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This article is about the novel. For other uses, see The Outsiders.

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The Outsiders is a coming-of-age novel by S. E. Hinton, first published in 1967 by Viking Press. Hinton was 15 when she began writing the novel, and 18 when it was published. It is based on one of her friend's experiences. The book follows two rival groups, the Greasers and the Socs (pronounced by the author as "so-shez", short for Socials), who are divided by their socioeconomic status.

A film adaptation was produced in 1983, and a short-lived television series appeared in 1990, picking up where the movie left off.

Plot summary

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Ponyboy Curtis and his brothers, Soda and Darry, belong to a gang of lower-class youth called the Greasers in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1965. They often fight with the Socs, a group of wealthy, privileged boys. Ponyboy is a shy, quiet 14 year old boy who gets good grades and likes to draw and read. Sodapop, the middle brother, is handsome and gets along well with the other Greasers. Darry, the oldest brother, has been caring for his brothers since their parents died in a car crash. He is very serious, works most of the time, and often yells at Ponyboy. Darry is athletic and was a good student, but he had to give up his education to care for his brothers so that they wouldn't have to separate and go to an orphanage. Dallas (Dally) Winston is the roughest of the Greasers, having lived on the streets of New York City for three years. He seems to enjoy being a criminal and thinks that the law is a big joke. Two other Greasers are Two-Bit Mathews, who has a prodigious sense of humor, and Steve Randle, Sodapop's best friend. Finally, Johnny, the pet of the Greasers and 16 years old, is Ponyboy's closest friend and lives with his alcoholic and abusive mother and father. Johnny was jumped and beat up by a Soc wearing heavy rings. Ever since then, Johnny has been paranoid about the Socs and always carries a switchblade.

1. Hinton, S. E. (2005) . "speaking with S. E. Hinton... p. 162". The Outsiders. Speak/Penguin Putnam. ISBN 0-14-038572-X.
2. Frequently Asked Questions at sehinton.com