Multiple Social Classes In The Outsider By S. E. Hinton

From ancient times to modern day, multiple social classes and culture have existed. They tell a group of people how to live, what to wear, how to talk, and how to breath. According to society one person cannot live in multiple social classes and exist in multiple cultures, though there are many to fit into. Back in the 1960’s, many levels of society were held in one nation: greasers, socs, nerds, jocks, hippies and more subgroups of each. S.E. Hinton failed to portray the culture and society of the swinging 60s in many ways, not including a few people groups and their practices in life being the generality of her many mistakes.

One large problem is that the author, Hinton, contradicts herself from two different pieces of texts. In one she states, “All we hear about are how teenagers are rebelling against authority, against

Hinton never mentioned, hippies, nerds, or jocks which is a part of the greaser class. A very important character in the book, Darry, was said to be a great football player. He was in fact the best on the team when he played, but his fashion says otherwise. “Letter Sweaters were worn by the Jocks, in place of the greaser’s jackets. Sweat suits, track suits and shorts were worn as well.” (Snider 7). Darry wore the same material as everyone else, the typical greaser jacket and chinos. Apart from that, Hinton never mentioned hippies, which was a very common group thriving in the 60s. They sparked movements in the U.S., but had no acknowledgment in the book. “They tended to be dropouts from society, forgoing regular jobs and careers.” (“Hippie” 4). Darry and Sodapop could have easily been working with a hippie or known a hippie. No events the hippies provoked were recognized either. The 1960s were a time of distinctive social classes that were grouped by money or way of thought, but the only two that Hinton revealed were the greasers and the