The Outsiders makes you think that there are two groups in society. One group is the people who have money, like the Socs. The other group, the Greasers, is poor, and is made fun of by the Socs. This still happens today. People make fun of people who do not have a lot.
Some people pick on people who are younger, weaker, dumber, uglier, etc.
I think the purpose of The Outsiders is to show how teenagers in the 1950 s got involved in gangs. Sometimes, people are born into them. Other times, they join them for protection. The Outsiders shows the view of a gang member who has family in a gang and joined for protection. It displays how teenagers acted in gangs during the 1950 s.