Choose one of the essay topics below and write a well organized and well thought out essay.  Remember to use the essay form you’ve studied in class and be sure to use examples from the novel to support your ideas.

Topic # 1
"Sixteen years on the streets and you can learn a lot.  But all the wrong things, not the things you want to learn" (p. 122).  Discuss this quote from the novel and how it applies to each of the boy's lives.  What things did they learn?  What things might they have liked to learn?  Support your ideas with what you know about the characters through examples from the novel.

Topic # 2
Write an essay explaining how expectations played a role in the lives of the Socs and the Greasers.  How did external and internal expectations influence each group's actions in the novel?

Topic # 3
Write an essay explaining why you believe each of the 'main' Greasers could be considered a hero.  Include your own definition of hero in the essay, and be sure to explain how each boy, in his own way, meets your definition.  Remember to support your ideas with examples from the novel.

Topic # 4
Write an essay explaining how the Socs were more of a disgrace and menace to society than the Greasers.  Look at how society viewed and treated the two groups.  Examine the characteristics of each group, their actions, and the choices each made.  Be sure to support your ideas with examples from the novel.