During the book The Outsiders, why is there a rivalry between the greasers and the Socs? I know the Socs have more money and free time than the...

The conflict between the greasers and the Socs stems from class tension. While the Socs are the “West-side rich kids” who “get editorials in the paper for being a public disgrace one day and an asset to society the next,” the greasers, the boys from the East Side, are generally seen as wild, reckless, and irredeemable due to their poverty-stricken backgrounds. The greasers dislike how adult society pardons the Socs for their innumerable transgressions, as...

The conflict between the greasers and the Socs stems from class tension. While the Socs are the “West-side rich kids” who “get editorials in the paper for being a public disgrace one day and an asset to society the next,” the greasers, the boys from the East Side, are generally seen as wild, reckless, and irredeemable due to their poverty-stricken backgrounds. The greasers dislike how adult society pardons the Socs for their innumerable transgressions, as well as how the Socs flaunt their wealth in the greasers’ faces. The greasers’ anger towards the Socs is certainly justified, given that the Socs aren’t simply happy with enjoying their good fortune, but instead go out of their way to “jump greasers” for kicks.

The Socs really have no clear justification for their prejudicial attitude towards the greasers. While it’s true that the greasers have a different culture than that of the  Socs, the minor differences between them aren’t enough to justifiably cause enmity. For example, the greasers wear leather jackets and slick back their hair, while the Socs wear Madras plaid and keep their hair trim and neat. The greasers listen to Elvis Presley, while the Socs prefer the Beatles. Just because of these minor cultural differences, Soc characters like Bob don’t think twice about harassing and harming greasers. They have a truly prejudicial mindset that the author of The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton, clearly disdains.

Now, Socs wouldn’t describe the conflict this way. They’re under the delusion that the conflict stems from other sources. As Cherry, a Soc character, explains, “It's not just money. Part of it is, but not all. You greasers have a different set of values. You're more emotional.” Though Ponyboy reluctantly agrees with her argument, I’d urge you to question the underlying prejudice that motivates Cherry to view the conflict this way. Given that Cherry doesn’t have to think about money since her family is already wealthy, she’s less likely to fully understand the impact of money and class on the Socs’ attitudes toward the Greasers. She pinpoints emotion as a primary cause because money is irrelevant to her. It certainly isn't to the greasers, whose families are struggling for financial security. 

Apart from money, another reason for the conflict may be our human tendency towards vengeance. For example, the Socs jump a greaser, and the greasers’ friends feel obligated to seek revenge by hurting a Soc. This, in turn, provokes another Soc attack on the greasers due to the same obligation for revenge. As you can see, this quickly turns into a cycle of violence.