The title alone suggests a striking distinction between what is considered acceptable versus what is not. Just as blacks and other minority groups have been classified as “other,” on the basis of physical features and their cultural practices, so are the Greasers in comparison to the Socs on the basis of economics.
Another observation that can be connected to that of race can be found on page 43 of chapter 3, in the Speak edition when Ponyboy broke down. “It ain’t fair I cried passionately. I ain’t fair that we have all the rough breaks!” That is the outcry for almost everyone who has ever felt like an outsider because their race was different from that of the larger population.