Bibliographic Information: Hinton, S.E. (1997). The Outsiders. New York, N.Y. : Puffin Books. ISBN: 014038572X
Plot Summary: The Outsiders is set in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1965 and involves two rival gangs: the Greasers and the Socs. The central character of the book, Ponyboy Curtis, and his brothers, Sodapop and Darry, are Greasers. Their parents died in a car crash and Darry is doing his best to raise Ponyboy and Sodapop. Ponyboy is 14 and gets good grades and likes to read. Sodapop is very good looking but didn't do well in school. Darry, the oldest, is athletic and was a good student but he works two jobs so that his brothers wouldn't have to go to an orphanage. Darry gets impatient and yells a lot at Ponyboy. Other members of the Greasers are: Dallas Winston(rough), Two-Bit Mathews (funny), Steve Randle (Sodapop's best friend) and Johnny. Johnny is the pet of the Greasers who gets beaten up by his dad and was beaten up terribly by a Soc wearing heavy rings.
At the beginning of The Outsiders Ponyboy is jumped by a group of Socs when leaving the movie theater. He is saved by his brothers and friends. Dallas, Johnny and Ponyboy meet Cherry and Marcia, two Soc girls, at the movie. Cherry is very kind to Ponyboy and they both realize that each of them is not like the "group" they belong to. The Greasers are rough and lower income. The Socs are wealthy and privileged. After the movies Ponyboy gets home really late and Darry and Sodapop are waiting up for him. Darry ends up hitting Ponyboy and he runs away. Ponyboy goes to get Johnny and as they are wandering around their neighborhood they get jumped by a group of Socs. One Soc, David, almost drowns Ponyboy in a fountain so Johnny stabs another Soc, Bob, and accidentally kills him. The Socs are scared and run away. Ponyboy and Johnny are terrified and stay at an abandoned church. After several days, on the way home from the church, they notice it is on fire and there are small children inside. Ponyboy and Johnny rescue the children but Johnny breaks his back by a large piece of burning wood. Johnny dies toward the end of the novel.
Critical Evaluation: The Outsiders is a well loved book for young adults and rightfully so. Many middle school and high school age youth have expressed their love for this book even if they are not avid readers. It is well written, fast paced and it has a lot of "soul." As a coming-of-age novel many powerful emotions and events take place.
Annotation: Two rival gangs, the Greasers and the Socs, battle it out in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the 1960s.
About the Author: S.E. Hinton started writing The Outsiders when she was fifteen years old. It was based on experiences of a friend of hers. Hinton was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1948. She used her initials S.E., instead of Susan Eloise, because the publisher of The Outsiders thought it would sell better if people didn't know a female wrote it. Hinton didn't write for three years after The Outsiders. She had writer's block because The Outsiders was so popular she felt pressured. In 1970, due to the urging of her boyfriend, she finished That Was Then, This is Now and went on to write other young adult novels: Rumble Fish, Tex and Taming the Star Runner. The Outsiders and Rumble Fish were made into movies. Hinton remains a private person and resides in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with her husband.
Retrieved April 6, 2010 at: http://www.sehinton.com/
Genre: Fiction, Coming-of-age
Curriculum Ties: English Literature, Social Science
Talking Points: What happens when two rival gangs, the Greasers and the Socs, plan on a rumble? Will Johnny get arrested for murder? Will Ponyboy and SodaPop be sent to a foster home?
Reading Age and Interest Level: 12 and older
Challenge Issues: Violence
Reason for Inclusion: Many reluctant young adults identity with The Outsiders. It is a coming-of-age story that may be studied on many levels.
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