THE OUTSIDERS S.E. HINTON

1967REALISTIC FICTION

Marc MendezPeriod 2

Setting

The story takes place in the 1960s in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

They went to drive thru movies. They also talk about Paul Newman (An

old famous actor), Elvis, and The Beatles.

CharactersCharacter Physical

Characteristics

Adjectives of Personality

Text Evidence /Explanation of Adjectives

Ponyboy Curtis

1 Long hair 1 smart 1 He liked to read books

2 greenish-gray eyes

2 weak 2 He wasn’t like his brothers and was younger

3 light brown hair

3 mature (at the end)

3 He shows maturity when he starts to write the greasers story in his English class

Johnny Cade 1 Small 1 sensitive 1 Johnny tells Dally to stop harassing the soc girls

2 Large fearful eyes

2 quiet, nervous

2 Johnny didn’t speak up usually

3 black hair 3 brave 3 He saves kids in a fire

Conflict

Man vs Society The Greasers who are poor, have a major

problem with the Socs who are rich. Ponyboy can’t relate to his brothers nor

the Greasers. He feels he is different from all of them.

Summary of Plot

Ponyboy and The Greasers are in a gang but they have a constant rivalry with The Socs. Ponyboy can’t relate with his brothers and the greasers because he feels he is different. During their rivalry things start to get worse. After several traumatic events, Ponyboy is able to work things out with his brothers and copes by writing about it.

Theme

“ Things are rough all over.” Text Evidence 1: In chapter 2, Ponyboy and Cherry

have a discussion when they meet up at the drive in movie theater where Cherry tells him that Socs have problems just as the greasers do.

Text Evidence 2: Ponyboy and Johnny are living in a poor and unstable home. Johnny’s parents are alcoholic parents who don’t care about him, and Ponyboy’s parents died in a car crash.

Text Evidence 3: In chapter 7, Bob’s friend Randy tells Ponyboy that after Bob’s death he has grown sick of the violence between the gang and will not be at the rumble.

Point of View

The Outsiders is written in First Person. Ponyboy, a character in the story, is the

narrator. Throughout the story he reveals his thoughts and feelings.

Symbolism

Bob’s rings represent wealth and power. When he uses his rings as a weapon it is like he is using his money to have an advantage.

Cars are also a symbol of wealth and power since the Socs used them to sneak up on the greasers and to get away whereas the greasers had the disadvantage of getting around by foot for the most part.

Recommendation

I recommend this book because it is an interesting book. It has action and big conflicts that makes it a great book. It is worth your time reading it. This is the best book I've ever read, and I think you will enjoy it as well.