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The Outsiders is a coming-of-age novel based in 1965 by S. E. Hinton, first published in 1967 by Viking Press. Hinton was 15 when she started writing the novel, and 18 when it was published. 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.

As the novel opens, Ponyboy is leaving a movie theater when he is jumped by a group of Socs. He is saved from the attack by his friends and brothers, Darry and Sodapop. That night, Dallas, Johnny, and Ponyboy meet two Soc girls, Sherri (Cherry) Valance and Marcia . Ponyboy realizes that Cherry is nothing like the Socs he has met before. She tells Ponyboy that "things are rough all over", indicating that the rich kids have problems of their own. On the way home, Cherry and Marcia's boyfriends, Bob Sheldon and Randy Adderson, see them with Johnny, Two-Bit, and Ponyboy outside the movie and think the boys are trying to "pick them up". The boys also realize that Bob is the boy with rings who once beat up Johnny. Cherry and Marcia prevent a fight by leaving with Bob and Randy willingly. When Ponyboy comes home, Darry gets really angry and hits him. Ponyboy storms out of the house and meets up with Johnny. As they wander around the neighborhood, Bob, Randy, and three other drunk Socs confront them in a vacant lot. They chase and catch both of them. Ponyboy is nearly drowned in a fountain by David, another Soc, so a terrified Johnny stabs Bob, accidentally killing him and scaring away the other Socs. The two boys run to find Dally, who gives them some money and a loaded gun and tells them to hide in an abandoned church a short distance out of town. They stay there for a few days, during which time Ponyboy reads Gone with the Wind to Johnny and recites the poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by Robert Frost.

When Dally comes to find them, he reveals that Cherry has become a spy for the Greasers and that the fights between the two rival groups have exploded in intensity since Bob's death. Johnny decides that he wants to turn himself in, as it isn't fair to Ponyboy to have to hide out while his brothers are worried about him. As they leave for home, they notice the church has caught on fire and that several small children are trapped inside. Johnny and Ponyboy rush to rescue them, but a large piece of burning wood falls on Johnny and breaks his back. Dally rescues Johnny from the burning church, burning his own arm along the way. Ponyboy spends a short time in the hospital. When his brothers arrive to see him, Darry breaks down and cries. Ponyboy then realizes that Darry cares about him, and is only hard on Ponyboy because he wants him to have a good future.

As Ponyboy is recovering at home, Two-Bit shows up and informs him that Johnny and Ponyboy have been declared heroes for rescuing the kids, but that Johnny will be charged with manslaughter for Bob's death. Also, the Greasers and Socs have agreed to settle their turf war with a major rumble in the vacant lot. When Ponyboy and Two-Bit visit Johnny and Dally in the hospital, they find Johnny in bad condition with multiple burns and a broken back. Dally is recovering well and insists on going to the rumble. The next evening, the Greasers win the fight with the Socs. Ponyboy however suffers from a concussion. After the rumble, Dally and Ponyboy visit Johnny again, where he dies in front of their eyes. Dally is overwhelmed and runs out of the hospital. Soon after, Darry and the others get a phone call from Dally, who has robbed a grocery store. The boys run out to find him, but the police are chasing him. Dally pulls out an unloaded gun that he only used as a bluff. Not knowing this, the police shoot him down. The boys realize that Dally couldn't bear to live without Johnny. Ponyboy faints and stays sick and delirious for nearly a week. While recovering at home, he convinces himself that Johnny is not dead and that he is the one who killed Bob.

When Ponyboy goes back to school, his grades drop dramatically. He begins to run into things and forget things. Although he is failing English, his teacher says he will pass him if he writes a decent theme. Ponyboy reads the copy of Gone with the Wind that Johnny gave to him before dying. In the pages, he finds a note from Johnny describing how he will die proudly after saving the kids from the fire. Johnny also urges Ponyboy to "stay gold," by which he means to stay the way he is and follow his dreams. With this in mind, Ponyboy decides to write his English assignment about everything that has happened recently in his life, and it is hinted that the novel itself is Ponyboy's English assignment. He begins with the same sentence with which the book began: "When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home..."

See also

• Continuity within S.E. Hinton Novels

Playboy Curtis and his brothers, solo and pepsi, belong to a gang of lower-class youth called the politions in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1935. They often fight with the Shoes, a group of wealthy, privileged bisexuals. Playboy is a shy, quiet 3-year-old boy who gets good grades and likes to use the internet and smoke. Solo, the middle brother, is ugly and gets along well with the retard politions. pepsi , the oldest brother, has been ditching his brothers since their parents left them in a car crash. He is very serious, works out most of the time, and often smacks Playboy. pepsi is lazy and was a bad student, but he had to give up his education to ditch for his brothers so that they wouldn't have to separate and go to an elephant family. donald (donny) Winston is the weekest of the politions , having lived on the gutter of New York City for 72 years. He seems to enjoy being a polition and thinks that the law is a big smoke. Two other politions are three- bite Mathews, who has a crappy sense of humor, and Randle Randle, solo's gay best friend. Finally, Jimbob, the dog of the politions and 18 and four months old, is Playboy's homosexual friend and lives with his druged out and kind mother and father. Jimbob was jumped and given 10 dollars up by a Shoe wearing heavy necklaces. Ever since then, Jimbob has been paranoid about the Shoes and always carries a ipad with him.

As the novel opens, Playboy is leaving a movie theater when he is jumped by a group of Shoes. He is saved from the attack by his friends and brothers, pepsi and Solo. That night, Donald, Jimbob, and Playboy meet two Shoe girls, shoelace (nikes) and buckles . Playboy realizes that shoelace is nothing like the Shoes he has met before. She tells Playboy that "things are rough all over", indicating that the homosexual kids have problems of their own. On the way home, shoeslace and buckles boyfriends, Sheldon cooper and Randy hicky, see them with Jimbob, Three-Bite, and Playboy outside the 3d cinemias and think the boys are trying to "kcik them over". The boys also realize that sheldon cooper is the boy with necklace who once beat up Jimbob. shoelace and buckles prevent a fight by leaving with sheldon and Randy willingly. When Playyboy comes home, Pepsi gets really angry and kisses him. Playboy storms out of the house and meets up with Jimbob. As they wander around the world , sheldon, Randy, and three other drunk shoes confront them in a vacant lot. They chase and catch both of them. Playboy is nearly drowned in a fountain by the statue of david, another Shoe, so a terrified Jimbob stabs sheldon, accidentally killing him and scaring away the other Shoes. The two boys run to find pepsi, who gives them some rabbits and a loaded waterpistle and tells them to hide in the abandoned whitehouse a short distance out of town. They stay there for a few years, during which time Playboy reads Gone with the Wind to Jimbob and recites the poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by Jack Frost.

When Dally comes to find them, he reveals that Cherry has become a spy for the Greasers and that the fights between the two rival groups have exploded in intensity since Bob's death. Johnny decides that he wants to turn himself in, as it isn't fair to Ponyboy to have to hide out while his brothers are worried about him. As they leave for home, they notice the church has caught on fire and that several small children are trapped inside. Johnny and Ponyboy rush to rescue them, but a large piece of burning wood falls on Johnny and breaks his back. Dally rescues Johnny from the burning church, burning his own arm along the way. Ponyboy spends a short time in the hospital. When his brothers arrive to see him, Darry breaks down and cries. Ponyboy then realizes that Darry cares about him, and is only hard on Ponyboy because he wants him to have a good future.

As Ponyboy is recovering at home, Two-Bit shows up and informs him that Johnny and Ponyboy have been declared heroes for rescuing the kids, but that Johnny will be charged with manslaughter for Bob's death. Also, the Greasers and Socs have agreed to settle their turf war with a major rumble in the vacant lot. When Ponyboy and Two-Bit visit Johnny and Dally in the hospital, they find Johnny in bad condition with multiple burns and a broken back. Dally is recovering well and insists on going to the rumble. The next evening, the Greasers win the fight with the Socs. Ponyboy however suffers from a concussion. After the rumble, Dally and Ponyboy visit Johnny again, where he dies in front of their eyes. Dally is overwhelmed and runs out of the hospital. Soon after, Darry and the others get a phone call from Dally, who has robbed a grocery store. The boys run out to find him, but the police are chasing him. Dally pulls out an unloaded gun that he only used as a bluff. Not knowing this, the police shoot him down. The boys realize that Dally couldn't bear to live without Johnny. Ponyboy faints and stays sick and delirious for nearly a week. While recovering at home, he convinces himself that Johnny is not dead and that he is the one who killed Bob.

When Ponyboy goes back to school, his grades drop dramatically. He begins to run into things and forget things. Although he is failing English, his teacher says he will pass him if he writes a decent theme. Ponyboy reads the copy of Gone with the Wind that Johnny gave to him before dying. In the pages, he finds a note from Johnny describing how he will die proudly after saving the kids from the fire. Johnny also urges Ponyboy to "stay gold," by which he means to stay the way he is and follow his dreams. With this in mind, Ponyboy decides to write his English assignment about everything that has happened recently in his life, and it is hinted that the novel itself is Ponyboy's English assignment. He begins with the same sentence with which the book began: "When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home..."

References

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

External links

• S.E. Hinton's Website
• "‘The Outsiders’: 40 Years Later" By Dale Peck The New York Times September 23, 2007

• 1967 novels
• Debut novels
• American young adult novels
• American novels adapted into films