The Outsiders question

Compares to West Side Story??

Julie R Sep 25, 2014 04:38PM

Has anyone else thought of how "The Outsiders" compares to "West Side Story" and " Romeo and Juliet?" I know that there's not an exact character for character match but just the idea of 2 people from enemy groups falling in love. It's been many years since I've read the book but it's all pretty clear in my mind. Some of you "kids" may not even be familiar with "West Side Story" but this is just a thought!

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Papaphilly Sep 26, 2014 04:18PM 1 vote

West Side story is Romeo and Juliet retold. The Outsiders has aspects from Romeo and Juliet , but does not follow the story nearly as closely.

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Dramapuppy Sep 28, 2014 08:29AM 0 votes

We know it's Romeo and Juliet. Julie R said that. But the gang rivalry aspects is sort of similar to The Outsiders. I never really thought about that. Good point, Julie.

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Somerandom No I would not agree that Outsiders and West Side Story (or modern Romeo and Juliet) are not more similar than most. Though that might be down to inte No I would not agree that Outsiders and West Side Story (or modern Romeo and Juliet) are not more similar than most. Though that might be down to interpretation. Both have two rival gangs? Yeah, so? That's called having protagonists and antagonists in your story.

Although both contain elements of questioning your identity, coming of age and friendship, both are still different.
The rival gangs in WSS are just that... rival gangs. They fight for control and territory and pride. They are both somewhat seen as trouble by the outside community.
The rival gangs in the Outsiders fight because that's just what society expects of them. They represent class struggle and old prejudices.

The gangs in WSS represent blind hate and prejudice. Formed probably because of racism, although I might be remembering that wrong.
The gangs in The Outsiders represent the views, prejudices and expected future roles for them chosen by the adults around them. Mainly based on class warfare. Socs are the rich elite and Greasers are the poor kids.

The Socs or at least the act they put on for the community are what parents actively want their kids to be. They are the paragon of delightful youth. The standard by which all other youths are measured. They are, for all the parents know, perfect healthy citizens. They represent a parent's blissful ignorance and naivety when it comes to youth. And even neglect. Society expects them to grow up and become Senators or Lawyers and have expensive lives full of jet setting and spending it up.

Whereas Greasers are what every parent actively fears, though those fears are based on misconception and judging by a cover. They represent the antagonistic disconnect between parent and teenager. They represent danger and crime, dirt and even poverty. They represent a parent's confusion of teenage rebellion.
Society expects them to grow up in jail or end up dead in a fight. Ponyboy ends up being ultimately lucky in his courtroom proceedings largely due to sympathy. The adults feel a little uncomfortable at the events perhaps even a little guilty for somewhat turning a blind eye to it. And so he is kind of let off the hook. You could argue this happens also happens to show Ponyboy (and the audience) that his views of adults are just as skewed as his views towards the Socs at the beginning.

In WSS the anger is largely insipid and pointless. No one outside seems to fuel it, but they don't discourage it either. Whilst the hate in the Outsiders is rather blind, it is perpetuated, albeit unknowingly, by the society around them. The story also focuses more about finding your own path, identity and opinions, rather than have it dictated to you by society or even your friends/family. In WSS the moral is literally "blind hate for any reason is pretty asinine and can lead you down a path filled with needless destruction."
Granted that moral is also found in The Outsiders, but I digress.

(Sorry for the essay.) ...more
Nov 10, 2014 05:39AM · flag

Somerandom Oct 31, 2014 02:59AM 0 votes

The whole idea behind "forbidden love" wasn't original to even Shakespeare's play. It was probably a cliche back then as well.

Humans are by nature tribal. Tribal conflicts have and still erupt to this day. It's not implausible then to suggest that the concept of forbidden love or two people falling in love when they are from two separate worlds (tribes/families/gangs etc) originated from real life conflicts. A sort of art imitating life, if you will.

The cliche or trope of the forbidden love just so happens to relate to the conflict of the story and the themes it wishes to relate. The idea of social boundaries, the idea of judging a person based on their group or choices etc. And thus the potential romantic interest between two people who's gangs are at war is a good choice and probably inevitable one by the author.

All stories, whether based on real life or not, share certain elements to them. You follow a main character, character goes through hardships, character resolves conflict and their plight ends (whether happy or unhappy.)

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Sarah Nov 03, 2014 01:28PM 0 votes

I thought of this while I was reading it. But honestly, The Outsiders doesn't have too much of a forbidden love aspect.

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deleted user They sort of do. Maria and Tony aren't allowed to be together since they are apart of rival gangs. When Tony thought Maria was dead since Chino appare ...more
Feb 10, 2018 10:29AM · flag

AlisonF Nov 30, 2023 11:49PM 0 votes

I am re-reading The Outsiders and immediately thought of West Side Story. It's the Greasers vs the Socs aspect. Identical. But agree that it doesn't have the love story element.

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The Outsiders (other topics)
The Outsiders (other topics)