S.E.Hinton

S.E.Hinton • S.E. stands for

Susan Eloise• Hinton’s publishers

worried that her work, which dealt with male characters and violent conflicts, would not be respected because it was written by a woman. Thus, she published The Outsiders using a pen name, her initials.

Background Information

– Date of Publication

– Inspiration

– Major Conflict in the novel

• 1967

• Hinton was frustrated with social divisions within her high school and a lack of realistic fiction for high school students

• The Greasers, a group of low-class youths, battle the Socs, a group of privileged rich kids, who live on the West Side

• Background Continued…

• The Outsiders features many references to the 1960s: Elvis, Beatles, Madras, etc.

• Examined universal urges to form cliques, compete and unite with similar groups

• The Greasers are tough and rough, but also vulnerability and full of emotion. The reader will see both of these sides.

A poster from the hit film

Literary Focus

Point of View First Person

Narrator and Protagonist Ponyboy

Antagonist Social Groups: the

conflicts between the Greasers and the Socs and the results of these conflicts

Setting (time) Mid 1960’s

Setting (place) Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tone Youthful, rebellious,

simplistic, melodramatic

• Themes

• Class Differences– Rich vs. Poor

• Transcending Social Divisions

• Man’s Struggles and Fears

• Honor and Loyalty• Man’s Ability to Sacrifice • Male-Female Interactions• Male Bonding• Untraditional “family”

Although they present a tough exterior, the greasers feel emotion and show a great deal of love for their “gang” brothers

• Symbols: Cars

• Cars represent the Socs’ wealth and power; something the Greasers can only dream about

The greasers work on the nice cars; the Socs drive them

• Symbols:Greaser Hair

• Rebellion against society– Most men in society

during the 1960s wore their hair short

• Cannot afford physical items to make them stand out (ex: cars, nice clothes), must use their hair to stand outA few famous people

have sported the greaser look

Brief Overview

Author’s Synopsis • According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of Socs for the sake of his fellow greasers--until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder causes Pony’s world to crumble and teaches him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser.

Characters

Ponyboy Curtis • Narrator and protagonist

• Different from the rest of the greasers because he has interests literature and school

• Reliable and observant

• Rocky home life

• Has two older brothers, Soda and Darry

Darrell “Darry” Curtis • Ponyboy’s oldest brother

• Raised his brothers after the death of their parents in a car crash

• Gave up a full athletic scholarship to work two jobs so the three brothers could stay together

• Strong, athletic and intelligent

• Nicknamed “Superman”

Dallas “Dally” Winston

• The toughest hood in Ponboy’s group

• A hardened teen who used to run in New York gangs

• Has been to jail multiple times

Sodapop Curtis

Cherry and Marcia

• Happy and attractive older brother of Ponyboy

• Dropped out of high school

• Works at a gas station, fixes cars

• Soc girls who become interested in the greasers

Johnny Cade • Parent are abusive and drunks

• Nervous and sensitive• Was almost killed

after he was jumped by the Socs

• Greasers are his family

Two-Bit Mathews

• The joker of Ponyboy’s group

• Got his name because he is always putting in his “two bits”

Steve Randle

• Sodapop’s best friend• Talent of stealing hub

caps• Cocky, aware and

smart

This guy might look a little familiar