The Outsiders

Title: The Outsiders
Author: S. E. Hinton
ISBN: 978078873738
Publisher: Recorded Books, LLC
Copyright Date: 1967, 1993
Genre: Realistic Fiction

About the Author:
S.E. Hinton, was and still is, one of the most popular and best known writers of young adult fiction. Her books have been taught in some schools, and banned from others. Her novels changed the way people look at young adult literature.
Susan Eloise Hinton was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has always enjoyed reading but wasn't satisfied with the literature that was being written for young adults, which influenced her to write novels like The Outsiders. That book, her first novel, was published in 1967 by Viking.
Goodreads. S.E. Hinton.  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/762707.S_E_Hinton.

Curriculum Ties:

• Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by Shakespeare).
• Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.

Plot Summary:
Ponyboy is a member of the Greasers, a gang of have nots that are on the edge of society. Their main rivals are the Soc’s, kids with the money and connections. The two gangs are constantly at war, and this begins the book when Ponyboy is beaten by the Soc’s and his older brothers rescue him. This war escalates when Johnny, a Greaser friend of Ponyboy, stabs a Soc named Bob in the park. He and Ponyboy go to hide out at an abandoned church, where they plan to stay until the whole thing blows over. However, when the church catches fire, with some children inside, they risk their lives to save them, and are caught by the police. Though they are recognized as heroes in the community, Johnny is put on trial for manslaughter. Johnny dies from injuries sustained from the fire, and Ponyboy has to struggle to from the loss and figure out how to move on from these experiences.

Critical Evaluation:
There are a number of prevalent themes throughout The Outsiders that serve as an impetus for the story line. The foremost of these is the difference between social classes. This is one of the first young adult novels to acknowledge these differences and they are repeatedly emphasized. Examples of this are the conditions of Ponyboy’s family, with his older brother caring for them and no parents, and the slurs of the Social’s in deriding the Greasers. There is also a theme of honor in the book. The Greaser’s code of honor is to protect one of their own, which is why they hide Johnny even when he is trouble from the police. This is also evident when Johnny and Ponyboy risk their lives to save some children, and then Johnny refers to that experience saying that he can die happy because of it. These themes help flesh out the story and give it a more satisfying conclusion to these events.

Readers Annotation:
Ponyboy is a Greaser, a member of  a group that are outsiders from society. When the group becomes embroiled in a war against the Socials, they must draw together as a group to survive what comes.

Book Talking Ideas:

• Discuss the differences between the Socials and the Greasers. What do the two groups have in common?
• Talk about the importance of family in the book and look for how this is shown in the text. 

Reading Level/Interest Age: 13-17

Challenge Issues:

• Portrayals of gang violence
• Underage smoking and drinking

Defense Collection:

• S.E. Hinton's 1967 classic, published when she was a freshman in college, is as appropriate and realistic today as it was then. Fourteen-year-old Ponyboy, his brothers, and his friends are poor outcasts--"greasers." They have little but always stick together. After they're victims of the town's "socs (socials)--kids with lots of money, tough cars, and chips on their shoulders--everyone comes to realize how deep and serious their divide is. Narrator Jim Fyfe presents Ponyboy and his group, along with the socs and their circle, with '60s' language appropriate to each socioeconomic group. No character is all good or all bad, and when the final violent confrontation erupts, listeners are sorrowful but not shocked. This moving story is excellent for all ages and perfect to illustrate both sides of bullying. S.G.B. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine
•  Banned Books Awareness: The Outsiders | Banned Books Awareness. http://world.edu/banned-books-awareness-outsiders/.
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• Freedom to Read Statement
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Purpose in Collection:

The Outsiders is a classic young adult novel that discusses real problems, such as loss of friends and financial difficulties. It is also a coming of age novel that is used for school reading, making it a good addition to the collection.