Why Boys Become Vicious Analysis

“ ...while the Socs had so much spare time and money that they jumped us and each other for kicks, had beer blasts and river bottom parties because they didn’t know what else to do” (Hinton 43). This shows that Greasers have problems with wealth and why they are in groups such as gangs. This also shows that they do not have anything what the Socs have as they come from poor families with parents that neglect them or they passed away. Moreover, in the article “The Allure of Gangs,” “Feelings of being caught in a trap in a hopeless situation, in a poor neighborhood with no way out…,” (para 7). This shows that kids in poverty are and why they join gangs.

In the newspaper article Youth Gangs Leading Cause of Delinquencies written by Gene Sherman for the Los Angeles Times, Sherman hits many hard facts regarding the relationship between the youth of the time and the local gangs. Overtime the largely popular Zoot Suits became a badge of delinquency, with more and more of our youth donning these new relaxed and mobile suits they where just assumed to belong to a gang even if they had no official gang ties. “Motives for gang warfare are ridiculous in adult eyes but sometimes lead to planned an bloody fighting” With little to no provocation a war could break out on the street. Just for looking at someone the “wrong” way could end with a knife in your gut.

If we can teach them as young adults what is wrong and what is right it can prevent a great deal of violent

However, in cities where this is not the social scene, violence is active and occurring. Once violence is a part of someone’s daily life respect and family reputation become important (Matsuda, Melde, Taylor, Freng, & Esbensen, 2013). Gangs become a sense of security and a mindset of toughness and revenge become normal. In the social realm of gangs and violence, a community would create their own “Code” like Anderson talks about. They create their own rules, morals and expectations that are reinforced by gang group members (Matsuda et al. 2013).

In the world we live in today, people who have been sucked into the world of gangs and violence have become pariahs in society. The moving biography of Gregory Boyle, Tattoos on the Heart, captures the extent of gang violence though memoirs of numerous ex-gang and gang members. Boyle’s mission is to help these people with his endless compassion, fostering a sense of kinship, and helping them find self-love, ultimately forming a community unlike any other. The entire book revolves around compassion. When asked what compassion is, one of Father Greg’s students replied, “Compassion ...IS...

In the United States, every year there are around 2,000 gang-related homicides and in the realistic fiction novel, The Outsiders, by S.E Hinton, it explores the issues of gang violence, and teenagers in gangs. Around 40% of all members in gangs are teenagers, who are getting involved in some dangerous things very early in life. In the novel The Outsiders, the “Greasers” which is a gang of all teenagers, fight other gangs and commit serious crimes such as murder. We as a society need to pinpoint why teenagers join gangs and stop them beforehand. We also need to help people get out of gangs if they are already in one.

Finally, the underclass theory by Jeffrey Fagan and others has been widely used to explain the origins of gangs. In the urban area filled with poverty and deprivation, it is argued that gangs are a normal response to an abnormal setting such as exclusions from the labor markets (Bartollas & Miller,

Also ”gangs offer protection and governance in places where established institutions fail, and that it makes sense for prisoners to join them,” (Skarbek). This is the main reason people join gangs they are forced to in order to insure their safety. The reason the leaders of the gang allow people to join and keep the safe is explained here ”Gangs can trade far more effectively than lone inmates. Prisoners listen when they threaten violence; members can ease trade from the outside after their release. Consumers, in this case buyers of drugs, benefit too.

In “The Boys Are Not All Right” by Michael Ian Black, the author uses different powers of persuasion to convince the audience to succumb to his opinion that men today don’t know how to properly express their feelings because of cultural norms that expressing your feelings is associated with weakness and femininity. He starts the article by drawing on the fact that almost all mass shootings have been committed by men. He says that men tend to lash out in anger because they don’t know how to properly express their feelings. He attempts to persuade his reader to start a conversation on how to make it more acceptable in society for men to express their emotions in a way that doesn’t potentially hurt others.

They were drawn into the gang life because people in gangs offered not only protection but a family, and power they wanted. It gives kids a sense of belonging and control over their own life. It is necessary tool to survive that is why many kids join the gangs. Throughout this book he explained that there is no functional system of these kids that have nothing better to do with their time. This affects kid’s way to get to the American

William Golding once said “We have disharmony in our very natures. We cannot live together without injuring each other.” William Golding firmly belied that humans are totally depraved beings. This view is rather clearly portrayed in his book Lord of the Flies. William Golding’s beliefs about the total depravity on man were shaped by his experiences during World War II.

We learn from the things we experience, the things we see, and the people with whom we associate. We learn from our surroundings , experiences, acquaintances, friends, and family. Contends that we learn aggression like any other behaviour-by watching others and imitating their behaviour” (2014). This theory explains that people act and do illegal things because that is all they have been taught. Those in gangs who may use violence to resolve conflict and/or establish a respectable name for themselves have been surrounded with those who do the same thing.

But although humans do contain this goodness, it is usually not strong enough to overpower the evil. Forty years after writing “Lord of the Flies” the author explains this exact concept. He states, “We are born with evil in us and cruelty is part of this. Though there is also a capacity for selflessness and love: otherwise we are denying part of our human nature” (Golding, “Why”).

The Human Struggle: Good Versus Evil Good and evil is present everywhere. In many shapes and forms, good and evil manifest. It is always around us and always within us. Good is that which is morally right. Someone who is good does the right thing regardless of whether or not anyone will know.

In order to move up the ranks in their gangs, their crimes become more gruesome causing them to become traumatized. Initially, youth feel a sense of sympathy for the family of the victims, but it is short lived and after the guilt is passed they immerse themselves once in crime. Kelly, Anderson and Penden (2009) said that exposure to gang violence at an early stage makes the perpetrator feel sympathy for the victim, however, committing the act may lead to desensitization. Futhermore, violence increases the likelihood of aggression and violent behaviour in youth, which stimulates aggressive thoughts and behaviours. Youths which have aggressive thoughts influences their interpretation of situation, such that they inflict hostile behaviour on people.