1960’s America
The world of The Outsiders
General Setting
The Outsiders
presumably takes
place in Tulsa,
Oklahoma, where
S.E. Hinton grew up.
We mostly see the
east side of the city,
from the perspective
of the Greasers.
Fashion
During the time period
of the novel, Soc
“types” would wear
madras shirts and
khakis. You can see
an example of typical
clothing below.
Madras Shirts
Hair Grease
James Dean embodied
the cultivated Greaser
image. Leather jacket,
jeans, white t-shirt
and boots were typical
of boys who emulated
the free and
uncontrolled lifestyle
Dean seemed to live.
Music and Film
Here are some images of popular artists and movies.
Elvis Presley
The Beatles
Beach movies
The Beach Boys
Paul Newman
Drive-ins
Watching
movies at the
drive-in theatre
was a popular
thing to do,
especially for
teenagers.
The car culture
was a big part
of society.
You’ll notice
that cars are
often mentioned
in the novel.
Cars
Here are two cars and a
gas station that are
mentioned in the novel.
Chevy Corvair
1965 Ford Mustang
DX Gas Station
Drive-in Restaurants
These restaurants were a typical place to take a date. They were
also where gangs hung out.
The American Dream
Happiness for the characters of The Outsiders was a girl, a
car, some money, a strong group of friends, and probably an
ice-cold bottle of soda.
How much has changed?