Question

read this excerpt from the outsiders by s. e. hinton. were poorer than the socs and the middle class. i reckon were wilder, too. not like the socs, who jump greasers and wreck houses for kicks, and get editorials in the paper for being a public disgrace one day and an asset to society the next. greasers are almost like hoods; we steal things and drive old souped-up cars and have a gang fight once in a while. i dont mean i do things like that. darry would kill me if i got into trouble with the police. since mom and dad were killed in an auto wreck, the three of us get to stay together only as long as we behave. so soda and i stay out of trouble as much as we can, and were careful not to get caught when we cant. i only mean that most greasers do things like that, just like we wear our hair long and dress in blue jeans and t - shirts, or leave our shirttails out and wear leather jackets and tennis shoes or boots. im not saying that either socs or which line from this excerpt best supports the author’s message that some things in life are out of people’s control? ⓒ “i’m not saying that either socs or greasers are better; that’s just the way things are.” ⓒ “darry would kill me if i got into trouble with the police.” ⓒ “greasers are almost like hoods; we steal things and drive old souped - up cars and have a gang fight once in a while.” ⓒ “not like the socs, who jump greasers and wreck houses for kicks, and get editorials in the paper for being a public disgrace one day and an asset to society the next.”

Explanation:

To determine which line supports the message that some things in life are out of people's control, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: "I'm not saying that either Socs or greasers are better; that's just the way things are." This implies that the social divisions (Socs vs. greasers) and their respective statuses are inherent and beyond individual control, matching the message.
• Option 2: This line is about avoiding trouble to please Darry, not about things being out of control.
• Option 3: This describes greasers' behaviors, not about lack of control over life circumstances.
• Option 4: This contrasts Socs' actions with greasers', not about things being out of control.

Answer:

A. "I'm not saying that either Socs or greasers are better; that's just the way things are."