The main character in The Outsiders is Ponyboy Curtis. Ponyboy lives with his brothers in the 1950s in Oklahoma. They are
considered greasers because of their long greasy hair and are looked down on by a rival gang the socs who are affluent teens from the right side of town. One night Ponyboy and his friend Johnny are attacked by a group of socs and Ponyboy is almost drowned in a park fountain but is saved by Johnny who stabs a soc to death. The boys acquire a gun from their friend Dally and hide out in an abandoned church where they spend their days smoking cigarettes and reading. Daly tells the boys of an upcoming rumble with the socs when he comes to visit and the boys make plans to leave. Johnny makes a decision to turn himself in but before they can leave the church catches fire with several
children trapped inside. The boys rescue the children but Johnny’s back is broken when he falls from the roof. The gangs rumble and the greasers win but their joy is short lived when Daly is shot by the police after a robbery. This book succeeds on several levels. It shows the difficulties of youth and is full of action and adventure. Being different is an issue that is dealt with as well as peer pressure and violence. Intolerance of other social classes is also examined. Overall this book is well
written and the plain clear style makes it very enjoyable. Although it is primarily a youth novel it can be appreciated by all ages.
The Outsiders was S.E. Hinton’s first novel and was written when she was only sixteen. Her other works include That Was Then, This Is Now, Rumble Fish, Tex, and Taming the Star Runner. She lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Outsiders was made into a major motion picture.