This story is about a fourteen year old boy who is tough and confused, yet sensitive behind his bold front. Since his parents’ death, his loyalties have been to his brothers and his gang, the greasers. The greasers are a rough, swinging, long-haired gang of boys from the wrong side of the tracks. When his best friend, Johnny, kills a member of a rival gang, a nightmare of violence begins and swiftly envelops Ponyboy in a turbulent chain of events. Gangs have been a problem in society throughout history. However, they are becoming more influential in communities across the United States. They are starting to target teenagers at the middle school level as well as all types of communities, including suburbs and rural settings.