Eighth Grade English Name_________________
Mrs. Mathieson Date_________ Period ___
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Stereotyping
Stereotyping is an idea that many people have about a thing or a group that may often be
untrue or only partly true. Everyone is susceptible to stereotyping. People are stereotyped
regarding age, appearance, occupation, race, gender, socio-economic status, etc.
Examples: Men are strong and do all the work. Women are not as smart as men. Americans are
obese and lazy. Blondes are stupid. Teenagers are rebels. All British people have bad teeth.
Your Task: In a four-paragraph response, describe stereotyping and how it relates to the novel
so far. Explain some examples of stereotyping found in The Outsiders. Some examples are
provided below. Be sure to discuss stereotyping of both the greasers and the Socs. Explain
why you think stereotyping leads to conflicts among people and groups of people. Use an
experience you or someone close to you has had in your explanation.
Examples of Stereotyping in Chapters One and Two of The Outsiders.
1. Greasers are “poorer than the Socs and the middle class. I reckon we’re wilder, too.
Greasers are almost like hoods; we steal things and drive old souped-up cars and hold up
gas stations and have a gang fight once in a while (3).
2. We (greasers) wear our hair long and dress in blue jeans and T-shirts, or leave our shirttails
out and wear leather jackets and tennis shoes or boots” (3).
3. “Not like the Socs, who jump greasers and wreck houses and throw beer blasts for kicks,
and get editorials in the paper for being a public disgrace one day and an asset to society
the next” (3).
4. “I’m not saying that Socs or greasers are better. That’s just the way things are” (3).
5. “He (Dally) had quite a reputation. They have a file on him down at the police station. He
had been arrested, he got drunk, he rode in rodeos, lied, cheated, stole, rolled drunks,
jumped small kids—he did everything. I didn’t like him, but he was smart and you had to
respect him” (11).
6. “Boy, she (Cherry Valance) was good-looking. I’d seen her before; she was a cheerleader at
our school. I’d always thought she was stuck-up” (21).
7. “’Dropout’ made me think of some poor dumb-looking hoodlum wandering the streets
breaking out street lights—it didn’t fit my happy-go-lucky brother at all. It fitted Dally
perfectly, but you could hardly say it about Soda” (23).
8. “I’ll bet you think the Socs have it made. The rich kids, the West-side Socs. I’ll tell you
something, Ponyboy, and it may come as a surprise. We have troubles you’ve never even
heard of. You want to know something? She looked me straight in the eye. Things are rough
all over” (34-35).
9. “Even if they did have their own troubles, I couldn’t see what the Socs would have to sweat
about—good grades, good cars, good girls, madras, and Mustangs and Covairs—Man, I
thought, if I had worries like that I’d consider myself lucky” (36).
10. “All Socs aren’t like that,” she said. “You have to believe me, Ponyboy. Not all of us are like
that.” “That’s like saying all you greasers are like Dallas Winston. I’ll bet he’s jumped a few
people” (34).
Graphic Organizer
Directions: Use the following graphic organizer to help you organize your ideas about
stereotyping in The Outsiders. You don’t need to write complete sentences, just notes will be
enough.
Paragraph 1
What is stereotyping? What are some examples of general stereotypes you have heard?
Paragraph 2
What are some examples of stereotyping of the greasers in The Outsiders?
Paragraph 3
What are some examples of stereotyping of the Socs in The Outsiders?
Paragraph 4
Why do you think stereotyping leads to conflicts among people and groups of people? Use an
experience you or someone close to you has had in your explanation.
