theme analysis essay for the outsiders

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The Outsiders Themes

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Social identity and division, impact of violence, power of empathy.

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The Outsiders

By s. e. hinton, the outsiders themes, the socs vs. greasers.

The conflict between Socs and Greasers is introduced in Chapter 1, and escalates throughout the book. The Greasers are "poorer than the Socs and the middle class... almost like hoods; we steal things and rive old souped-up cars and hold up gas stations and have a gang fight once in a while." In contrast, the Socs are "the jet set, the West-side rich kids," who "jump greasers and wreck houses and throw beer blasts for kicks, and get editorials in the paper for being a public disgrace one day and an asset to society the next."

In Chapter 3, a conversation between Ponyboy and Cherry defines a distinction between the two groups that goes beyond money. Cherry says, "You greasers have a different set of values. You're more emotional. We're sophisticated - cool to the point of not feeling anything. Nothing is real with us." And Ponyboy agrees that "It's not money, it's feeling - you don't feel anything and we feel too violently."

In Chapter 7, as he explains why he is leaving town instead of attending the rumble, Randy explains the lose-lose situation to Ponyboy:

"You can't win, even if you whip us. You'll still be where you were before - at the bottom. And we'll still be the lucky ones with all the breaks. So it doesn't do any good, the fighting and the killing. It doesn't prove a thing. We'll forget it if you win, or if you don't. Greasers will still be greasers and Socs will still be Socs."

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. Ponyboy realizes that the reason the Socs never get blamed for causing trouble is because "We look hoody and they look decent." Although most of the Greasers are "pretty decent guys underneath all that grease," and the Socs are "just cold-blooded mean," it doesn't matter because "people usually go by looks."

The Greasers' hairstyle is what distinguishes them as hoods, and part of the appearance that keeps them relegated to the margins of society. Ponyboy demonstrates his belief in hair's importance by including it in his character descriptions. In the first paragraph of Chapter 1, he says, "I have light-brown, almost-red hair... longer than a lot of boys wear theirs, squared off in back and long at the front and sides, but I am a greaser and most of my neighborhood rarely bothers to get a haircut."

His hair is his pride and joy, and it is a painful identity change for him to cut it off when he and Johnny try to disguise themselves. When Johnny reveals his plan to cut it, Ponyboy narrates, "It was my pride. It was long and silky, just like Soda 's only a little redder. Our hair was tuff - we didn't have to use much grease on it. Our hair labeled us greasers, too - it was our trademark. The one thing we were proud of. Maybe we couldn't have Corvairs or madras shirts, but we could have hair."

In contrast to Ponyboy and Soda, Darry keeps his hair short. It is a demonstration of his resentment of his role as a Greaser -- as if he doesn't belong in that place in society.

Characters' eyes are used to demonstrate their emotions, and Ponyboy frequently draws attention to them. He himself has "greenish-gray eyes."

Ponyboy's view of other characters is often tied to his interpretation of their eyes; for example, he says that "Darry's eyes are his own. He's got eyes that are like two pieces of pale blue-green ice. They've got a determined set to them, like the rest of him... he would be real handsome if his eyes weren't so cold." Darry's eyes reflect Ponyboy's view of his oldest brother as "hardly human." In contrast, Sodapop's eyes are "dark brown - lively, dancing, recklessly laughing eyes that can be gentle and sympathetic one moment and blazing with anger the next."

Johnny's eyes in particular are used to reflect his emotions; for instance, when the Socs approach, his terror is always apparent in his eyes. The difference between his mother and him is clear to Ponyboy because of their eyes: "Johnnycake's eyes were fearful and sensitive; hers were cheap and hard."

Appearances

Ponyboy is very conscious of the way he and others look. It is clear in his descriptions of people as a narrator, but also in his interactions with the world. For example, in Chapter 1, when the Socs start to surround him, he "automatically hitched my thumbs in my jeans and slouched" to appear tougher. In Chapter 3, when the Socs stop the boys with Cherry and Marcia , "Two-bit took a long drag on his cigarette, Johnny slouched and hooked his thumbs in his pockets, and I stiffened." Ponyboy notes that, "We can look meaner than anything when we want to - looking tough comes in handy."

In Chapter 4, when the boys are going to ask for directions to Jay Mountain, Ponyboy sees Johnny "as a stranger might see him," and realizes that they will never pass for farm boys. He thinks, "They'll know we're hoods the minute they see us." Even though he knows Johnny is kind and gentle, "he looked hard and tough, because of his black T-shirt and his blue jeans and jacket, and because his hair was heavily greased and so long." Johnny notices the same thing about Ponyboy and tells him to "quit slouching down like a thug."

This theme is closely tied to the theme of hair as a defining characteristic for the Greasers. In Chapter 7, Ponyboy confesses, "I'd die if I got my picture in the paper with my hair looking so lousy."

As the gang leaves the house to go to the rumble in Chapter 9, Soda begins the role playing game by shouting: "I am a greaser. I am a JD and a hood. I blacken the name of our fair city. I beat up people. I rob gas stations. I am a menace to society. Man, do I have fun!" The game allows the gang mebers to get excited about their rumble, but at the same time reveals how conscious they are of their appearance to the rest of society. Appearance is what defines them and what sets them apart; it is both boon and stumbling block.

Ponyboy and Cherry like to watch sunsets, and they discover they have this in common in their conversation in Chapter 3. Ponyboy thinks, "It seemed funny to me that the sunset she saw from her patio and the one I saw from the back steps was the same one. Maybe the two different worlds we lived in weren't so different. We saw the same sunset." In Chapter 8, after Cherry says she cannot go visit Johnny in the hospital because he is the one who killed her boyfriend, Bob, Ponyboy yells at her and tells her he doesn't want her charity. After she apologizes, he lets her know he still feels a connection to her that bridges their social statuses by asking, "can you see the sunset real good from the West Side?" She is surprised, but answers yes. He says, "You can see it good from the East Side, too."

Watching the sunset becomes a link between the world of the Greasers and that of the Socs, and also hints at the kind of personality that questions things, that is always searching, that is in a way poetic.

In Chapter 7, Randy joins the ranks of those who appreciate sunsets. Ponyboy realizes, "Cherry had said her friends were too cool to feel anything, and yet she could remember watching sunsets. Randy was supposed to be too cool to feel anything, and yet there was pain in his eyes."

The Country

In Chapter 3, while Ponyboy and Johnny lie in the vacant lot watching the stars, Ponyboy dreams of the country as a place where everything is right in the world. In his fantasy, his parents are alive again, and Darry no longer has that "cold, hard look;" he is "like he used to be, eight months ago, before Mom and Dad were killed." Johnny comes to live with Ponyboy's family in the county, and Ponyboy's mother even convinces Dally Winston that "there was some good in the world after all."

The reason the country appeals to Ponyboy so much is because, "I only wanted to lie on my back under a tree and read a book or draw a picture, and not worry about being jumped or carrying a blade or ending up married to some scatterbrained broad with no sense."

In Chapter 4, when the boys jump off the train in Windrixville, Ponyboy notices that "the clouds were pink and meadow larks were singing." He thinks to himself, "This is the country... My dream's come true and I'm in the country." But later, as he looks for someone to ask directions from, he thinks to himself, "I was in the country, but I knew I wasn't going to like it as much as I'd thought I would."

Ponyboy often creates alternate realities for himself to cope with situations that he feels are unbearable. For instance, while he and Johnny watch the starts in the vacant lot in Chapter 3, he thinks, "I felt the tension growing inside of me and I knew something had to happen or I would explode." In response, he dreams about a life in the country where his parents are still alive and Darry is kind again.

He is also good at pretending when it comes to lying, and lies easily to the farmer when he asks how to get to Jay Mountain. He thinks, "I can lie so easily that it spooks me sometimes." In this case, he is creating an alternate reality to cover the fact that he and Johnny are hiding away after having committed murder.

Ponyboy is conscious of his tendency to pretend, and even his preference for his dreams over reality. In Chapter 5, he admits, "I liked my books and clouds and sunsets. Dally was so real he scared me."

Chapter 10 begins with the most obvious case yet of pretending: Ponyboy cannot grasp that Johnny has died, so he tells himself, "That still body back in the hospital wasn't Johnny." He pretends that he'll find Johnny at the house, or in the lot. This case of denial has been foreshadowed by Ponyboy's tendency to create alternate realities for himself throughout the story, but the difference is that "this time my dreaming worked. I convinced myself that he wasn't dead."

Gone with the Wind

Johnny buys this book for Ponyboy when they are staying in the abandoned church, and they kill time by reading it. Johnny doesn't understand a lot about the Civil War, but he is obsessed with the idea of southern gentlemen, "impressed with their manners and charm." He compares them to Dally, showing how he idolizes Dally even though Ponyboy doesn't see much to respect in him at the time.

When Ponyboy and Two-Bit go to visit Johnny in the hospital, he asks them to buy him a new copy of Gone with the Wind, since the old one burned in the church. When Johnny dies, he leaves his copy of the book to Ponyboy. Ponyboy links Johnny and Dally's deaths to Gone with the Wind , as he considers how they "died gallant." He can only think of "Southern gentlemen with big black eyes in blue jeans and T-shirts, Southern gentlemen crumpling under street lights."

The Outsiders Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Outsiders is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

why do you think johhny wasn't scared, depsite the obvious danger?

Johnny is a sensitive boy. He cares for others, especially those that are helpless like the children. This is perhaps because he has felt so helpless in his own childhood. It is also probable their cigarettes started the fire.

How did the Greasers react to the beatings Johnny received from his father? What evidence is there in paragraphs 1-5 that the Greasers were more deeply affected by Johnny’s beating at the hands of the Socs? Why do you think this was the case? Cite specifi

From the text:

I remembered Johnny--- his face all cut up and bruised, and I remembered how he had cried when we found him, half-conscious, in the comer lot. Johnny had it awful rough at home--- it took a lot to make him cry.

the outsiders

The Greasers have an extended family. The Curtis family have taken characters like Johnny and Two-Bit under their wing. The Socks may have money but they do not have brotherhood. Dally is doing his best to be a good father figure but their family...

Study Guide for The Outsiders

The Outsiders study guide contains a biography of author S. E. Hinton, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Outsiders
• The Outsiders Summary
• The Outsiders Video
• Character List

Essays for The Outsiders

The Outsiders essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Outsiders written by S. E. Hinton.

• Analysis of the American Reality, Possibility, and Dream found in "Nickel and Dimed" and "The Outsiders"
• Stay Gold, Ponyboy: Historical Models of Childhood in S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders
• The Socioeconomic Triggers of Juvenile Delinquency: Analysis of "The Outsiders"
• Greater Meanings in The Outsiders: A Theater, a Sunset, and a Novel

Lesson Plan for The Outsiders

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to The Outsiders
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Outsiders Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for The Outsiders

• Introduction
• Major characters
• Controversy
• Critical reception

Themes and Analysis

The outsiders, by s. e. hinton.

Throughout 'The Outsiders,' Hinton engages with very important themes, showcases some interesting symbols, and uses great examples of figurative language.

About the Book

Written by Juliet Ugo

Former Lecturer. Author of multiple books. Degree from University Of Nigeria, Nsukka.

There are many themes that can be found in the novel ‘ The Outsiders ‘. However, we are going to explore only empathy, divided communities, preserving childhood innocence, self-sacrifice and honour, and individual identity.

The Outsiders Themes

Divided communities.

Divided communities are a major theme of the novel as the story revolves around two major conflicts, which are- the conflict between the Socs and greasers and the conflict between Ponyboy and his brother Darry in the Curtis family.

In the conflict between the teenagers and their gangs, the novel shows how the two groups focus on their frivolous differences  – they dress differently, socialize differently, and hang out with different girls, and how all this leads to hate and violence. However, the story also shows how the two groups depend on their conflict for their continual existence. For example, the greasers live by a motto to “stick together” against the Socs. This means that without the conflict, the individual members of the two gangs might go their own way.

The other divided community in the story can be found in Ponyboy’s immediate family. The conflict between Darry and Ponyboy is aggravated by misunderstandings, just like that of Socs and Greasers. Just like the two gangs are unable to see past their superficial differences to their deeper similarities, Darry and Ponyboy’s limited views make them misunderstand each other’s actions. Ponyboy sees his brother’s desperate attempt to deliver him from the poverty and strife of their neighbourhood as antagonism, while Darry sees Ponyboy’s quest to escape his conflict-ridden existence as irresponsibility and lack of consideration.

The ability to see things through other people’s perspectives (empathy) is predominant in the resolution of both conflicts in ‘ The Outsiders ‘. The two gangs are engrossed with the appearance and class status of their rivals which underscores the superficiality of their mutual hostility. Cherry tried to draw empathy from Ponyboy at the drive-in when she insisted that “things are rough all over” and encouraged Ponyboy to see Socs as individuals. Randy added more strength to the argument when he told Ponyboy about Bob’s troubled life, making him have compassion for Socs as an individual. Sodapop helps Ponyboy recognize that Darry’s high expectations for him are a result of love.

Preserving Childhood Innocence

The book reveals the importance of preserving hope, open-mindedness, and appreciation of beauty that are typical of childhood. Ponyboy has traits that distinguish him from others in the gang, for instance, his love of sunrises and sunsets, his daydreams about the country, and his rescue of the children from the burning church. These traits show that Ponyboy, unlike the other boys, still has preserved some of his childhood innocence and allows him to see beyond the superficial hatred between the Socs and greasers.

Dally’s rough childhood made him tough and fearsome, and he seems not to care about anything though he has a soft spot for Johnny. Johnny represents the hope that Dally has lost, and Dally strives to protect Johnny from the forces that threaten to pull him into the cycle of violence that has enveloped Dally. Johnny’s dying words touch on this theme by referencing the Robert Frost poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay.”

The poem’s message that all beautiful things fade as time passes forces the two boys to realize that they can’t hide from the realities of growing up. ‘Stay gold’, Johnny’s dying words for Ponyboy and the greasers, is also a call for them to preserve the optimism, innocence, and hope of childhood no matter what they see in the world.

Self-sacrifice and Honour

Despite the greasers’ reputation as heartless young criminals, they live by a specific and honourable code of friendship, and there are many instances in which gang and family members make selfless choices. As an example, Darry relinquished a college scholarship so he can work a full-time manual labour job to support his younger brothers. Dally, who seems apathetic, shows great loyalty to and compassion for his friends and for strangers in need. He helps Johnny and Ponyboy run away to Windrixville after Bob’s stabbing and plays a major role in the rescue of kids from the church fire. 

Individual Identity

Ponyboy, the protagonist, is a committed member of the greasers though he knows that some of his personality traits make him different from others. The greasers provide him with too great of a sense of strength and safety, and he doesn’t want to consider life outside of it. But he thought deeply about this life and what he wants to do after Bob’s death.

Again, his conversations with Johnny, Cherry, and Randy make him reflect on the road his life is taking. He begins to question the reasons for the constant fights between Socs and greasers, and he thinks hard before joining his gang to participate in the rumble. His willingness to strike friendships with the Socs indicates the development of a distinct personal identity.

Bridging social classes

‘ The Outsiders ‘ tells the story of the tension between two rival gangs, the working-class greasers and the upper-class Socs. It finally showed that the two groups have more in common in spite of the inequalities between them. The focus of the novel is on social class issues, exemplified by confrontations between the lower-class greasers and the upper-class Socs.

Ponyboy didn’t have to do anything to provoke the Socs into ganging upon him. It’s not a personal or unusual attack as the Socs regularly beat up greasers, and the greasers retaliate. Ponyboy is astonished to find out that he shares similar ideas with Cherry. This shows readers that the Socs are not all the same, and also, there is a common bond across the social classes. The preexisting tensions between the gangs cause the Socs to want to punish Johnny and Ponyboy for associating with the Soc girls. Bob tries to force Ponyboy’s head underwater at the fountain, and Johnny stabs Bob.

Analysis of key moments in The Outsiders

• One of the key moments of ‘ The Outsiders ‘ is the church fire. An abandoned church catches fire when Johnny and Ponyboy are out. On their way back, they saw the fire and together with Dally, they saved the kids that were in the scorching church. They all sustained injuries there, which later led to Johnny’s death.
• Another key moment is when Dally dies. Dallas Winston died by robbing a convenience store after being all worked up about Johnny’s death and running from the police. Dally pulls out an unloaded gun and points it to the police, and the police shoot him, and he dies.
• Another one is when Bob dies. When Johnny Cade stabs Bob, they went to Dally Winston for advice on what to do to avoid being caught by the government or Socs. Dally gives Ponyboy and Johnny some dry clothes, a gun, and fifty dollars. Dally also told them about an abandoned church on the hill in Windrixville where they can go and hide. He also promised to check up on them later.
• The fight. The greasers and Socs take it out on each other and fight at a rumble, in a lot. There are two rules during a rumble: whoever leaves first loses and you cannot use any type of weapon or “prop”. A Soc throws Pony to the ground, and Darry immediately says, “Pony, you all right?” The Socs left the rumble first, so the greasers one.
• Johnny dies. Johnny Cade got some serious injuries after rescuing some kids from a church fire. He was rushed to the hospital, where his friends kept visiting him. After the rumble, Dally and Ponyboy go to the hospital to visit Johnny, as usual. Johnny was dying and said to Ponyboy as quoted , “Stay gold Ponyboy, stay gold.” Johnny died right after he told Ponyboy to stay gold.
• Johnny Cade and Ponyboy Curtis, greasers, get jumped by five Socs at a park. Bob, a Soc, tries to drown Ponyboy in the fountain at the park. Johnny gets tackled by a Soc and flips out his switchblade, and stabs Bob with the blade.
• The Greasers go to the drive-in, meeting a cheerleader that is a Soc. Johnny, Ponyboy, and Dally sit in plastic chairs at the drive-in. These two Socs girls, Cherry and Marcia, sit in front of the greasers and watch the movie. Dally disturbs the redhead cheerleader until she gets distracted from the movie and mad. Cherry turns around and yells at Dally to remove his feet from her chair.
• Ponyboy Curtis Gets jumped. This was the first main event in the novel. Ponyboy Curtis, a greaser, gets jumped by some Socs on his way back from a movie. But his friends and brothers come to save him by fighting the Socs. 

Style, Tone, and Figurative Language in The Outsiders

Throughout the book, you will notice that S. E. Hinton is a character writer instead of an idea writer. The author also uses a variety of literary devices in the novel. That’s why the opening of the book is a very detailed introduction to each character such that by the end of the book, the reader knows each character in more detail. Again, the characters’ names are particularly descriptive. For example, Ponyboy depicts an image of a youth becoming a cowboy; Sodapop shows a bubbly personality, while Dallas Winston creates the image of the combination of a Texas city and a famous cigarette brand. 

The importance of the setting in this book cannot be overemphasized as it is through their environment that the main characters are defined. Hinton used her town of Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the setting of this book, even though she never refers to the city by name. The figurative language used in ‘ The Outsiders ‘ is mostly metaphors and personification.

Analysis of the Symbols

Sunsets and sunrises.

In the book, sunrise and sunset depict the beauty and goodness in the world, especially after Johnny compares the gold in the poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay” to the gold of the sunrises and sunsets Ponyboy enjoys. Sunset also represents the humanity of all people, regardless of the gang to which they belong. When Cherry and Ponyboy were first discussing at the drive-in, they found out that they share similar interests in the enjoyment of the same sunset from their sides of town.

Greaser Hair

The symbol of the greasers, both to themselves and to others, is their long, slick hair gang. When Ponyboy and Johnny cut and dyed their hair when they ran away to hide after Bob’s death,  they were taking a symbolic step outside the gang conflict. This made Ponyboy feel less secure but also gained him a bit of room to develop his individuality.

The Blue Mustang

The blue Mustang is a symbol that shows two things: the wealth of the Socs and the danger posed to the greasers. Anytime Ponyboy or any other greaser spots the Mustang, he knows trouble is coming. Later in the novel, Ponyboy comes to understand and feel compassion for the Socs, and the Mustang loses some of its power to intimidate.

How does Two-Bit describe the Socs?

Two-Bit Matthews describes the upper-class gang known as Socs as those that tend to gang up on one or two people and also fight among themselves. This is unlike the lower-class gang, the Greasers who usually stick together, and when two members do get into an argument.

How are greasers and Socs different besides money?

Besides money, there are many differences between the socs and the greasers. The greasers have long, greasy hair, while the Socs generally have shorter hair. The greasers are poor and live on the bad side or east of town, unlike the socs who live on the good side or the west side of town.

Which character is Ponyboy’s oldest brother that takes care of him?

The character is a 20-year-old strong, athletic greaser called Darry. When Ponyboy’s parents die in a car accident, his oldest brother, Darrel Curtis, also known as “Darry,” quit school and passed on a scholarship to take care of his brothers. He works two jobs in order to meet the responsibility at home.

Is Two-Bit mean in The Outsiders ?

Keith “Two-Bit” Mathews is 18 and a half, still a Junior in high school, and also a supporting character in the book ‘ The Outsiders ‘. He is popularly called by his nickname is called Two-Bit because he never shuts his mouth and always has to add in his “two bits”. He is not mean but is rather a fun-loving person who loves to tell jokes.

What does Two-Bit’s switchblade symbolize?

Two-Bit Matthew’s switchblade is his possession of inestimable value. He treasures it so highly because of all that it represents to him. The switchblade represents the disregard for authority for which greasers traditionally pride themselves in many ways. Firstly, the blade is stolen; secondly, it gives a sense of individual power to the owner.

How old is Cherry Valance?

Cherry is a 16-year-old girl in ‘ The Outsiders ‘ by S. E. Hinton . She is described as very beautiful with red hair and green eyes.

About Juliet Ugo

Juliet Ugo is an experienced content writer and a literature expert with a passion for the written word with over a decade of experience. She is particularly interested in analyzing books, and her insightful interpretations of various genres have made her a well-known authority in the field.

Cite This Page

Ugo, Juliet " The Outsiders Themes and Analysis 📖 " Book Analysis , https://bookanalysis.com/s-e-hinton/the-outsiders/themes-analysis/ . Accessed 1 April 2024.

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The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton: Analyzing Theme —Thematic Essay TDA Prompt/Rubric

Description.

Teach your students to  analyze themes in the novel  The Outsiders  by S. E. Hinton  with this lesson plan. Your students will determine what morals/lessons were learned or taught by specific characters in the novel; they will then evaluate how these lessons were incorporated by the author and provide textual evidence as support—all using a theme graphic organizer! An answer guide is provided for teachers.

Using their literary analysis, students will then write a TDA essay based on one theme of their choice from the novel. Students will choose a theme and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot. Rubric and essay prompt included.

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The following review example can serve as a guide for students trying to find inspiration when writing an assignment. 

How to spot a true classic on a bookshelf? Easy – it must be controversial for its time. Gangs, drinking, and so-called “edgy lifestyle” is what readers can find in “Outsiders” by Susan Hinton. Making a household name for her state Oklahoma, Susan started writing her coming-of-age novel as a teenager. For such a young age, the author had a finer understanding of social issues and struggles. 

The central theme in “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton revolves around the conflict between self-identity and group identity. The Outsiders, namely the greasers, form their own group as a response to feeling marginalized by society. Yet, even within this close-knit community, Ponyboy Curtis grapples with a sense of being an outsider. This theme permeates the novel, unfolding through various lenses.

Gang Identities: Socioeconomic Divisions 

Set in 1960s Tulsa, Oklahoma the novel introduces two primary street gangs: the greasers and the Socs. The socioeconomic divide is stark, with the greasers perceiving the Socs as haughty and condescending, while the Socs view the greasers as poor troublemakers. The initial black-and-white perspective held by Ponyboy begins to blur as he encounters Socs like Cherry Valance and Bob Sheldon, challenging his preconceived notions.

“We’re poorer than the Socs and the middle class. I reckon we’re wilder, too. Not like the Socs, who jump greasers and wreck houses and throw beer blasts for kicks, and get editorials in the paper for being a public disgrace one day and an asset to society the next. Greasers are almost like hoods; we steal things and drive old souped-up cars and hold up gas stations and have a gang fight once in a while.”

Ponyboy’s evolving understanding of the gangs reflects the broader theme of self-identity. His internal struggle intensifies as he questions the rigid distinctions between the two groups, eventually leading to a reevaluation of his own identity in relation to the gang dynamics.

Individual Identities: Struggling Within Labels 

Ponyboy’s narration delves into the individualistic traits of his fellow greasers. Despite the shared identity as greasers, each member possesses unique qualities. The character of Cherry Valance, an outsider to both groups, highlights Ponyboy’s distinctiveness within his own gang. Cherry perceives him as different, not fitting the stereotypical greaser mold, leading Ponyboy to confront his evolving identity.

“Cherry sighed. ‘You two are too sweet to scare anyone. First of all, you didn’t join in Dallas’s dirty talk, and you made him leave us alone. Aid when we asked you to sit up here with us, you didn’t act like it was an invitation to make out for the night. Besides that, I’ve heard about Dallas Winston, and he looked as hard as nails and twice as tough. And you two don’t look mean.’ ‘Sure,’ I said tiredly, ‘we’re young and innocent’. ‘No,’ Cherry said slowly, looking at me carefully, ‘not innocent. You’ve seen too much to be innocent. Just not… dirty.'”

The tension between individuality and group conformity is a recurring motif. Ponyboy’s initial commitment to the greaser lifestyle is challenged by events, prompting him to question the rationale behind the conflict with the Socs. The deaths of Johnny and Dally catalyze a profound shift as Ponyboy seeks a personal identity beyond the constraints of gang affiliation.

Ponyboy and Johnny: Embracing Differences

Following Bob Sheldon’s death, Ponyboy and Johnny find themselves on the run, bleaching their hair and distancing themselves from their gang. This experience allows them to recognize their differences from the greasers, a realization crystallized in their conversations.

The duo’s unique perspective becomes evident as they contrast their sensitive personalities with the typical greaser image. However, the reactions of the greasers to Johnny’s death reveal a shared humanity beyond the gang identities. The evolving dynamics between Ponyboy and Johnny illuminate the delicate balance between self-discovery and group association.

Preserving Individuality 

The poignant “Stay gold, Ponyboy” reflects Johnny’s dying plea for Ponyboy to retain his innocence and individuality. The metaphorical use of Robert Frost’s poem emphasizes the transient nature of purity and the importance of preserving one’s unique essence.

This theme encapsulates the broader conflict between societal expectations and individual authenticity. Johnny’s words serve as a poignant reminder for Ponyboy to resist succumbing entirely to the pressures of group identity, encouraging him to forge a path that aligns with his true self.

Social Class Conflicts and Friendship

While the primary theme centers on identity, “The Outsiders” also explores social class conflict. The economic disparity between the greasers and the Socs adds layers to the overarching narrative. This socioeconomic tension contributes to the broader societal challenges faced by both groups, reinforcing the idea that adversity is a universal experience.

“We’re poorer than the Socs and the middle class.”

“I really couldn’t see what Socs would have to sweat about-good grades, good cars, good girls, madras and Mustangs and Corvairs-Man, I thought, if I had worries like that I’d consider myself lucky. I know better now”

Beyond identity and societal conflict, the novel delves into themes of loyalty, friendship, the inevitability of growing up, and the pervasive presence of violence and loss. Ponyboy’s unwavering loyalty to his friends and brothers underscores the resilience of human connections amid adversity. The narrative unfolds as a coming-of-age story, with Ponyboy and Johnny forced to confront the harsh realities of adulthood, symbolized by their decision to save children from a burning church.

Violence becomes a recurrent motif, illustrating the futility of gang conflicts. The rumble between the greasers and the Socs encapsulates the cyclical nature of violence, emphasizing that such confrontations rarely yield the intended outcomes.

In conclusion, “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton transcends its narrative of gangs and conflicts to offer a profound exploration of identity, individuality, and societal dynamics. Through the lens of Ponyboy Curtis, readers witness the evolution of self-awareness amid the tumultuous backdrop of social upheaval, emphasizing the enduring relevance of these themes in the human experience.

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The Outsiders

Introduction to the outsiders.

This coming-of-age novel , The Outsiders, was written by S. E. Hinton in 1967 after he had a contract with Viking Press to print the story . It is, however, interesting that she started writing it when she was15 years old and finished it when she was still in high school the next year. It was published in 1967 when she was 18 years old. The novel presents the story of a class struggle between the Socs and the Greasers, the elite class and the downtrodden respectively. Ponyboy Curtis, the main character of the story, presents this saga in the first-person narrative . The popularity of the story could be gauged from the fact that it was adapted for television as well as cinema in 1983 and 1990 respectively.

Summary of The Outsiders

The story starts with Ponyboy Curtis, a greaser, due to their long greasy hair was stopped by the Socs after which the Greasers, including the Curtis brothers Sodapop and Darry and friends Johnny Cade, Two-Bit & Dally, reach to save Ponyboy from their teasing. To retaliate, the next night two Greasers meet two Socs’ girls Cherry and Marcia where Dally, one of the Greasers, faces consternation after Cherry, the Socs girl, spurns his advances. However, to Dally’s surprise, she rather accepts Ponyboy as her friend, a thing entirely unacceptable in the Socs circles. Later Two-Bit joins them, offering to drop the girls home. But on the way their drunk boyfriends Bob and Randy stops and wishes to thrash Johnny.

However, the things do not cross hot taunts from Bob, though, Cherry saves the day. This makes Ponyboy becomes delayed at which Darry thrashes him, but he flees from home to meet Johnny with whom he expresses his resentment for living with Darry, his elder brother, for his parents have left for their final abode in a recent roadside accident. Estranged with his brother, Ponyboy joins hands with Johnny to leave the house but both of them find themselves surrounded by five Socs including Bob. After an exchange of hot words, Ponyboy spurns the Socs but finds himself caught by them as they try to drown him in the pond at which Johnny becomes furious. He immediately takes out his knife and kills Bob on the spot, making others run for their lives.

After Johnny and Ponyboy come to their senses, they run to find Dally. He helps them with weapons and money and asks them to hide themselves in an abandoned church in Windrixville,  a deserted place by taking a freight train. At the church, they pass their time reciting Gone with the Wind and the poetry of Robert Frost , also try to disguise themselves by dyeing and cutting their hair. During their time in the church, they feel like real ‘Outsiders’. Soon they come to know the escalation between the Greasers and the Socs when Dally comes to inform them about it. He takes them to a Dairy Queen and informs them that Cherry is working as their spy and would testify that Johnny’s act of killing Bob was self-defense and also Bob was drunk that night.

Hearing this Johnny decides to surrender. When they are about to leave, they find themselves in the fire around them with some children also trapped who arrived there on a school trip. Ponyboy soon loses his senses, while Greasers enter the church to save the kids. He comes to his senses in the hospital and finds that Dally is also not injured but Johnny is bedridden since the roof has fallen on his back while saving the children. Soon his brother Darry arrives and breaks down, realizing Ponyboy that he cares much for him.

It transpires in the next day’s papers that the Greasers have declared Ponyboy and Johnny as their heroes but that Johnny would be tried for assassinating Bob, the Socs boy. Meanwhile, Two-Bit arrives to inform Ponyboy about the final rumble to end the rivalry and they contact Randy who feels remorse at the ensuing war between both the communities. When Ponyboy visits Johnny he sees his heart-wrenching condition but returns and meets Cherry who does not want to visit Johnny for killing Bob, her friend. After an exchange of bitter words, they reconcile. However, Dally appears for the rumble in which the Greasers have their day.

When Pony takes Dally to the hospital, they become aggrieved at his death, making Dally run amuck out of the hospital toward his home. He has fits of hysteria, telling his family that he has looted a grocery store and the police are chasing him. The Greasers hurry to save him. Unfortunately, it was too late as Dally pulls the ‘black object ’ from his waist band alerting the police to shoot him. Ponyboy loses his consciousness at this tragedy . Later, he is exonerated by the court for Bob’s assassination.

Soon Ponyboy, again, starts schooling but does not have the heart to continue after which he fails badly in English, though, the teacher assures him to pass him for his good work. When later, he opens the novel, Gone with the Wind, he finds a letter from Johnny writing him about his death and the burning of the church. He also advises him to study hard after which he tries again to pass English by writing his term paper for all the ‘Dallys’ in the world which in turn becomes the novel itself.

Major Themes in The Outsiders

• Anarchic Situation: The Outsiders presents the theme of an anarchic social situation in which different conflicts are going on side by side. There is a class conflict between the Socs and the Greasers as both communities are at loggerheads . Then there is a family conflict going on in the Curtis family that Darry does not like Ponyboy, though, later, he cries for him. There is another conflict between different groups of the Socs and the Greasers. It seems that the social fabric has crumbled under the weight of class discrimination, leading to this anarchic situation in which Bob and Johnny with several others become the fodder of prejudice and anarchy ensuing from this rivalry of two communities.
• Communal Discrimination: The novel shows the theme of communal discrimination through  Socs as they see condescendingly toward the Greasers and this community prejudice seeps into the psyche of individuals. Ponyboy hates Bob and his gang and attacks them when they meet on the way in which Johnny kills Bob, leading to riots and fire in the church as well as the death of Johnny. This communal discrimination occurs almost everywhere including the cinema and the highways and takes the lives of several persons from both communities.
• Empathy: The theme of empathy runs deep in the novel in the midst of the communal prejudice and racial hatred raging in the city. Several persons break the class stereotypical behavior. The first one to cross this boundary to feel empathy for any greaser is Cherry who becomes a friend of Ponyboy. She tries to mend matters between both communities and also between gangs. She sees things going bad to worse when she advises Ponyboy to be not hostile to the Socs. Randy also forces Ponyboy to feel sympathy for the Socs, and finally, he does this himself by starting his essay from a sympathetic note.
• Childhood Innocence: The novel shows the theme of childhood innocence in the midst of raging hatred, hostility, and discrimination as Ponyboy sees things differently from other boys of his gang. It is also that as Dally and Johnny, both, have shown hardened youth and Johnny goes on to stab Bob, while Dally becomes not only rough but also tough during the gang fights. This contrast shows that children are still innocent and the final cry of Dally for his brother, Ponyboy, shows that he still loves his brother.
• Individual Identity: The novel shows the collective identities through the Socs and the Greasers, two communities, so much so that individuals have very hard times finding their own identities. Johnny is otherwise a very good boy but kills Bob when he is with the Greasers’ lads. Ponyboy is an innocent boy who could argue with Cherry, the loving face of the Socs, and yet he leaves his own home. This identity even works on the micro level within the household as Ponyboy loses his identity to the group when Dally turns against him. When Bob dies, Ponyboy starts thinking about the conflict and its results, leading him to think about other boys.
• Conflict Between the Rich and the Poor: The novel shows the conflict between the rich and the poor through the groups, the Socs, and the Greasers. The bitter conflict ensues between both the communities only because of the acute poverty of the Greasers and the wealth of the Socs. Despite some commonalities such as Cherry Valance finds in Ponyboy, the differences continue to widen. Even the children find harmony with each other through their common thinking, yet the gang wars and deaths of some youths, such as Bob and Johnny, lead to widening this gulf.
• Lawlessness: The novel shows the theme of lawlessness through class difference, communal violence, and gang war/conflict. The class difference is clear in the hostility between the Socs and the Greasers, while communal violence has been shown in which Bob dies and the church is set on fire in the ensuing mob attacks. The conflict is also going on between the gangs of the Greasers and the Socs.
• Violence: The novel shows the theme of violence in the gang fight, church on fire, and the death of Bob and Johnny. Both the gangs from the Greasers and the Socs turn against one and another when the time suits each group. When Johnny stabs Bob the situation worsens, leading the mob to set the church on fire in which several people die a violent death.
• Minor Themes: Loyalty, education, isolation, sympathy, and love are some other minor themes.

Major Characters of The Outsiders

• Ponyboy Curtis: Ponyboy Curtis, the youngest of the Curtis family, is not only the protagonist of the novel but also its first person narrator from whose eyes the readers see the events of the story. His slangy and young voice lends credence to the events he has to go through as the greaser young member of just fourteen. Although he belongs to the Greasers, he also has a link with the Socs through Cherry and understands Darry as the dominating leader, while Dally and Two-Bit as dangerous and wise young persons. Although he stays loyal to his group, he learns through Cherry that the Socs and the Greasers have shared aims. Despite his ordinary nature and low background, he refers to some literary masterpieces, showing his interesting and cultured nature. He sees mob psychology taking over the crowds, burning the church where he hides with his friend after having a fierce brawl with the Socs gang. Thus, the novel ends with an introductory line of his story.
• Sodapop Curtis: Simply known as Soda, he is the elder brother of Ponyboy and is a highly energetic fellow interested only in movies and his own appearance. He impacts Ponyboy with his style and penchant for stylish personality, while his relationship with their elder brother, Darry, is somewhat complex and distant. As seen from the lens of Ponyboy, he, later, admits that he has not gone much deeper into his brother’s personality. In the end, he advises his brothers to patch up for the sake of family unity.
• Johnny Cade: He is the second important character of the novel and an adolescent Greaser having a sense of his being an invincible young boy of sixteen. Despite his broken family background, he leads the Greasers in forming a gang and having a sense of protection and justice against the attacks of the Socs. His sense of justice even spans over his own gang when he asks Dally to stop harassing the Socs girls. Although his act leads to estrangement against him in his gang, it gives him a sense of his personality. When the Socs gang attacks them, he braves the confrontation heroically and ends up in a hospital after his hiding place catches fire in the mob violence. He dies at the end of the novel as a martyr.
• Cherry Valance: This female character enters Ponyboy’s narrative and forms a good rapport with him after he asks his gang to stay away from girls, trying to mend fences with the Socs’ gang. However, it is interesting to see the Socs girl liking the greaser’s boys like Johnny and Ponyboy and talking to them. Despite their innocent relationship, Dally makes the water muddy for them, adding to their woes that Cherry dislikes. Despite these intimacies with the boys, she still has some group loyalties to which she sticks by the end.
• Darry Curtis: The eldest Curtis boy, Darry leads the family of three boys after the death of their parents. He shows his domineering behavior toward his younger brothers as Ponyboy leaves the house after he treats him badly. It is Darry who later incites violence in which Johnny stabs a Socs’ boy and causes mob violence. However, in the end, when Sodapop coaxes Ponyboy and makes him understand the adult role Darry has played, both of them patch up.
• Dallas Winston: Known as Dally in the story, Dallas is a teenager of 17 years, having sharp features and rough manners. On account of spending some period in the prison at a very young age, he has proved a tough fellow who keeps an eye on Johnny on account of his being the younger fellow among the Greasers. However, he is loyal to Ponyboy and stands by him.
• Two-Bit Mathews: A wisecracker, Two-Bit is also known as Keith who is a regular shoplifter. On account of his instigation, the two communities, the Socs and the Greasers come to blows.
• Steve Randle: A teen greaser, Steve is Sodapop’s friend and stays with him most of the time. A young boy of an athletic body, he is a tough opponent when it comes to fighting and feels Ponyboy’s company irritating.
• Randy Anderson: A Socs, Randy is Bob’s friend whom Johnny kills during a confrontation with the Socs. However, his attitude toward the Greasers stays reasonable and humanistic as he does not see any rationality in hostilities and fighting.
• Bob Sheldon: Bob is a minor character but he is at the center of the fight as Johnny kills him, during an inter-communal feud.

Writing Style of The Outsiders

The style of Hinton in the novel, The Outsiders, comprises constant use of foreshadowing to keep the readers on their toes about what is going to happen next. In this context , he has used very simple sentences that create suspense as well as predict future events. But one thing that makes this novel specifically Hintonian is that he uses a variety of sentences to make his readers feel being entertained, surprised, and puzzled simultaneously. The reason is that this epistolary type of style makes the readers feel the very voice of the beloved characters in their bones. For literary devices , Hinton turns toward allusions, metaphors , and similes.

Analysis of the Literary Devices in The Outsiders

• Action: The main action of the novel comprises the narrative of a greaser boy, Ponyboy and his life in the mob violence with the Socs. The rising action occurs when his close friend Johnny kills a Socs, Bob. The falling action occurs when the Greasers win the rumble.
• Anaphora : The below examples of anaphora are from the novel, i. One of them kept saying, “Shut him up, for Pete’s sake, shut him up!” (Chapter-1) ii. He likes Soda—everybody likes Soda— but he can’t stand me. (Chapter-3) iii. I walk in that house, and nobody says anything. I walk out, and nobody says anything. I stay away all night, and nobody notices. At least you got Soda. I ain’t got nobody.” (Chapter-3) These three examples show the repetitious use of “shut him up”, “likes”, and “nobody says anything.”
• Allusion : The novel shows examples of allusions as given below, i. We killed time by reading Gone with the Wind and playing poker. Johnny sure did like that book, although he didn’t know anything about the Civil War and even less about plantations, and I had to explain a lot of it to him. (Chapter-6) ii. Robert Frost wrote it. He meant more to it than I’m gettin’ though.” I was trying to find the meaning the poet had in mind, but it eluded me. “I always remembered it because I never quite got what he meant by it.” (Chapter-5) The first example refers to a novel, the American Civil War, while the second refers to a popular American poet, Robert Frost.
• Antagonist : The Socs gangs are the main antagonists who raise obstacles for Ponyboy.
• Conflict : The novel shows both external and internal conflicts. The external conflict is going on between the Greasers and the Socs, while the internal or mental conflict is going on in the mind of Ponyboy about his relations as well as his role in the tussle between the two communities.
• Characters: The Outsiders has both static as well as dynamic characters . Ponyboy and Johnny Cade are dynamic characters as they show a considerable transformation in their behavior and conduct by the end of the novel. However, all other characters are static as they do not show or witness any transformation such as Dally, Cherry, Sodapop, Dallas, and Bob.
• Climax : The climax in the novel occurs when the Socs set the church on fire and Johnny and Ponyboy try their best to save the children.
• Imagery : The examples of imagery from the novel are given below, i. The dawn was coming then. All the lower valley was covered with mist, and sometimes little pieces of it broke off and floated away in small clouds. The sky was lighter in the east, and the horizon was a thin golden line. The clouds changed from gray to pink, and the mist was touched with gold. There was a silent moment when everything held its breath, and then the sun rose. It was beautiful. (Chapter-5) ii. he was a little woman, with straight black hair and big black eyes like Johnny’s. But that was as far as the resemblance went. Johnnycake’s eyes were fearful and sensitive; hers were cheap and hard. (Chapter-8) These two examples show images of sight, color, sound, and emotions.
• Metaphor : The Outsiders has sentences with metaphors as given below, i. We killed time by reading Gone with the Wind and playing poker. (Chapter-5) ii. There was an uneasy silence : Who was going to start it? Darry solved the problem. (Chapter-9) These examples show that several things have been compared directly in the novel such as the first shows time and silence as animals or human beings.
• Mood : The novel, The Outsiders, shows a very bitter and rebellious mood in the beginning and becomes violent in the middle after which it shows a calm and peaceful mood.
• Motif : Most important motifs of the novel are the literature, color, class, and consciousness of Ponyboy.
• Narrator : The novel is narrated from a first person narrator, Ponyboy Curtis. Therefore, he is also the protagonist of the story.
• Paradox : The below sentences are paradoxes examples from the novel, i. He’s always happy-go-lucky and grinning, while Darry’s hard and firm and rarely grins at all. (Chapter-1) ii. It seems funny to me that he should look just exactly like my father and act exactly the opposite from him. (Chapter-1) Both of these examples show that the writer has put paradoxical ideas or things together.
• Personification : The examples of personifications are given below, i. The pool was empty now in the fall, but the fountain was going merrily. Tall elm trees made the park shadowy and dark. (Chapter-4) ii. A cool deadly bluff could sometimes shake them off, but not if they outnumbered you five to two and were drunk. (Chapter-4) iii. My hair looked funny, scattered over the floor in tufts. “It’s lighter than I thought it was,” I said, examining it. “Can I see what I look like now? (Chapter-5) iv. There was an uneasy silence: Who was going to start it? Darry solved the problem. (Chapter-9) These examples show as if the fountain, bluff, hair, and silence have life and emotions of their own.
• Protagonist : Ponyboy Curtis is the protagonist of the novel. The novel starts with his entry in the story immediately when he starts narrating it and ends with his transformation.
• Repetition : The repetition examples from the book are giving below, i. I winced inside. I’ve told you I can’t stand it that Soda dropped out. “He’s a dropout,” I said roughly. “Dropout” made me think of some poor dumb-looking hoodlum wandering the streets breaking out street lights— it didn’t fit my happy-go-lucky brother at all. (Chapter-2) ii. “Rat race is a perfect name for it,” she said. “We’re always going and going and going, and never asking where. (Chapter-3) iii.Remembering. Remembering a handsome, dark boy with a reckless grin and a hot temper. A tough, tow-headed boy with a cigarette in his mouth and a bitter grin on his hard face. Remembering— and this time it didn’t hurt— a quiet, defeatedlooking sixteen-year-old whose hair needed cutting badly and who had black eyes with a frightened expression to them. (Chapter-10) These examples show “dropout”, “going” and “remembering” repeated several times in the sentences.
• Setting : The setting of the novel, The Outsiders, is Tulsa area in Oklahoma, possibly in mid-1960s.
• Simile : The examples of similes from the novel are given below, i. You know how it is, when you wake up in a strange place and wonder where in the world you are, until memory comes rushing over you like a wave. (Chapter-5) ii. The water from it was like liquid ice and it tasted funny, but it was water. (Chapter-5) iii. But I realized that these three appealed to me because they were like the heroes in the novels I read. (Chapter-5) iv. Curly, who was a tough, cool, hard-as-nails Tim in miniature, and I had once played chicken by holding our cigarette ends against each other’s fingers. (Chapter-9) v. The excitement was catching. Screeching like an Indian, Steve went running across the lawn in flying leaps, stopped suddenly, and flipped backward. (Chapter-9) These are similes as the use of the words “like” and “as” showing a comparison in the first memory with the wave, in the second water with ice, in the third persons with heroes, in the fourth hardness with nails, and in the fourth screeching with an Indian.

Post navigation

• The Outsiders

S.E. Hinton

• Literature Notes
• Book Summary
• About The Outsiders
• Character List
• Summary and Analysis
• Character Analysis
• Ponyboy Curtis
• Darry and Sodapop Curtis
• Johnny Cade
• Dallas (Dally) Winston
• Sherri (Cherry) Valance
• Bob Sheldon
• Randy Adderson
• Character Map
• S.E. Hinton Biography
• Critical Essays
• Themes in The Outsiders
• The Movie versus the Book
• Has Society Changed?
• Full Glossary for The Outsiders
• Essay Questions
• Practice Projects
• Cite this Literature Note

The Outsiders is about two weeks in the life of a 14-year-old boy. 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.

Ponyboy and his two brothers — Darrel (Darry), who is 20, and Sodapop, who is 16 — have recently lost their parents in an automobile accident. Pony and Soda are allowed to stay under Darry's guardianship as long as they all behave themselves. The boys are greasers, a class term that refers to the young men on the East Side, the poor side of town. The greasers' rivals are the Socs, short for Socials, who are the "West-side rich kids."

The story opens with Pony walking home alone from a movie; he is stopped by a gang of Socs who proceed to beat him up. The Socs badly injure and threaten to kill Ponyboy; however, some of his gang happen upon the scene and run the Socs off. This incident sets the tone for the rest of the story, because the event tells the reader that a fight between these two groups needs no provocation.

The next night Pony and two other gang members, Dallas Winston (Dally) and Johnny Cade, go to a drive-in movie. There they meet Sherri (Cherry) Valance and her friend Marcia, who have left their Soc boyfriends at the drive-in because the boys were drinking. Dally leaves after giving the girls a hard time, but another greaser, Two-Bit Mathews, joins Pony and Johnny. The boys offer to walk the girls home after the movie, but along the way, the girls' boyfriends reappear and threaten to fight the greasers. Cherry stops the fight from happening, and the girls leave with their boyfriends.

Pony and Johnny go to a vacant lot to hang out before heading home. They fall asleep, and when Johnny wakes Pony up it's 2 a.m. Pony runs home, because the time is way past his curfew, and Darry is waiting up. Darry is furious with Pony and, in the heat of the moment, he hits him. Pony runs out of the house and returns to the lot to find Johnny. Pony wants to run away, but instead they go to the park to cool off before heading back home.

At the park, Cherry's and Marcia's boyfriends reappear. Pony and Johnny are outnumbered, and the Socs grab Ponyboy and shove him face first into the fountain, holding his head under the water. Realizing that Ponyboy is drowning, Johnny panics, pulls his switchblade, and kills the Soc, Bob.

Ponyboy and Johnny seek out Dally for help in running away to avoid being arrested for Bob's murder. He gives them $50 and directions to a hideout outside of town. The boys hop a freight train and find the hideout where they are to wait until Dally comes for them. Hiding in an abandoned, rural church, they feel like real outsiders, with their greased, long hair and general hoody appearance. They both cut their hair, and Pony colors his for a disguise. They pass the time in the church playing cards and reading aloud from Gone with the Wind .

Dally shows up after a week, and takes them to the Dairy Queen in Windrixville. Thanks to Dally, the police think that the boys are headed for Texas. Dally also brings them the news that Cherry Valance is now being a spy for the greasers, and helping them out against the Socs. She has also testified that Bob was drunk the night of his death and that she was sure that the killing had been in self-defense.

Johnny decides that he has a chance now, and announces that he wants to turn himself in. They head back to the church and discover that it is on fire. A school group is there, apparently on some kind of outing, and little kids are trapped inside. Without thinking, Pony and Johnny race inside and rescue the kids. As they are handing the kids outside to Dally, the burning roof collapses. Pony barely escapes, but a piece of timber falls on Johnny, burning him badly and breaking his back. The boys, now viewed as heroes, are taken via ambulance back to town, where Pony reunites with his brothers.

Johnny dies of his injuries. Dally is overcome with grief, and he robs a grocery store. He flees the police and calls the gang from a telephone booth, asking them to pick him up in the vacant lot and take him to a hiding place. The police chase Dally to the lot, and as the gang watches, Dally pulls a "black object" from his waistband and the officers shoot him.

The senselessness of all the violent events traumatizes Pony, but he deals with his grief and frustration by writing this book for all of the "Dallys" in the world.

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The Outsiders

S. e. hinton, everything you need for every book you read..

Despite the greasers' reputation as heartless young criminals, they live by a specific and honorable code of friendship, and there are many instances in which gang and family members make selfless choices. These choices often reflect a desire to make life better for the next generation of youths. Darry forfeited a college scholarship for a full-time manual labor job in order to support his younger brothers. Dally , who seems not to care about anything, demonstrates great loyalty to and compassion for his friends and for strangers in need. He helps Johnny and Ponyboy slip away to the rural town of Windrixville after Bob's stabbing, and he plays a key role in the church fire rescue. Dally's death is the ultimate tribute to Johnny, without whom life seemed meaningless. Ponyboy's essay is a different and perhaps more powerful response to Johnny's death. He honors both of his deceased friends by telling their story, an act of generosity intended to benefit the greater community.

Self-Sacrifice and Honor ThemeTracker

Self-Sacrifice and Honor Quotes in The Outsiders