Or the society and class part of the novel, where two completely different types of lifestyles between the socials and the greasers have such grand differences. The beginning of the novel strongly introduces this theme as a group of socs, the west side rich kids, jump and. Bridging the gap between rich and poor the outsiders tells the story of two groups of teenagers whose bitter rivalry stems from socioeconomic differences. The outsiders themes and symbols a research guide for. Hinton, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Theme of loyalty in the outsiders 977 words bartleby. The outsiders plot summary ponyboy curtis and his brothers, sodapop and darry, belong to a group of poor teenage boys called greasers. Sep 22, 2015 an important theme in the book the outsiders by s. Introduction in this book analysis, about the book the outsiders by s. In this part of the analysis i will give some information about the subjects of the book, and about the author.
The outsiders, from the beginning to the end, is centered on the gang rivalry between the underprivileged greasers from the east side of town and the rich socs from the west side. One of the most dominant themes in the outsiders is that of class conflict. Gang violence, child abuse, stabbings, shootingsthese drive the action. We begin by thinking that bob and ponyboy are completely opposed, as bobs soc affiliation gives him an insider status while ponyboy is one of the outsiders of hintons. As i read the book, i was able to recognize the reason behind the greasers behavior. Analysis of the american reality, possibility, and dream found in nickel and dimed and the outsiders stay gold, ponyboy. Although in the beginning of the book the socs and greasers hate each other, they begin to realise they are not that different and have several similarities. Hinton include the divide between the rich and the poor, empathy, the protecting of childhood innocence, honor and individual identity. In the outsiders you learn a lot from the themes and lessons hinton provides. Hinton was 15 when she started writing the novel but did most of the work when she was 16 and a junior in high school.
Fourteenyearold narrator ponyboys gang, the greasers, come from the economically struggling poor east side, while the rival gang, the socials, come from the. Hinton, including an analysis of the novels literary style, symbols, and significance. The outsiders themes and symbols a research guide for students. This is a quick book summary and analysis of the outsiders by s. This story has a lot of issues that are going to be talked about in this paper such as the realism, the conflicts, the characters. Susan eloise hinton was born july 22, 1950 in tulsa, oklahoma.
Susan eloise hinton, better known by her pen name s. Hinton, follows two rival groups the socs and the greasers. These traits show that ponyboy, unlike the other boys, still has. The outsiders themes from litcharts the creators of. The outsiders shows the importance of preserving the hope, openmindedness, and appreciation of beauty that are characteristic of childhood. Hinton tells the story of 14yearold ponyboy curtis and his struggle with right and wrong in a society in which he is an outsider. Over the course of the novel, ponyboy begins to see the pattern of shared experience. The outsiders is a book about and narrated by a fourteen year old, greaser named ponyboy curtis, who lives with his two brothers sodapop and darry after their. Much of the action in the outsiders is driven by social class conflict. Hintons the outsiders explained with chapter summaries in just a few minutes.
Hinton, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes. Ponyboy is pretty smart and has a lot of opportunity in front of him, but he comes from the wrong side of town and hangs out with a bunch of similarly weirdlynamed friends who drop out, smoke cigarettes, and get busted for robbing stores and. Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. The greasers and socs are divided by their wealth, social class and opportunities to succeed. In the gang conflict, the novel shows how the two groups focus on their differencesthey dress. The socs and the greasers represent the opposing sides of the conflict between rich and poor.
These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of the outsiders written by s. Ponyboy realizes that the reason the socs never get blamed for causing trouble is because we look hoody and they look decent. The socs are from the rich side and the greasers are from the poor side of this small town in oklahoma. Ponyboy stands in the middle of two major conflicts. Hintons the outsiders offer summary and analysis on themes, symbols, and other literary devices found in the text. Both groups despise each other because they do not understand each other. Rich and poor honor and lawlessness loyalty love appearances choices and violence. Hinton, was born in oklahoma in 1948 and educated at the university of tulsa. Get an answer for what is the major theme in the outsiders.
It amazed me that this book was written by a teenager, since the story was very good. The book details the conflict between two rival gangs divided by their socioeconomic status. Throughout the novel, tempers between the two gangs flare, and ponyboy struggles with his brother, who becomes increasingly tough on him. Hintons gritty comingofage story follows the greasers narrator ponyboy curtis, his. Hinton, is a story of violence, class conflict, and death. Disturbed by the clashes of the two gangs in her high school, the greasers and the socs, hinton wrote the outsiders, an honest, sometimes shocking novel told from the point of view of a fourteenyearold greaser named ponyboy curtis. I think its interesting to see that there are some recurring themes in s. Greaser conflict was inspired by similar rivalries in her own high school source. Adolescents have a tendency to embrace people and events as absolutes. Jan 18, 2018 hinton developed the characters by giving them simple background stories and understandable personalities.
Literary criticism in the outsiders 960 words bartleby. Hintons the the outsiders, an enthralling tale by s. Set in oklahoma in the 1950s, the outsiders provides a look into the life of selfproclaimed greasers who live on the poor side of town. The greasers think the socs are stuck up rich kids, and the socs think greasers are poor kids who arent clean and are delinquents. By drawing out the startling similarities between bob and ponyboy, hinton prepares us for the larger theme of a common humanity that runs throughout her novel. The theme of divided communities in the outsiders from. Hinton was 15 when she started writing the novel, but did most of the work when she was sixteen and a junior in high school. The book centers on the foolish gang rivalry existing between the socs, the rich kids from the west side of town, and the greasers, the poor kids from the east side. Ask your class why a teenager would want to be part of a gang.
The outsiders study guide contains a biography of author s. The outsiders film study guide contains a biography of francis ford coppola, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. The outsiders is narrated by a fourteenyearold called ponyboy curtis weird name, but a cool kid. Hinton, translates prejudice leads to wrong conclusions, violence, and oppression by using strong characters, symbolism, and compelling events. Oct 19, 2016 the outsiders are definitely not gay or at least, so says the author of the popular youngadult novel, which centers on a rivalry between two highschool gangs and was made into an iconic 1983.
The story is told in firstperson perspective by teenaged protagonist ponyboy curtis. Hinton i will discuss character and plot development, as well as the setting, the authors style and my opinions about the book. I consider the outsiders to be a young adult masterpiece. The novel tells the story of ponyboy curtis and his struggles with right and wrong in a society in which he believes that he is an outsider.
Hintons website hintons website is full of info on the outsiders and hintons other books. Acceptance is an important theme in the story that connects with teen readers because they are also struggling for acceptance in their peer groups. Explore class conflict, alienation, loyalty, family unity and betrayal, and the search for self in this classic coming of age. The outsiders is about two weeks in the life of a 14yearold boy. The outsiders and rumble fish were both adapted to films. Course hero literature instructor russell jaffe provides an in depth analysis of the plot, characters, symbols.
Ponyboys daydreams about the country, his appreciation of sunrises and sunsets, and his rescue of the children from the burning church distinguish him from other characters in the novel. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the outsiders and what it means. The characters in the outsiders are either socs or greasers. Which might explain why i still love reading the outsiders a book that i first came to love as a kid and why so many others are still reading it five decades after it was first published in 1967. Life is messy, bruising, but also full of intoxicating adventures. Hinton, is an excellent story about the hardships and triumphs experienced by the greasers and the socs, two rival gangs. In particular, the plot is about the development of one of the greasers, ponyboy curtis, as he journeys down a path of selfdiscovery.
Definitely check out the faq section spotlight on s. Course hero literature instructor russell jaffe explains the themes in s. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the outsiders, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. The outsiders essays are academic essays for citation. Jun 14, 2017 which might explain why i still love reading the outsiders a book that i first came to love as a kid and why so many others are still reading it five decades after it was first published in 1967. Feb 22, 20 this is a quick book summary and analysis of the outsiders by s. Much like hintons first novel, this book is a coming of age story that follows two teenage boys, mark and bryon, living together in tulsa, oklahoma after the death of marks parents. Although in the beginning of the book the socs and greasers hate each other, they begin to realise they are not that. Course hero literature instructor russell jaffe provides an indepth analysis of the plot, characters, symbols. These themes are realized through the interactions between the rich socs and the poor greasers. It is also a story of loyalty, friendship, and finding your place in the world. Hintons gritty comingofage story follows the greasers narrator ponyboy curtis, his protective older brothers.
Hinton s young adult novel the outsiders, the problems between the greasers, or the poor kids on the east side of town, and the socs, or the rich kids on the west. Over the course of the novel, ponyboy, a greaser, realizes that neither gang is inherently better than the other and that everyone, regardless of. The theme of appearances is linked to the conflict between the socs and the greasers, and its importance is underlined when the socs arrive at the rumble in chapter 9. The outsiders begins with ponyboy curtis, a member of a gang called the greasers, being jumped by a rival gang, the socs, outside a movie theater. Hintons young adult novel the outsiders, the problems between the greasers, or the poor kids on the east side of town, and the socs, or the rich kids on.
Hinton, there were many themes that jumped out to me throughout the novel. For example, someone or something is either right or wrong. Hinton has written many wellknown books such as that was then, this is now, rumble fish, tex, but shes most famous for her book the outsiders, that is why three most important focuses are theme, symbolism, and characterization. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Hinton according to wikipedia, the outsiders is a comingofage novel by s. Hinton, a novel which tells the story of conflict between the greasers and the socs, captures the voice of ponyboy and his friends in a realistic way that relates to boys and their gangs even today. Hinton tells the story of 14yearold ponyboy curtis and his struggle with right and wrong in a.
Her first novel, the outsiders, was published when she was still a teenager. Gang violence, child abuse, stabbings, shootings these drive the action. Before reading the outsiders, it is important to discuss some of the major themes present in the novel. Hinton s the outsiders explained with chapter summaries in just a few minutes. The outsiders themes from litcharts the creators of sparknotes.
For example, i saw the love that the boys in this gang have for each other. What is a short summary of the book the outsiders by s. Hinton is a story about ponyboy and his friends having a long going rivalry with the rich kids in town. Hinton s career as an author began while she was still a student at will rogers high school in tulsa, oklahoma. Hinton s the the outsiders, an enthralling tale by s. The firstperson account of ponyboy curtis is cantputitdown good. The novel explores the impact of living in a place where a teenager cant even walk home by himself and where fear is the predominant emotion, as is the case for recently orphaned ponyboy curtis and his friends. Ponyboy curtis, a teenaged member of a loose gang of greasers, is leaving a movie theater when he is jumped by socs, the greasers rival gang. This first book was a runaway success, originally and still a best seller.