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

which line from this excerpt best supports the authors message that some things in life are out of peoples control?

\im not saying that either socs or greasers are better; thats 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.\

ot 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:

Analyze the author's message of lack of control

The prompt asks for the line that best supports the message that some things in life are out of people's control. We must evaluate the options to find which quote expresses acceptance of circumstances that cannot be changed or controlled by individuals.

Evaluate the options against the target theme

• Option 1: "I'm not saying that either Socs or greasers are better; that's just the way things are." This line directly addresses acceptance of an unchangeable social reality ("that's just the way things are"), which represents things being out of people's control.
• Option 2: "Darry would kill me if I got into trouble with the police." This expresses fear of a specific consequence, which is a reaction to rules rather than a statement about uncontrollable life circumstances.
• Option 3: "Greasers are almost like hoods..." This describes the behaviors and lifestyle of the group, which are actions they choose to take.
• Option 4: "Not like the Socs, who jump greasers..." This describes the actions and public perception of the rival group.

Select the best supporting evidence

The phrase "that's just the way things are" directly conveys the idea of accepting circumstances that are predetermined, systemic, or otherwise outside of individual control.

Answer:

• (A) "I'm not saying that either Socs or greasers are better; that's just the way things are." (Correct answer)
• (B) "Darry would kill me if I got into trouble with the police."
• (C) "Greasers are almost like hoods; we steal things and drive old souped-up cars and . . . have a gang fight once in a while."
• (D) "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."