PlotOverview

Briefly,butusingtheentirespace,discusstheplot,
conflict,andrisingactiontosummarizetheplot.
Useyourownwords.

Thestoryrevolvesaroundagroupofadolescents
whoarecalledGreasers.Theseboyswearleather
jacketsandjeansandstyletheirhairback.
PonyboyCurtis(14),alongwithhisbrothers
Sodapop(16)andDarrel(20),haverecentlylost
theirparentsinacaraccidentleavingthethe
eldestbrother,Darrel,totakecareofhisyounger
brothersaslongastheybehave.TheGreasersare
inconstantconflictwiththeSoc,therichkidsofthe
school.ThestorybeginsasPonyboyandtwoother
Greasersgotothemovies.Alongtheway,theboys
meettheSocsgirlfriendswhohavelefttheir
boyfriendsduetodrinkingtoomuch.Theboys
decidetowalkthegirlshome,buttheirboyfriends
appearandareenraged.Afightstarts,butis
quicklyavoidedwhenthegirlsagreetogowiththeir
boyfriends.Afterallofthecommotion,Ponyboy
sleepsonaparkandforgetsabouthiscurfew.He
comeshometoseehisDarrelfurious.Ponytriesto
explainthesituation,buttheragegetstoDarreland
hehitsPony.Ponyboydecidestorunawayandgo
backwithJohnnytogototheparkonceagain.
TroubleariseswhenthedrunkSocsreappearand
threatentheboys.TheGreasersarebadly
outnumberedandanotherfightbreaksout.Two
SocsdrownPonyinthefountain.Johnnypanics
anduseshisknifeononeoftheSocstosavePony.
Johnnyendsupkillingthepersonandthefight
settles.PonyandJohnnyrunstoafellowGreaser,
Dally.Dallygivesthetwoboysfiftydollarsand
advisesthemrunawaytotheoutskirtsoftown.
WhatwillhappentoPonyandJohnny?

AbouttheAuthor

NovelNotes

TheOutsiders

S.E.Hinton

Includeimportantinformationabouttheauthor.You
maywanttoincludewhatinspiredthem,other
workstheyhavewritten,significantlifeevents,what
timeperiodheorshewrotein,andhowthetime
periodinfluencedthewriting.

SusanEloiseHintonwasborninJuly22,1950in
Tulsa,Oklahoma.Herloveforreadingandwriting
cameatanearlyageduetonothavinganythingto
doinOklahoma.Hintonsearlystoriesmainly
consistedoftheoldwestsuchascowboysand
horseswhenshewasyoung.Sheabandonedher
dreamsofbecomingacattlerancher,but
RasHipolito
abandonedthemforliterature.Herhighschool

yearswereboring,soshedecidedtowriteanovel
April25,2016
calledTheOutsiders.Thenovelwascentered

aroundgreasersandpreppystudentsthatleadsto

physicalandmentalconflictforthemaincharacter.

AfterthesuccessofTheOutsiders,Hinton
publishedeightmorenovels.Shehasstatedthat
sheisaveryprivatepersonanddoesnottalkabout

herpersonallifeoften.Hintoncurrentlyliveswith
Addtwoquotesthatcapturetheessenceofthe
herhusbandthatshemetincollegeinOklahoma.
novel.Besuretocitethequotationsproperly.

EssentialQuotes

HistoricalContext

Includeinformationonthetimeperiod,social,
economical,cultural,andothersignificant
influencesthatcharacterizethisnovel.

TheOutsidersw
aspublishedinthe1967.S.E

Howdyoulikethathaircutto
beginjustbelowtheneck
(Hinton5).

Iwantedtocry,butGreasers
dontcryinfrontofstrangers.
Someofusnevercryatall
(102).

Hintonbasedthesettingofthenoveltobeinthe
eraofgreasersandmusclecarsofthe1950s.
Leatherjacketsanddriveinmovietheaterswere
popularinthisera.Itisconsideredtobethegolden
eraoftheU.S.culture.Wherejocksruledthe
schoolandgreasersranrampant.

AddWorkCitedHere:(googlehowtodothis)
Hinton,S.E.
TheOutsiders
.NewYork:Viking,1967.
Print.

CharacterAnalysis

Identifyeachmajorcharacterinthenovel.
Describethemostimporttraitsthatcharacterize
thisperson.(
S
peech,
T
houghts,
E
ffectsonother,
A
ction,
L
ooks)

Themes

Identifyandanalyzesomeofthesignificantthemes
inthenovel.

IdentityInmanyinstancesinthenovel,many

ofthemembersofthemembersofthe
PonyboyCurtisPonyboyistheyoungestof
Greasershavequestionedtheirethicsand
theCurtisbrothersatagefourteen.Ponys
wonderedhowlifewillbelikeiftheywerenot
parentsdiedinaseverecaraccidentthe
Greasers.Forexample,Ponythoughtabout
oldestbrotherDarrelhastotakecareofhis
howeasyhislifewasifhewasaSoc.
brothersnow.Inthebeginningofthenovel,

PonyhasshowedtraitsanyotherGreasers

wouldnotdo.Suchasthinkingofcollegeand
LoyaltyThroughthickandthin,membersof
respectinghisteachers.Ifanythinghappensto bothSocsandGreasersprotecteachother
oneofhislovedones,Ponywillstickbythem
whenithitsthefan.Everypersonhaseach
untiltheend.
othersbacksuntiltheend.

SodapopCurtisThemiddlebrotherofthe
AppearanceTheGreasershadpridewiththeir
Curtisbrothers,Sodaisthesmarter,more
appearance.Fromusingchickenfattostyle
athletic,andmorehandsomeversionofPony. theirhairsandwearingleatherjackets,the
Sincethedeathoftheirparents,Sodahasto
membersdonottakeshamefortheirlooks
worktokeephislittlebrotherinschool.

PonyboyidolizesandthinkshighlyofSodapop.

DevelopmentThroughoutthenovel,the

readersnoticeaseverechangeinPonys
DarrelCurtisTheoldestoftheCurtisbrothers, character.Everythinghehaswitnessed,
Darrelisalsothemostmature.Duetothe
includingthemurderofonetheSocs,has
deathoftheirparents,Darrelwasplanningto
madehimrealizethatlifeisrough
attendcollege,butwasforcedtoquithisdream
inordertotakecareofhisyoungerbrothers.
PonydoesnotappreciatewhatDarreldoesfor
him.UnlikePonysidolizationofSoda,Pony
resentsDarrel

MotifsandSymbols

Identifyandinterpretsomeofthemajormotifsand
symbolsinthenovel.

Hair,Cars,Literature(GonewiththeWind),
Laws

HairTheGreasershairsymbolizestheirpride
asamemberofthegroup.Changingthehair
meansthattheyhaveabandonedthe
Greasers.

AbandonedChurchThechurchthatPonyand
Johnnytookrefugerepresentstheirrealization
ofadulthood.Theboyshadtohidefromcops,
spendtheirmoneywisely,andthinkaboutthe
future.

PocketKnifeThepocketknifethatwasused
tokilltheSocsymbolizestheimmaturityand
loyaltyofJohnnysincehewastheonewho
usedit.IfitwasnotforJohnny,Ponywouldbe
theonewhoisdead.