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The Outsiders
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Read The Outsiders

The Outsiders (1967) (edit title/settings)

by S. E. Hinton (Author) (edit contributors)

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Description edit see section history

The Outsiders shows how difficult life can be for regular people. This book is about two social classes in one town that have an extreme rivalry. On the West Side live the Socs, a.k.a. the upper class people who are filthy rich and can do whatever, but still have to live up to their parents'... read more

Summary edit see section history

The book starts with Ponyboy walking home from the movie theaters. While he is walking home he gets attacked by the Socs a gang made with rich kids who live in the west side of town. He is saved by his gang members. The next day Ponyboy, Johnny and Dally go to the movie theaters and meet... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

The book starts with Ponyboy walking home from the movie theaters. While he is walking home he gets attacked by the Socs a gang made with rich kids who live in the west side of town. He is saved by his gang members. The next day Ponyboy, Johnny and Dally go to the movie theaters and meet Cherry and Marcia. Later on Cherry asks Ponyboy to come with her to get some popcorn. While waiting Ponyboy tells Cherry about how Johnny looked when he was beaten by the Socs. After the movie Ponyboy, Johnny and Two-Bit walk the girls home when a blue mustang comes. Cherry and Marcia go with the Socs to prevent a fight. Johnny and Ponyboy fall asleep in the park and Johnny wakes Ponyboy at 2 O'Clock in the morning. Ponyboy goes home and gets yelled at and slapped by his older brother Darry. Ponyboy runs away from Johnny but they decided to turn back. As they wander around Bob, Randy and three other Socs attack them and try to drown Ponyboy. Johnny kills Bob and the Socs run away. After the killing they decide to go to Dally, who gives them money and a gun and tell them to catch a train to an abandoned church.

Ponyboy and Johnny go on a train to the abandoned church on top of Jay Mountain in Windrixville. On the first day Johnny goes to get a week supply of food, the book Gone With The Wind and peroxide. Ponyboy's hair gets dyed blonde and Johnny's hair is cut. Ponyboy reads the book since their is nothing to do. One day they wake up early to see the sun rising and Ponyboy recites the poem Nothing Can Stay Gold. Dally comes and tells them their is a fight going between the Socs and Greasers. Johnny decides to turn himself in. When they come back to the church they see that it's on fire. They save the kids from the burning church and are taken to the hospital. Ponyboy reunites with his brothers and is taken home.

The next day Two-Bit tells Ponyboy that he and Johnny are declared heroes but Johnny will be charged with manslaughter. Ponyboy and Two-Bit see Johnny in the hospital. After Ponyboy and Two-Bit see a blue mustang and Ponyboy and Randy talk. The rumble happens in the vacant lot and the Greasers win. Dally tells Ponyboy to come with him to the hospital to see Johnny. They go the hospital and Johnny tells Ponyboy to stay gold. After this Johnny dies. Dally is upset about this and robs a grocery store. He calls his gang members and they come to see Dally. Dally pulls out an empty gun and is shot by the police. Ponyboy faints and gets sick for a few days. After he recovers they go to the court and Ponyboy can stay with his older brother. Ponyboy is failing english so his teacher tells to write a theme and he'll pass him with a C. At home Ponyboy finds a note from Johnny in the book Gone With The Wind. After this Ponyboy writes his theme about the recent things that happened.

Characters/People edit see section history

  • Johnny Cade (Johnnycake or Johnnyboy): Greaser. Johnny lives on the east side of town. He's a quiet young boy until he does something wrong, very wrong in self defense. He is the pet of the gang. Even Dally loves him.
  • Darrel Shayne (Darry) Curtis: The oldest Curtis brother. He is 20 years old and he takes care of his two younger brothers. He has a good build, dark brown hair and blue-green eyes. He is hard on Ponyboy but cares about him.
  • Sodapop (Soda) Curtis: Ponyboy’s happy-go-lucky, handsome brother. Good with mechanics works at a gas station. dropped out of school. Is, during the novel, sixteen-going-on-seventeen years old. Also, he is very charismatic and is thinking of getting married with his current girlfriend, who left him.
  • Two-Bit (Keith) Matthews: The joker of Ponyboy’s group. Always has to have the last say. The funny one. Real name is Keith but mostly everyone knows him as Two-Bit, even his teachers.
  • Steve Randle: Sodapop’s best friend since grade school. Steve is a seventeen-year-old greaser who works with Sodapop at the gas station. He once held off four opponents in a fight with a broken soda bottle. He only sees Ponyboy as Soda's annoying kid brother, well hes wrong.
  • Dallas (Dally) Winston: The toughest hood in Ponyboy’s group of greasers. Dallas is known as “Dally”. He is the oldest of the gang. But he also has a soft side for Johnny Cade, like a little brother. Helps Ponyboy and Johnny when they need it the most.
  • Sherri (Cherry) Valance: Bob’s girlfriend, she is a Soc cheerleader whom Ponyboy meets at the movies. Ponyboy and Cherry have a great deal in common, and Ponyboy feels comfortable talking to her, about personal stuff. She hates fighting.
  • Marcia: She's Cherry's friend and Randy's boyfriend.
  • Randy Adderson: Marcia’s boyfriend and Bob’s best friend. Randy is a handsome Soc who eventually sees the futility of fighting. He knows this, but doesn't know what to do about it, and has a talk with Ponyboy about it.
  • Robert (Bob) Sheldon: Cherry's boyfriend. He gets drunk, and jumps greasers. He's a real jerk. Heʻs real good friends with Randy.
  • Tim Shepard: The leader of another band of greasers and a friend of Dally.
  • Sandy: Soda's girlfriend, a greaser girl. Soda wants to marry her.
  • Curly Shepard: Tim's brother, usually fights with Ponyboy but is in jail.
  • Johnny Cade: Greaser, 16 years years old, dark tanned skin, jet black hair, big black eyes, parents abuse, and ignore him, pet of the gang, resembles a lost puppy. The only one who Dallas Winston doesn't get mad at.
  • Mickey Mouse: Sodapop's horse.
  • Steve Randle: Greaser. Sodapop's friend since grade school.
  • Jerry Wood: Jerry is a school teacher who meets Johnny and Ponyboy. He thinks Johnny and Ponyboy are heros
  • Ponyboy Curtis: Greaser, youngest member of the gang, 14 years old, youngest brother of Sodapop and Darry, different than other Greasers because he likes movies, books, and writing, school smart; not street smart, light-brown hair that is almost red, brown eyes, parents died in car accident, innocent, smart, and thoughtful
  • Paul Newman: Actor whose movie Ponyboy watches.
  • Hank Williams: He's a country music singer at the time whose music is played at a party at Buck Merril's house.
  • Robert Frost: Poet whose poem is quoted.
Show all 21 characters
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Quotes edit see section history

  • “Stay Gold, Ponyboy, stay gold.”
    Amanda
  • “You take up for your buddies, no matter what they do. When you're a gang, you stick up for the members. If you don't stick up for them, stick together, make like brothers, it isn't a gang any more. It's a pack.”
    Ponyboy (Pony) Curtis
  • “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.”
    Ponyboy (Pony) Curtis
  • “I don't care about Darry. But I was still lying and I knew it. I lie to myself all the time. But I never believe me.”
    Ponyboy (Pony) Curtis
  • “Let me tell you something, Ponyboy, it might come as a surprise but things are rough all over.”
    Cherry Valance
  • “Nature's first green is gold,/Her hardest hue to hold./Her early leaf's a flower;/But only so an hour./Then leaf subsides to leaf./So Eden sank to grief,/So dawn goes down to day./Nothing gold can stay.”
    Ponyboy (Pony) Curtis
  • “Dally? Shoot, he ain't got no more manners than I do.”
    Ponyboy (Pony) Curtis
  • “Johnny was last and least. If you can picture a little dark puppy that has been kicked too many times and lost in a crowd of strangers, you'll have Johnny.”
    Ponyboy (Pony) Curtis
  • “Tough, loud girls who wore too much eye makeup and giggled and swore.”
    Ponyboy (Pony) Curtis
  • “You know what a Soc is? White trash with mustangs and Madras.”
    Ponyboy (Pony) Curtis
  • “Man that was a tuff car. Mustangs are tuff.”
    Johnny
  • “"Nothing gold can stay"”
    -Ponyboy Curtis
  • “''Oh, Ponyboy, your hair... your tuff, tuff hair,"-Sodapop Curtis”
Show all 13 quotes from this book

Setting & Locations edit see section history

1960's, Windrixville, Tulsa Oklahoma

Organizations edit see section history

  • Socials (Soc's): The more well-to-do group, partial to madras. They seem to have all the advantages of life: money, cars, nice girls.
  • Greasers: Kids from the "other" side of town who tend to have a hardscrabble life.
  • The "fuzz": Another name, more of a slang for the police.

First Sentence edit see section history

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.

Table of Contents edit see section history

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12

Glossary edit see section history

  • Greasers: The kids who don't have as much money; they also have no parents or parents who aren't actively involved in their lives. They are the ones who are more tough and ready to fight, but they also care about each other.
  • Socials (Socs): The higher-class (rich, fancy, etc.) seemingly the 'good guys,' but their lack of consideration, discipline, and otherwise basic humanity sets them apart from the Greasers. Tend to have madras, corvettes etc.
  • Heater: It's another word for a gun
  • cancer stick, weed: another word for a cigarette.
  • tuff: cool, hotshot
  • fuzz: the police
  • getting high, half crocked, soused: getting drunk
  • rumble or bop action: a fight

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

  • Gold: Gold-this is where Johnny tells Ponyboy to stay gold
  • The sunset: This represents that everyone isn't different.
  • Friendship: this represents that you can trust each other.
  • Money: This represents that there are two gangs; one which is rich and the other that is middle class.
  • Hair: Innocence

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 68 of 194 in Shelfari Most Popular (December 2010). (authoritative list)
This is book 63 of 195 in Shelfari Most Popular (December 2011). (authoritative list)
This is book 834 of 986 in 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up. (authoritative list)
This is book 84 of 195 in Shelfari Most Popular (June 2010). (authoritative list)
This is book 66 of 195 in Shelfari Most Popular (June 2011). (authoritative list)
This book is in The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge. (community list)
This is book 38 of 100 in ALA's Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 1990-1999. (authoritative list)
This book is in Penguin Classics. (publisher edition list)
This book is in Penguin Modern Classics. (publisher edition list)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. S. E. Hinton (Author) - S.E. Hinton began writing "The Outsiders" when she was fifteen years old, and finished when she was sixteen. She got her contract as a graduation present at seventeen. Her inspiration came when, living in Tulsa, Oklahoma her friend was jumped after coming home from a movie.

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Dell Publishing
Country: United States
Publication Date: April 24, 1967
ISBN: 0-670-53257-6
Page Count: 180

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: PZ7.H5976 Ou 1967
  • Dewey: 813.54

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Reading Level: Young Adults

Several parts of the book where it's "violent". There are parts that they smoke. This book is for middle school and up. For kids abou thte age of 13 or 14 and up would be most suitable.

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
  • That Was Then, This Is Now
  • The Catcher in the Rye
  • The Juvie Three

Books with Additional Background Information edit see section history

   
  • That Was Then, This Is Now
  • Rumble Fish
  • Tex

Books That Cite This Book edit see section history

   
  • Connecting Young Adults And Libraries
  • The Language Police

Books Cited by This Book edit see section history

   
  • Gone With the Wind
  • The Call of the Wild / White Fang / To Build a Fire
  • Selected Early Poems
  • The Poetry of Robert Frost
  • The Road Not Taken and Other Poems
  • Collected Poems, Prose, and Plays
  • North of Boston: Poems
  • Robert Frost's Poems
  • The Carpetbaggers

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