of his life: the bottle of pills underneath the bed of Mark and Mark bringing large amounts of money home, without any apparent job. It was then obvious that Mark was selling drugs to provide money to his family, without notifying his family members. The drugs that Mark was selling were changing the lives of Bryon’s close friends negatively. Bryon’s girlfriend, Cathy was wearing herself down seeing her brother, M&M damaging his brain taking the drugs. Bryon had taking enough of Mark doing the “wrong” things that were not only having an effect of his own life, it was making the lives of other intolerable. Bryon picked up the phone and called the police to get Mark, his best friend, arrested. This call could have cost the life of Mark or years behind bars, but Bryon called. No, this is not where the story ends. Bryon’s attitude changes completely, he loses his love (Cathy), and most importantly Mark starts hating Bryon. One good decision to give a new route to the lives of all people ended up ruining everyone’s life.

Was this a good decision? If was in the shoes of Bryon, I would have talked to Mark. I would try to change his perspective of life by putting myself in front, the person he cared the most about. That would have been enough to change Mark. This would have changed Mark into a more responsible person. Not a person, who viewed laws and rules as nothing but words, but took those seriously.

This book took strong topics and put them in front of the readers. It showed the difference in the past and the present, the “then” and the “now.” One pair of those topics was love and hate. The love between two brothers changed to hate. In addition Bryon got poor from rich. It isn’t the richness in the means of money, it the richness in the relationships. He started from support of Mark, his gang, M&M, Charlie, Cathy and more. At the end he lost all the relationships. This novel also showed: good and bad, close and far, outsiders and insider, and friend and enemy.

This book was a great book to read. It taught me to give importance to each relationship because you don’t know what tomorrow has in store with you. The person you love the most today, can be the person you hate the most tomorrow. Take decisions of your life carefully and the decisions that are going to have a effect on other people’s lives.

All That is Not Innately One's Own, Should Not Be Taken for Granted

In That was Then, This is Now there were many ways in which family was an issue. The first main predicament was Mark. His parents had shot each other when he was very young, and he had needed a place to go. Bryon's family took him in, as if he were a brother of Bryon, and helped raise him. Bryon and Mark acted like brothers, and both helped to bring money in for the family (for money was scarce).

The neighborhood and people from The Outsiders had two large communities, where everyone helped each other. If a person was a 'hood' they could almost always have a place to sleep on the couch of another hood, if they needed. The whole neighborhood was like one big family. This family style, is also present in That was Then, This is Now and is partly why Bryon's family brought in Mark. One virtue that S.E. Hinton was portraying in both of these novels is brotherhood. Relaying on each other, and helping when there is a need is the major points of brotherliness, beyond the 'good Samaritan' call of duty.

Mark was loved as one of the family, until a mishap occurs. M&M, while at the happy hippy house, tried a stronger drug. He ended up having a very bad trip, and kept recounting what had happened to him. He was recounting how he "kept trying to get back, but the spiders held me down. Held me down and chewed on the colors and me went in and out. I listened to the colors and they were screaming too." (S.E. Hinton 140) Bryon was quite upset about this, for it was his girlfriend's brother. Directly after that, Bryon found that Mark was selling LSD. Even if Mark had not sold LSD to M&M, Bryon was still infuriated, and called the cops.

This was a case, of when brotherhood had gone as far as it could. Bryon had loved Mark as a brother, and brought him in, as a long lost brother. Family is extremely important, for they are someone who you can always relay on to be there for you, and help you though the tough times. Bryon, and his family, had done that for Mark, but it was too much that he was a drug dealer, and Bryon pulled the plug on his brother. Mark went to jail, and served time for his crimes. When in jail, he acted out, and was forced to serve a longer sentence because of that. Losing his family, and his way of life by going to jail, really tore Mark apart, and shows the importance of family, and good decisions. Was this a good decision? If was in the shoes of Bryon, I would have talked to Mark. I would try to change his perspective of life by putting myself in front, the person he cared the most about. That would have been enough to change Mark. This would have changed Mark into a more responsible person. Not a person, who viewed laws and rules as nothing but words, but took those seriously.

This book took strong topics and put them in front of the readers. It showed the difference in the past and the present, the “then” and the “now.” One pair of those topics was love and hate. The love between two brothers changed to hate. In addition Bryon got poor from rich. It isn’t the richness in the means of money, it the richness in the relationships. He started from support of Mark, his gang, M&M, Charlie, Cathy and more. At the end he lost all the relationships. This novel also showed: good and bad, close and far, outsiders and insider, and friend and enemy.

This book was a great book to read. It taught me to give importance to each relationship because you don’t know what tomorrow has in store with you. The person you love the most today, can be the person you hate the most tomorrow. Take decisions of your life carefully and the decisions that are going to have a effect on other people’s lives.

Response to: That was Then, This is Now Similarities

Outsiders and That was then, This is Now have many similarities in their storyline, rather than only the same author, S.E. Hinton. Teal makes a great notice that the character, Ponyboy Curtis was present in both the Ousiders and That was then, This is now. In the Outsiders, Ponyboy Curtis was the main protagonist, while for That was then, This is now he played the friend of Mark and the desire of Angelina. I didn’t tend to notice that similarity. S.E. Hinton uses the characters from her earlier book to help bring out the message.

Teal also mentions the effect that killing leaves on youngsters: portrayed in both books. Killing of a friends (Charlie) and enemy’s (Bob) caused a significant impact on both the main characters. Bryon witnessed the killing of a friend, and bar owner, Charlie and this event changed his perspective of fighting and killing.

Mark wasn’t that bothered about it because he has seen this kind of ending many times, but it bothered Bryon. Later on in the book, Bryon stops Mark from beating up Angelina’s brother, as reprise for wounding Bryon badly. On the other side, Johnny (friend of Ponyboy) kills Bob to save Ponyboy. Even though, the blame was of Bob, Ponyboy’s behavior changed afterwards. Killings of friends or enemy’s leave a negative effect on youngsters. People that witness a killing, often move away from fighting. Their view on fights as a game moves away.

Teal makes great connections between the Outsiders and That was Then, This is Now. S.E. Hinton shows the difficulties that occur in the lives of gang members in these books. I would like to add onto the list of similarities. Another similarity between these two books is the theme of brotherhood. In Outsiders, two people that were as close as brothers were Johnny and Ponyboy. Johnny lost his life due to saving the life of Ponyboy. Their relationship shattered at the end of the story and left Ponyboy shocked. Similarly, in That was then, This is Now, Mark and Bryon are friends, but treat each other as brothers. Bryon turns Mark into the police for selling drugs. This was the right decision, but this step broke strong connection between these two characters. The relationships were lost at the end of both books.

Friendship between the character in both books can be described in a quote “A man’s growth is seen in the successive choirs of his friends” (Emerson, Ralph Waldo). Bryon and Mark, and Ponyboy and Johnny grew with the support of one another.

Emerson, Ralph Waldo. “Friendship Quotes.” Brainyquote.com. BookRages Media Network, n.d. Web. 7 Jan. 2012. .

Response to: Message to Readers

You gave very insightful thoughts Ramneet. I do think that this book is about love, friendship, and brotherhood. Though I also think this book is just as largely, a story about growing up and the characters learning about whom they are. Bryon learns about dating, and has a relationship with Julia. Also, the relationship with his 'brother' Mark changes significantly. All these happenings, along with the flirting, the shooting, the hustling, and more, are all part of what it is like to grow up in a neighborhood like Bryon's.

Going back to the point you made about how everything is changing, I think that is completely true. As they grow up, Bryon and Mark and all their friends, go through changes. M&M leaves home to live at a Hippy house for a time, and even tries LSD. Bryon gets drunk and starts talking off topic. In a drunk state, he even talks about how it "connected with what he'd said about Mike somehow, but Mark followed my [Bryon's] train of though, just like he always had" (Hinton 116). This is a good relationship Bryon and Mark have, when they can still understand each other when one is drunk. But times are always changing and Bryon ended up sending Mark to jail. Because, as you already stated Ramneet, they said 'that was then, and this is now.’ They are pretty much saying, times change, and you must change with them, or break.

As I stated in another post, impermanence is an important message to the readers. Influx, outflow, growth, reduction, everything is always changing, and this is one message Hinton was conveying in this novel. Another message is that even if you try to do the right thing, you might not get the merit you deserve. Mike, who Bryon met in the hospital, had simply drove a colored girl home in his car. He was being nice, and curious, for she was alone on the side of the road. When he dropped her off, the guys who were there to greet her thought that he had taken advantage of her in some way, so they beat him up and the girl didn’t stop them. This shows that even when you try your best, and are a nice person, there are still people who will not understand, and appreciate.

That was then, This is now: Message to Readers

That was then, this is now by S.E. Hinton is a classic story on brotherhood. This story revolves around two close friends, whose worlds are changing. With the changing worlds, their lives are taking a different turn also. In the first half of the book, Hinton shows brotherhood, passion, love, affection, and friendship between these two characters—Mark and Bryon. I think the author is showing the first part of the book as the past of these characters that is going to change in the next half of the book. This is my predication, because of what is happening inside the lives of each protagonist. While Bryon is after his love (Cathy), Mark is repeatedly risking his life by reaching into what is forbidden. They started out as two people, whose day began with love, and ended similarly. Now, their life is getting complicated and nothing is left similar. It is really important for people to know what is occurring in the life of each other to maintain a good relationship. If that is absent, that is where the gap begins. When the cops take Mark for driving off with the principal’s car, Terry comes and notifies Bryon. Bryon had told Mark several times to quit attempting illegal things, but Mark never stopped. This scene shows the imbalanced opinions and thoughts of these two friends.

As this story goes on, an author uncovering the message she wants to give to its readers. The message is “things don’t stay the same, everything has to change with time.” From atmosphere, fashion, technology to people themselves. Take a real-life example of today. It used to be people merely sending letter for long-distance communication, but now it is phone, text, email, and more for easier and quicker communication. This is an example of a positive change. A negative change might be increasing air pollution from all the transportation vehicles: cars, airplanes, buses, and trains. This is a negative change. Coming to the book, Mark and Bryon realize the change in their lives, when Mark is resting after a fight. They both talk to each other about their past, which they spent together, and ask themselves why this is changing. Bryon concludes the conversation by saying ‘“The difference is,’ I said evenly, ‘that was then, and this is now”’ (Hinton 69). The message to readers is things change and so do people.

That was Then, This is Now Similarities

There are multiple similarities between That was Then, This is Now and The Outsiders. Both books are about coming of age in a harsh neighborhood and the complications of living harshly. One extreme similarity is that Ponyboy Curtis shows up in both books. Ponyboy plays a major role in The Outsiders, though the fact that he shows up in That was Then, This is Now too, shows how interlinked each book is to each other. The easiest explanation is simply that they were both written by the same author, and were about the same topic. It is very interesting, that as S.E Hinton decided to write a second book about harsh neighborhoods, she decided to re-use a character she previously wrote about 4 years previously in The Outsiders.

As the book moves forward, the similarities keep re-appearing. As Bryon and Mark were looking to help their family bring in some more money, they decided to go pool 'hustling.' They were quite good at pool, put wagers on their games, and made sure they only won by a small margin, so it would look like pure luck. This worked for them, until they were leaving and heard voices in the ally, calling them in. These were two of the men they had recently relieved of a large portion of their money. They said they had a gun, so Bryon and Mark choose to follow their direction. When Bryon and Mark saw the looks on their faces, they quickly understood that they were to be punched and kicked until unconsciousness, but along came Charlie (the poolroom/bar keeper) with a shot gun and took a shot at the men as the leapt away. The men fired back, hit and killed Charlie. As in The Outsiders, when Johnny killed Bob (a member of the Socs gang), the opposite happened. Instead of the protagonist's friend killing someone, his friend was killed, even before Bryon could thank him for letting him borrow his car.

Bob's death had a profound impact on Bryon, as did Charles death had on Ponyboy. After Charlie's death, Bryon felt like he was "moving in slow motion while other people were speeded up"(Hinton 86). Both were haunted by the death, for neither wanted either of them to happen. In both stories, this was a defining moment. People being beat up is one thing, but being killed is another. In That was Then, This is Now, though, the seriousness didn't stop with a killing. It progressed from smoking pot sometimes, to M&M going on a bad acid trip, and almost losing his brain. This brought everything down to earth for Bryon, and when he found Mark had been selling it, even if not to M&M, he was still extremely mad, and called the cops. This was the end of a life long relationship.

Hinton, S.E. "Biography." S.E. Hinton.com. Mar. 2007. Web. 04 Dec. 2011. <http://www.sehinton.com/bio.html>.

Response to: Pony Boy's Hardlife

It is true that Ponyboy is leading a hard life, just because he is a greaser. It is obvious that the Greasers rank low in respect from the other group of Socs because they come from an entirely different background. I really liked how you summarized a specific part of the book and told what that part showed about the relationship between the Greasers and Socs in general. At the beginning of the book, when Ponyboy got attacked by the Socs, it seemed that the two groups don’t even like the sight of one another. As the story continued on and Ponyboy, with Dally and Soda, meet a group of ladies who were Socs, that when we find out that they can get along with one another. Is the war between the men of Socs and Greasers? Cherry and Marcia talked nicely with Johnny and Ponyboy because they felt the not all Greasers are bad.

Also one section I was shocked after reading Cherry’s comment on Dally. Cherry was mean to the Dally in the theatre, but when she was taking to Ponyboy, she said she felt that she was going to fall in love with him. Why was her behavior so different before and after? Was she scared that the society may look at their relationship differently?

I had many other questions on the family side of Ponyboy. Does Ponyboy have parents? Ponyboy always talks about his brother in the book, but never mentions his parents. His brothers also have contrasting personalities. Soda is basically the mother of Ponyboy, he knows his brother well and his feeling. He is trying to appease him whenever Darry (older brother) has a tough conversation with him. I feel that Darry is more concerned about Ponyboy, than Sodapop. Fighting usually happens between those people who love each other. Darry loves Ponyboy and is concerned about him. Ponyboy is leading a hard life and his hard life is changing into a more responsible person.

Response to: Johnny and Ponyboy Relationship

I completely agree with what you are saying on Johnny and Ponyboy’s relationships. Johnny and Ponyboy seem to live the life of normal teenagers and are ignoring the violence occurring between the two parties: Socs and Gressors. Ponyboy enjoys studying, and reading, which are not the normal past times of a gang member. He even gets good grades in school, which other gang members don't even dream of, for they don't consider themselves capable of getting A's, and just plan don't care.

In addition, the large distinction between Johnny and Pony Boy from the rest of the gang is empathy. This is pretty much the same as you said, for I agree. A scene where empathy is shown is in the burning church. Johnny and Pony Boy see the pain of the parents, and how the children must feel, as they see the church imploding around them. They were doubly motivated to help because they were sure they had set it off with a cigarette butt. Though, others in the gang thought it was a stupid move, and not worth doing, though Johnny and Pony Boy knew better. Johnny took an even larger risk than Pony Boy, and exited the burning church second. Johnny new that he didn't have much to live for, for he had already murdered a person.

I beg to differ a little bit, on why Johnny acts the way he does. I actually think that Johnny is inherently "good" and that the gang has actually made him worse, than if he had grown up in a non-biased neighborhood. The conflict between his good-naturalness and living with the gang, made him want to kill himself, and as he said "I used to talk about killing myself all the time, man. But I don't wanna die now. It ain't long enough. Sixteen years ain't gonna be long enough."

For the family mechanics, though, I completely agree. Without Darry pushing Ponyboy and showing him his mistakes, he might never have been the person he is now. Sodapop, though, is there to pull Darry back in, and keep him from hurting Ponyboy's emotions too much, and as you said, bringing balance to the family.

I would also like to add to what you say about the "Stay Golden, Ponyboy" quote. I agree with you, for gold does not tarnish, nor rust. Gold is the quintessence of pure, due to its qualities, and Johnny sees how pure Ponyboy is, compared to the rest of the gang and wishes him to stay that way. Johnny knows what it is like to kill someone, and to live with the guilt of it on his back, until he died. This weight he doesn't want Ponyboy to ever have, nor loose his love of school, reading, and getting A's. I think that Johnny saw in Ponyboy, what he wished for in himself, and wanted to live vicariously though Ponyboy, as he wasted away and died.

Johnny and Ponyboy Relationship

S.E. Hilton shows a bold relationship between Ponyboy and Johnny, which gets brighter throughout the book. These two character are very similar to one another. Not only do they belong to the same group of Greasors, their thoughts and opinions about things around them are quite similar. While all the other people in their Greasor group: Dally, Two-Bit, Darry, Sodapop and more after girls and stealing, Johnny and Ponyboy tend to stay away from those things. One major characteristic that sets these two characters apart from their other teammates is the bit of innocence they still have left in them. One part they show their innocence and bravery is when they saved the schoolchildren in the burning church. Johnny and Ponyboy run to the burning house thinking the burning might have started with the cigarette butt they were smoking earlier. They got all the children out, but at the very last moment the roof caves in on Johnny, who tries to push Ponyboy out of the way earlier to save him. This scene shows Ponyboy and Johnny's individuality that is more than just the title of Greasors. Johnny's action of pushing Ponyboy away from the church before the roof caves in shows his love for Ponyboy. Even though Johnny has a bad family background, the Greasor group, where he spent most of his time in has brought the good in him. On the other hand, Ponyboy's "good" side comes from his brothers (Darry and Sodapop), who constantly push Ponyboy to do better. The two characters, Darry and Sodapop make complete parents for Johnny. In my opinion, it is really necessary for one parent to be more strict, while the other need to be a little softer. In this case, Darry is stricter and Sodapop is softer. Darry makes Ponyboy realize about his mistakes, while Sodapop comes afterwards to help make Ponyboy understand why Darry said those harsh words. This system of parenting make the relationship between the characters tighter.

In addition, another scene where the readers see the brotherhood of Johnny and Ponyboy is when Johnny is in the last stages of his life. Right before hiding under the cover of death, Johnny says, "Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay Gold" (Outsiders). Imagine yourself leaving permanently from a location to the other by yourself. Who would you think about or talk to? The only thing that would be going in my mind is the picture of my parents. Johnny is thinking about Ponyboy, a character that is nothing more than a member of the Greasor group. His phrase shows how Johnny wants Ponyboy to stay who he is--innocent, fun, and himself. Gold is a very expensive metal that never loses its color. Johnny thinks of Ponyboy as gold (precious). Johnny's attitude towards Ponyboy was inspirational through the story. This scene reminded me of a quote that I read or someone told me a very longtime ago. It went something like this, "You come to this world knowing two people: Mother and Father, you have to know the rest by yourself"(Outsiders). I am not sure how it went, but something like this.

Pony Boy's Hard Life

Pony Boy leads a hard life, with great difficulties. In this life, he is constantly avoiding being jumped and beaten down by the Socs. S.E. Hinton portrays perfectly, how at any time a Greaser is roaming the streets, or walking home from the movies, they are in danger of being attacked by the Socs within an inch of their lives. Although, there is much violence, Hinton does show that some love is left in this society. Whenever a Soc is jumping a Greaser, most times the ratio between the Socs and Greasers is five to one. Simply put, there is tough beating instead of a fair fight. Contrastingly, "When we [Greasers] do fight among ourselves, it's a fair fight between two"(29). This quote shows that they are not at all bad, and they show humility, to have a fair fight. This is why they don't like the Socs, for they don't fight fair. They fight with blades, andgang up on each other.

One day, Pony Boy got a windfall of luck with the ladies. When he goes to the movies with his friend Dally and his brother Soda and they sit down for the movie, Dally starts to hit on the two girls in front of him, even when they responded negatively. Dally asks to the girls if they wanted a coke, they respond, "'I wouldn't drink it if I was starving'" showing her distaste for Dally. This shows the rubbing tension between he Socs and the Greasers, for the girls were of the Socs gang. As Dally went away, outraged, one of the girls started to hit on Pony Boy. This was strange; after all Dally and Pony Boy come from the same group. Hinton shows that even in a society with fights, the power of love can overcome the two different sects (Socs and the Greesers). Meetings like this don't happen often, but when they do, the unity of human kind is revealed, and everyone just "gets along" for a little while.

Response to: Real World Conflicting Groups and Outsiders

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.

Response to: Real Life Analogies

I totally agree on your comment that not all gangs are bad, and there are some good sides to a gangs too. The most beneficial quality of a gang is that they stick up for a member of the gang, when they are in bad times. When families let their children down, a child can get in a gang for support. A character in The Outsider that has down the pathway of joining a gang is Johnny. Johnny has had a not-so-great family background, so he found himself in a gang. Johnny is a shy character, though he has strong opinions. To me it looks like his shyness is the reflection of the behavior of his parents. The strong opinions and confidence is what Johnny got from the Gang. Gangs are a positive support for people like Johnny.

The Outsiders also teaches the parent audience the importance of good up bringing, so their children don't get into gangs and face unnecessary danger. Children are developing, so wherever a parent turns a child may go in that direction. For example, if a child is surrounded by drunks or take drugs, they would most likely drink and take drugs too. If a child is raised in a community where there is love, and teachings, they would be more likely to be inspired. Parenting is very important to raise a child. Based on what you said, I want to ask that do you think about gangs, are they a good thing? Even for people without a support from families? Are expanding gangs a good sign of the future lying ahead of us? I think that Gangs are good to an extent. For people without a family or bad support from families, Gangs are good for them. But Gangs shouldn't be driven with killing, or hate. They should be there to stick up for one another. Gangs are beneficial to people without a support of families.

Teal you also mentioned about Bloods and Crypts. Who are these people? Are these a real gang? I have never heard about them or read about them. Maybe The Outsiders is inspired by groups like Bloods and Cypts.