Cherry Valence informs Ponyboy in Chapter 2 of The Outsiders that "things are tough all over." She tells him this soon after he finishes explaining why Johnny is "hurt and terrified." Because of this, some scholars believe that she is referring to general conditions in downtown Los Angeles. However, this interpretation is controversial because later on in the novel, when describing the area around her house, she uses the more specific phrase "from here to Eighty-second Street." Furthermore, although Los Angeles has experienced significant economic growth since the 1950s, there are still many poor people in the city. In fact, one study found that almost a third of all households in Los Angeles lived below the poverty line in 2004. Finally, it should be noted that Cherry's comment doesn't exactly match our initial description of the scene. According to Philip Giandomenico's essay "The City as Character in The Outsiders," Los Angeles is described as a "grimy, noisy place" where "people were packed into houses like sardines." Although Cherry lives near the edge of town, she is not surrounded by crowded streets and dirty buildings. Instead, she lives in a small suburban neighborhood full of trees and lawns. In conclusion, Cherry isn't referring to general conditions in Los Angeles when she says that things are tough everywhere.