A lot of people have it tough even if you don't notice it, with many hardships. Those people learn how to deal with specific things with those hardships. This theme is greatly defined in the book “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hilton because it is about groups of people who all have many different types roadblocks. From each side, the Socs and greasers, both have it pretty rough in there own ways. From death, crime, and simply just being labeled and expected to do things because of how you dress.
Matter of fact, the theme is mostly revealed involving death. Overall three people die during the story, death was a serious barrier for everyone. Firstly Ponyboy Curtis, the main character, lives with his brothers because his parents …show more content…
Labeling people is part of the theme because it's how you look to people. Before the rumble Ponyboy says, “That's why people don't ever think to blame the Socs and are always ready to jump on us. We look hoodie and they look decent. It could be just the other way around -half of the hoods I know are pretty decent guys underneath all that grease, and from what I've heard, a lot of Socs are just cold-blooded mean -but people used to go by looks. (Pg 141).” In other words people give their first impression by how you look. If you dress like a greaser you're in the lower class. If you dress like a Socs you a higher rank. This is a adversity that is also happening right now. Even in school you're separated and you can tell who's in which group because just by walking through the blacktop you see all these gaps. Now this is a roadblock because you're expected to dress like whatever you're labeled as. This changes the way people think and they're opinion; it makes them act like who they aren't. Then there's those people who go past being labeled as whatever they might seem like and do what they do. Ponyboy doesn't like the idea of being labeled because he may look like a greaser but he's intelligent and doesn't like hurting