Societal Expectations In The Outsiders
The Role Expectations Play In The Outsiders Do you ever feel like you’re being forced to do things because of the expectations society has placed on you to do them? For instance shaving your legs just because you are a female. Societal expectations and expectations placed on the characters in the novel “The Outsiders” by themselves greatly affected their actions and reactions, as well as the final outcome of the novel. One example of the role societal expectations play in the novel is that all the members of the Greaser gang have only each other for true friendship because society has made it so they cannot rely on anyone else because of how they appear to everyone else (rough and greasy) and are also looked down upon because of this. Another example is when Cherry tells Ponyboy not to take it personally if she doesn’t talk to him at school because they come from contrasting social groups. Lastly, Darry stays with his brothers instead of going to college because of the pressure on him by himself and society to be there for his family after his parents die. Ultimately, personal and societal expectations played a large role among the characters in
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Ponyboy... I mean... if I see you in the hall at school or someplace and don't say hi, well, it's not personal or anything, but…” (Cherry, page 40) reaffirms the fact that interactions between Greasers and Socs are uncommon and regarded as strange. Ponyboy and his friend Johnny are off put by Cherry at first but soon realize what is really going on in the situation socially: “It was because we're greasers,” Johnny said, and I knew he was talking about Cherry. “We could have hurt her reputation.” (Johnny, page
Ponyboy... I mean... if I see you in the hall at school or someplace and don't say hi, well, it's not personal or anything, but…” (Cherry, page 40) reaffirms the fact that interactions between Greasers and Socs are uncommon and regarded as strange. Ponyboy and his friend Johnny are off put by Cherry at first but soon realize what is really going on in the situation socially: “It was because we're greasers,” Johnny said, and I knew he was talking about Cherry. “We could have hurt her reputation.” (Johnny, page