LS 5623 The Outsiders

Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders. 1967. Reprint, Penguin Group: New York, 1995.

ISBN: 0-14-038572-X

Ponyboy and the gang of greasers he hangs out with: Two-Bit, Steve, Dally, Johnny, and his brothers, Soda and Darry, figure there is nothing more to life that what they have now. The almost daily taunts from the “Socs” and looks of disgusts from most everyone else is just a part of life for those form the wrong side of the tracks. Being the youngest brother, Ponyboy struggles to maintain a separate identity from his older brothers and to retain a burgeoning friendship with a Soc girl named Cherry. Ponyboy also knows he can depend on his gang but when he and Johnny get messed up by some Socs and Johnny does something he regrets in the heat of the moment, it will take more than his gang to get him out of trouble.

The Outsiders by S. E Hinton is a classic with good reason. Originally published in 1967 as a contemporary novel, it still speaks to the reader today, more than forty years later. Ponyboy’s conflict with wanting to do right with his gang and a blossoming realization that some “Socs” have insecurities just like he does leads, in roundabout way, to better understanding of family and social class. The use of foreshadowing of things to come move the plot along and keeps readers interested, as when Ponyboy, after an encounter with oldest brother, Darry, walks with Johnny to a park to get his emotions under control: “Things gotta get better, I figured. They couldn’t get worse. I was wrong.” Today’s teens can relate to Ponyboy’s battle with peer pressure and the need to fit in while struggling themselves to realize their own identity.

The March 1, 1990 edition of Booklist notes “realistically written, this action-filled novel with a touch of romance appeals to almost all young adolescents.” Teens may be interested in viewing the movie --Hinton’s character descriptions are vivid -- to compare the actors with the character’s descriptions.