The Outsiders (novel)

The Outsiders
	File:Outsiders(book)cover.jpeg The Outsiders book cover
Author	S. E. Hinton
Country	US
Language	English
Genre	coming-of-age; class struggle
Publisher	Viking Penguin
Publication date	1967
Followed by	That Was Then, This is Now Rumble Fish

The Outsiders is a novel written by then 16-year-old Gerard Woody and first published in 1967 by Puffin Books. The novel is an essay of a traumatic time in the life of a recently orphaned fourteen-year-old boy named Ponyboy Michael Curtis. Hinton explores the themes of class conflict, brotherly love, friendship, and coming of age by following two rival gangs, the Greasers and the Socs, who are separated by socio-economic status.

The Outsiders is ranked 43rd on the American Library Association's top 100 banned books of 1990.[1] The book was challenged in South Milwaukee because of its portrayal of violence, language, drug and alcohol abuse, and the fact that "virtually all the characters were from broken homes."

Plot

Template:Spoiler The main characters in "The Outsiders" are Ponyboy Michael Curtis, Johnny Cade, Steve Randle, Dallas "Dally" Winston, Darrel "Darry" Shaynne Curtis, Jr., Keith "Two-Bit" Mathews, and Sodapop Patrick Curtis, a gang of Greasers in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The story is narrated by Ponyboy whose two older brothers are Darry and Sodapop. The three boys are orphaned after a car accident kills their parents and Darry is left to provide for them. He loves them, but it's hard for him and doesn't provide all of the things they need.

The Greasers, who tend to be less affluent, derive their nickname from the grease they use to slick back their hair. The Socs (pronounced sōsh, an abbreviation of Socials) tend to be more affluent. Although "The Outsiders" may seem to refer to the alienated Greasers, both groups are set back by economic, social, or creative limits.

In the beginning, Ponyboy, a Greaser, comes out of a movie house and is beat up by a group of Socs, but is saved by his brothers Darry, Sodapop and the gang.

At an open drive-in theater one night, Pony and his best buddy Johnny befriend two Soc girls, Sherri "Cherry" Valance and Marcia (Marsha). While walking them home, their drunk boyfriends Bob Sheldon and Randy Adderson catch up to them, in their Mustang. The girls decide to return home with their boyfriends to avoid a fight.

Afterwards, Ponyboy and Johnny fall asleep in a vacant lot which results in Ponyboy coming home later than planned. Darry becomes angry and hits him. Ponyboy runs out and finds Johnny at the vacant lot. They decide to run to the park to cool off.

While in a park, Bob and Randy plus their druken Soc friends drive by, and begin to harass Ponyboy and Johnny. The Socs proceed to chase after the two boys and a Soc named David attempts to drown Ponyboy in a nearby fountain. Johnny takes out his switchblade and stabs Bob, killing him. Randy and the other socs run away in fright. The two boys seek help from Dallas "Dally" Winston, who gives them a loaded gun, money, and directions to an abandoned church in Windrixville to hide out in. Also, Dally tells them that he'll be down there when he thinks it's safe. They take the 3:15 freight.

When they hide out in the church, they disguise their appearance, cutting off their long greasy hair. Ponyboy bleaches his with peroxide. During this time, the boys bond even more, and discover they both have a love for the beautiful things in life that are often not obvious (such as sunsets), while going through the daily struggles that are overwhelming while living on the wrong side of town. To pass the time, they smoke cigarettes, play poker, and Ponyboy reads Gone with the Wind aloud. Pony also shares the Robert Frost poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" with Johnny, while watching a sunrise, confessing he never quite understood it.

Dally comes to visit them a week later, and brings Ponyboy and Johnny to the Dairy Queen to get some food. While there, he tells them that Cherry is willing to testify that her boyfriend Bob went looking for a fight while drunk and Ponyboy and Johnny fought back in self-defense. After hearing this, Johnny tells Dallas that they want to go home and turn themselves in. Dally reacts angrily, feeling they went through all they had just to give up and they drive off. After a little while, Dally tells Johnny that he doesn't want to see Johnny get hardened in jail like he did. Ponyboy is somewhat shocked because Dallas never spoke of his past in that manner, but refrains from saying anything.

On the way back, they see that the church they had been staying in is on fire, most likely because of the cigarettes they had been smoking there. When they hear children trapped inside, Ponyboy and Johnny both run in to rescue the children. Ponyboy describes this as the first time Johnny did not have his usual scared, beaten-down look. That does not last for long, because a burning roof beam falls on Johnny just as he was going to get out. He is knocked to the ground, his back broken, and is severely burned. Johnny, being the gang's pet is saved by Dally.

They are taken back to the hospital in town, Dally with minor injuries ("he burned one arm pretty badly, though, trying to drag the other kid [Johnny] out the window") and Ponyboy with nothing wrong except for some bruises. However, Johnny is in critical condition, "his back had been broken when that piece of timber fell on him; he was in severe shock and suffering from third-degree burns." (Even if he lived, he'd be crippled his whole life.) Ponyboy reconciles with his family, finally realizing that Darry does care about him, and the gang prepares for a big "rumble" (fight) with the Socs, which was sparked by the stabbing.

The Climax of the story, the day of the rumble, Ponyboy is confronted by Randy, one of the other Socs who was trying to drown him that fateful night. He says that he doesn't want to fight in the rumble, that nothing good would come of it. He said that he was sick of the fighting, and he had to tell someone. After this, both Randy and Ponyboy have different ideas of each other, and Randy ends up not attending the rumble.

Two-Bit and Ponyboy go to see Johnny and Dallas in the hospital. At first, the nurses won't let them see Johnny but then the doctor says that he's been asking for them and "it can't hurt now" (showing Ponyboy that Johnny is dying). When they go in Johnny is happy to see them and manages a couple weak grins, he asks them to get him another copy of Gone with the Wind. Two-Bit runs to the drug-store to get it and then Johnny breaks down to Ponyboy that he doesn't want to die, he says 16 is too young, he hasn't seen or experienced all the things out there. Then, Johnny passes out cold and the nurse kicks them out. They go to see Dally, who is yelling at the nurse. When they talk to him, they find out that he was scared he accidentally killed Pony when he tried to put out the fire on his back. We also find out how upset he is about not being able to fight in the rumble and he borrows Two-Bit's prized switchblade. Right before they leave, Dally tells them: "We gotta win that fight tonight. We gotta get even with the Socs. For Johnny."

Dally breaks out of the hospital to fight in the rumble. He is determined to fight for Johnny; and the Greasers are victorious. After the rumble, Dally and Ponyboy speed down the road in the car that Dallas borrowed from Buck Merril, his employer. When they get to the hospital, the doctor stops them, saying that Johnny is dying, but Dallas flips out his switch-blade. The doctor replies that the switch-blade does not frighten him, but the boys could see Johnny because they were his family, or as close a family as Johnny had. When they enter the hospital room, Dallas tells Johnny how they had beat the Socs in the rumble, but Johnny says that "fighting ain't no good", so Dally proceeds to tell Johnny that he is proud of him. This is what Johnny has been waiting to hear, his hero saying that he is proud of him. Johnny leans over to Ponyboy and faintly tells him to "stay gold". Then, Johnny dies. Dally storms out of the room in pain and heartbreak; Johnny was the only thing that Dally had ever loved.

Ponyboy returns home to tell the rest of the gang that Johnny had died. The gang is shocked, despite the fact that they knew that Johnny had been in bad condition. A few minutes later, Dallas calls from a pay phone, saying that he had robbed a convenience store. The gang meets Dallas at the vacant lot, where Dallas is surrounded by police. Dallas then pulls out an unloaded gun and commits suicide by police.

Ponyboy wonders for a split second why he had pulled it out if it was unloaded, but then he understood that Dallas had wanted to be dead; he had lost the only thing in the whole world that mattered to him. After the police kill Dallas, Ponyboy passes out due to shock, exhaustion, sickness, and a concussion from being kicked in the head during the rumble.

Ponyboy wakes up a few days later, unsure of what had happened. As it dawns on him, he begins to slip into denial, telling himself that it was he that killed Bob, not Johnny. Ponyboy is made to stay in bed for a week, and he gets several visitors. One of them is Randy, and Ponyboy gets irritated at him when he tries to say that Johnny had killed the Soc.

A court trial is scheduled to decide if the Curtis brothers will be allowed to stay together or if Soda and Ponyboy will have to be sent to a boys' home. The judge determines that Darry is a fit guardian, and the boys are allowed to stay together.

Later on, Darry and Ponyboy start fighting again, this time over an English composition that Ponyboy has to write in order not to fail English. (After Ponyboy had been sick, his grades had slipped from his usual A's and B's because he was too distracted to concentrate.) Sodapop runs out of the house because he can't stand the brothers fighting, but Ponyboy (who's on his school track team) and Darry catch him in a park, their argument forgotten. As Sodapop tells them how he feels when they fight, Ponyboy and Darry vow not to fight again for their brother's sake.

While flipping through his copy of Gone With the Wind, he finds a letter Johnny wrote to him, explaining "staying gold" in the poem meant to never lose the appreciation for the things you find wondrous when you're young. He tells Ponyboy that's the way to be, and urges him to tell Dally. Ponyboy knows it is too late to tell Dally, and he thinks of all of the other kids in the world that could be going through the same thing. Thoughts roll through his head of Johnny, Dallas, Bob, and all the others, of kids that would die young, of kids that would stay hoodlums forever, and he felt he needed to do something about it. So he started his English composition, which begins with the first sentence of the book. Template:Endspoiler

The Socs

The Socs, (pronounced "Socks") spend a large amount of time jumping "Greasers". Ponyboy states that a Soc is "white trash with Mustangs and madras." The first appearance of a Soc in the book is when the Socs jump Ponyboy during his walk home from the movies. Template:Spoiler Main characters who are Socs include:

Sherri "Cherry" Valance: Bob's girlfriend who sympathizes with the Greasers and becomes Ponyboy's friend. She likes Ponyboy and Johnny because they did not try to "pick her up" like Dally did. She was scared of seeing Dally because she was falling in love with him. Cherry refuses to see Johnny in the hospital because he killed her boyfriend, though she really did want to.
Randy Adderson: Bob's friend and also somewhat sympathetic with the Greasers. Refused to fight in the "rumble" after Bob was killed. Came to visit the Curtis's house. Is impressed with Ponyboy's saving of the kids in the burning church.
Robert Sheldon: Known mostly as Bob and was the one who beat up Johnny before the book starts. Bob was the boyfriend of Cherry though he turned her off by always going off to drink. Though he was spoiled by his parents, he really just wanted them to say no to him, instead of accepting the blame as bad parents. He, along with his friends, corner Johnny and Pony and try to kill them for talking to Cherry and Marcia. Johnny stabs and kills Bob in self defense.

The Greasers

The Greasers set themselves apart with their long greased hair. Ponyboy, Johnny, Darry, Sodapop, Dally, Two-Bit, and Steve are all Greasers. They listen to Elvis, and they wear tight fitting white t-shirts, leather jackets, and jeans. They also commonly get into fights, or "rumbles". The Greasers only have two rules, "Stick together" and "Don't get caught." Bob (a Soc) says that greasers are "white trash with long hair."

Ponyboy Michael Curtis, 14: The youngest of the Curtis brothers and main protagonist of the novel, he is a day-dreamer, painter and somewhat of a bookworm (and a brilliant runner). He hates the stereotypes put on people such as "Greasers" and "Socs" and aches for something better. A heavy smoker, Ponyboy is also on his school's track team and is best friends with Johnny. Ponyboy is a deep analyzer, but sometimes overlooks the obvious. He hates fighting and is particularly attached to his hair. Ponyboy often wonders what it must be like in the country were there are no Greasers or Socs, just people. Unfortunately this is only his dream. He has a very deep relationship with his second-oldest brother, Sodapop, who is the only person he can tell secrets to besides Johnny. His parents recently died in a car crash.

Johnny Cade, 16: "If you can picture a little dark puppy that has been kicked too many times and is lost in a crowd of strangers, you'll have Johnny." Johnny is a small and timid boy. His shy and nervous nature stems from family abuse and a recent jumping from a Soc (Bob) who wore many large rings that gave him a scar on his face. Ever since Johnny was jumped he's never walked alone, and carries a six inch switchblade in his back pocket. He looks up to Dallas and is prone to instability and emotional oversensitivity. Although he never finished school, he was very good at analyzing things that other people did not understand. Johnny is the "gang's pet, everyone's kid brother." "If it hadn't have been for the gang, Johnny would never have know what love and affection are."

Dallas "Dally" Winston, 17: The tough guy of the group, Dallas is extremely dangerous. He spent his teenage years in jail, which hardened him seemingly beyond caring. Although he is not muscular, even Darry is afraid to fight him. Dallas is the opposite of Johnny; he is prone to react rashly and violently, even to his friends, and avoids any emotional feelings. "he had an elfish face, with high cheekbones and a pointed chin, small, sharp animal teeth, and ears like a lynx. His hair was almost white it was so blonde, and he didn't like haircuts, or hair oil either, so it fell over his forehead in wisps and kicked out the back in tufts and curled behind his ears and along the nape of his neck. His eyes were blue, blazing ice, cold with a hatred of the world."

Sodapop Patrick Curtis, 16: Ponyboy's older brother and the middleman of the Curtis brothers. He is extremely good looking (people occasionally stop on the street to watch him walk by) and is an undefeated fighter. However he lacks the running abilities his brothers have. Sodapop is as carefree as they come, preferring to play around rather than do any work. He isolates himself and smokes only when he's upset, usually being social and hyperactive. Although he is very optimistic, when he becomes aware of reality, it hits him hard which then sinks him into a phase of depression. Soda is always sticking up for Ponyboy and they have a close friendship, and he tells Ponyboy things no one else knows. Sodapop is the only one who can tease Darry. His girlfriend Sandy leaves him.

Darrel "Darry" Shaynne Curtis, Jr., 20: "Darry is six-feet-two, and broad-shouldered and muscular. He has dark-brown hair that kicks out in the front and a slight cowlick in the back." His eyes are pale blue-green. He is eldest of the Curtis brothers and is the patriarchal figure of the household. Darry occasionally comes off as cold and uncaring, since he was forced into adulthood after the death of his parents, having to take care of his brothers. Ponyboy believed that Darry did not love him, yet later realizes otherwise when Darry cried for him even when he did not cry at the death of his parents. Darry is extremely muscular, often referred to as "Superman" or "Muscles". He roofs houses for a living. He is Ponyboy's counter-character - he only understands plain fact and is both cold and unimaginative. He attaches an importance to Ponyboy's education, while not attaching any importance to Soda dropping out of high school. He is very bitter about the fact that he never went to college, even though he had been offered an athletic scholarship. Even though Darry is associated with the greasers, he keeps his hair cut short. Darry is noted by Ponyboy as being very Soc-like: "In spite of not having much money, the only reason Darry couldn't be a Soc was us. The gang. Me and Soda. Darry was too smart to be a greaser."

Keith "Two-Bit" Mathews, 18: Two-Bit is the joker of the gang, always smiling and cracking jokes. Like Soda, he lives for action and fun. He is 18 1/2 years old but still a junior in High School because he finds it entertaining. Known for his long sideburns and deep grey eyes, Two-Bit is quite the ladies' man, though not as good-looking as Sodapop. He loves to fight. He flirts with Marcia (even though he knows that she is the girlfriend of a Soc) and loves blondes. "He was famous for shoplifting and his black-handled switchblade."

Steve Randle, 17: He has thick greasy hair that he "combs back in complicated swirls", is tall, lean, and has been Sodapop's best friend since grade school (they both work at the same gas station). Steve is cocky and arrogant and smart and a skilled driver. He doesn't like Ponyboy. He and Soda work at a car shop together. Sodapop and Steve often bicker and get into wrestling/arm-wrestling matches to vent their excessive energy. Steve doesn't think before he speaks and sometimes says things that hurt his friends even if he doesn't mean it. On one occasion, he made Darry so mad by calling him "All Brawn No Brains," that Darry almost shattered Steve's jaw.

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Slang within the book

The slang in the book reflects both the times of the setting and its cast; much of it is 50s slang, while the remainder dates from mid-60s, when the book was created. The following is a partial list.

booze - Any form of alcohol; particularly beer. Likewise, boozed means drunk
breeze – An attractive girl
cooler – Jail
cancer stick – Cigarette
hacked off – To be angry.
heater – A gun
fly – A cute girl
fuzz – Police
jumped – To be attacked; the Greasers use this to describe attacks by the Socs.
lift – To steal.
lighting up – Lighting a cigarette.
lone it – Doing something alone.
rank – Something uncool and not fun.
rolled – To rob.
rumble – Gang fight.
scrap – To fight.
tuff – Something cool.
weed – Cigarette

Awards

New York Herald Tribune Best Teenage Books List, 1967
Chicago Tribune Book World Spring Book Festival Honor Book, 1967
Media and Methods Maxi Award, 1975
ALA Best Young Adult Books, 1975
Massachusetts Children’s Book Award, 1979

Film version

A film adaptation of the novel was made in 1983 by Francis Ford Coppola. In September 2005, Coppola re-released the film, including 22 minutes of additional footage, entitled The Outsiders: The Complete Novel, reinserting scenes that were left out of the previous version, making this new version much closer to the book.

S.E. Hinton, the author, played the nurse in the film.

Differences between the film and the novel

Template:Spoiler

In the movie, there is a much greater description of where the Socs and the Greasers hang out, as in the book there isn't.
In the novel, the two main sides of town are East and West; in the film, they are North and South. S.E. Hinton originally wrote it as North and South; it was changed to East and West because North/South was a real rivalry at the time. Coppola made the decision to go with the original in the film
Two-Bit's switchblade is changed to a balisong, or butterfly knife, in the film.
While talking to Cherry for the first time in the film, Ponyboy does not mention a few things he talks about in the novel; among them, Soda's favorite horse, Mickey Mouse, and watching sunsets.
It is mentioned in the novel that Steve Randle almost had his jaw shattered by Darry after remarking that the older boy was "all brawn and no brain." In the film, he says this without any consequences before the rumble. Also, while he breaks three ribs during the rumble in the novel, he escapes with only cuts and bruises in the film, along with a missing tooth.
Although Sodapop's girlfriend Sandy leaves him in the novel, she is not mentioned again in the film after Sodapop announces his plans to marry her.
Dallas is not approached by a little girl in Windrixville in the novel as he is in the film. The part of the little girl is played by the director's daughter, Sofia Coppola.
Ponyboy talks with Dally during the rumble in the novel; in the film, he does not.
The Brumly Boys do not fight in the rumble in the film, although they are present in the novel.
Ponyboy keeps Two-Bit from arguing with Johnny's mother in the novel because he doesn't like to see women get verbally abused "even if they deserved it"; however, in the film, he does not intercede when Two-Bit cusses out Johnny's mother.
Randy did not go see Ponyboy after the rumble in the film.