We're poorer than the Socs and the middle class. I reckon we're 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 don't 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 we're careful not to get caught when we can't. 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. I'm not saying that either Socs or greasers are better; that's just the way things are.

Question

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.”

Answer 1

The line that best supports the author’s message that some things in life are out of people’s control is:

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

This line suggests an acceptance of the circumstances and divisions between the groups, indicating that these realities can be beyond individual control.