by: Dylan Lovel4th Period

THE OUTSIDERSAuthor: S.E. Hinton

Published 1967

COMING OF AGE

Author Information

★ Susan Eloise Hinton is the author of “The Outsiders”. She used her initials S.E. Hinton since she was a girl.

★ She was born July 22, 1948, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She started writing “The Outsiders” when she was only 15 years old. The book was published when she was 18 years old.

★ She wrote the book about the two rival gangs at her school, Will Rogers High School, in Oklahoma.

Description★Fairly large town★Lots of drive-in movies and a park★Rich section and poor section

Importance★Shows difference between rich and poor★The book would be different if there wasn’t a poor part of town. The outsiders were the poor kids in town, especially the three Curtis brothers and friends.

Setting

Characters

Ponyboy: physical characteristics

•Greenish-gray eyes•Light brown-reddish hair•Long greasy hair

Ponyboy: personality

•Brave - saves children from fire

•Smart - does good in school•Loving - loves his brothers

Johnny: physical characteristics

•Big black eyes and a tanned face

•Slight build and small

•Black hair combed to one side

Johnny: personality

•Courageous - runs into burning church

•Good friend - saves Ponyboy from drowning

•Curious - wants to learn about book, “Gone with the Wind”

Conflict• Action - Ponyboy

attacked

• Greasers vs. Socs - always fighting

Plot

✤Poor vs. Rich

✤Greaser kills a Soc

✤Church catches fire

✤Greaser killed by police

✤Finding letter from Johnny

Rising Action

• Fights between gangs.

• Brothers argue. Darry tries to keep them out of trouble.

• Church catches fire.

Climax

★Johnny dies in hospital after saving children from burned church

Falling Action

• Dally killed by police

• Brothers getting along better

• Realizing Johnny is gone forever when note falls out of “Gone with the Wind”

ThemeWe are all the same no matter how

much money we have★Ponyboy and Cherry both enjoy sunsets, yet they live in opposite parts of town. (Chapter 3, pg. 40)

★Don’t need fancy car to have fun. Walking together is okay. (Chapter 3, pg. 44)

★Work hard and you can be somebody in life. Everyone can appreciate beauty. As Johnny says, “That’s gold - Looking at sunsets” from the poem by Robert Frost. (Chapter 5, pg. 77)

Point of View

First: Ponyboy’s point of view

Helps reader understand:

•Ponyboy’s feelings and experiences

•Differences between Greasers and Socs

•If someone else told the story, it might not have all been true

Symbolism

Sunset•Appreciate beauty and what you have

Recommendation

Yes•Lots of action

•Moral: You can better yourself no matter who you are and where you live