As explained in the above answer, Ponyboy, part of the Greaser gang, is jumped by a group of Socs, a rival gang, on his way home from the cinema, and saved by his brothers and other Greasers.
The incident is important in that it establishes important themes of the book very early on. It shows the never-ending rivalry and violence between two urban youth gangs who hail from different social classes and opposite ends of town, and who, moreover, sport different fashions. It is significant that the Socs who attack Ponyboy declare their intention of giving him a haircut, which is a derisive reference to a vital aspect of the Greasers' look: their long hair. In fact, long hair is perhaps the most important visual marker of a Greaser's identity. The Socs scorn this look and the Greasers' lower-class status, while priding themselves on being smarter, richer, and more sophisticated.
Gang loyalty as well as well as gang rivalry is also made manifest in this opening incident of the novel. Ponyboy is rescued by his brothers and other Greasers whom he also regards as family. The appearance of Ponyboy's brothers is also important in itself, as the sometimes volatile relationship between the three brothers is overall a major aspect of the story.
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