We see this at the end of the book when Ponyboy breaks a bottle, fully prepared to fight the Socs, but then cleans up the pieces of glass so someone doesn't have flat tire. (p. 146). However, Freud can provide an explanation for the strange set of moral values, due to the lack of strong parenting in the boys' lives. Freud believed that a tool for complete moral development was love withdrawal, that is, the fear of losing love because of wrongdoing. However, most of these boys did not have this attention to begin with and therefore had nothing to lose. Power assertion and induction are also absent from boys' lives. Families A major theme in this novel that we also covered in class is family structure. Three of the four parenting styles described in the manual are also found in The Outsiders. The Socials' parents, although readers only read directly about Randy's father, are implied to be very forgiving. These parents bought their children cars, clothes, and everything they could want. They were involved in their children's lives and