Author
• S.E.Hinton
Early pictures
of Hinton
• S.E. stands for Susan
Eloise
• Hinton’s publishers
worried her work
would not be
respected coming
from a woman, since
it dealt with male
characters and violent
conflicts
• S.E.Hinton
• Created the genderneutral author name
• She began The
Outsides at the age of
fifteen
Background Information
• Background of The
Outsiders
– Date of Publication
– Inspiration
– Major Conflict
• 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, Con’t
A poster from the hit film
• The Outsiders
features many
references to the
1960s: Elvis, Beatles,
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
Literary Focus
Literary Focus
– Point of View
• First Person
– Narrator and
Protagonist
• Ponyboy
– Antagonist
• Social Groups
• Literary Focus
– Genre
– Setting (TIME)
– Setting (PLACE)
– Tone
• Adult Fiction
• Mid-1960s
• Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Youthful, rebellious,
simplistic,
melodramatic
• Literary Focus,
CON’T
– Themes
Although they
present a tough
exterior, the
greasers feel
emotion and
show a great
deal of love for
their “gang”
brothers
• Rich vs. Poor
• Class Differences
• Transcending Social
Divisions
• Man’s Struggles and
Fears
• Honor and Loyalty
• Man’s Ability to
Sacrifice
• Male-Female
Interactions
• Male Bonding
• Symbols
– Cars
• Cars represent the
Socs’ power and the
greasers’ vulnerability
• Socs’ are physically
vulnerable and must
work on the cars of
the rich, wealthy Socs
The greasers work
on the nice cars; the
socs drive them
• Symbols
– Greaser Hair
A few famous
people have
sported the greaser
look
• Rebellion against
society
• Cannot afford
physical items to
make them stand out
(ie cars), must use
their hair to stand out
• Most men in society
during the 1960s
wore their hair short
Overview
•
PLOT OVERVIEW
• Ponyboy Curtis is part of
a lower-class gang called
the greasers. They are at
odds with a group of rich
kids called the Socs
• The greasers become
involved with some of the
Socs’ girls and this
elevates tensions
between the groups
• PLOT OVERVIEW,
CON’T
• Ponyboy is nearly
killed by a Soc and
his fellow greaser,
Johnny saves his life
• Johnny, however
must kill a soc in the
process
• OVERVIEW, CON’T
A cycle of violence continues
throughout the novel
• A rumble is organized to
settle the differences
between the two groups
• In the process other
characters die,
sometimes needlessly,
and sometimes heroically
• The novel ends with
Ponyboy writing about his
fallen friends for English
class, which ends up
being the novel itself (he
is the narrator)
Characters
• Characters
– Ponyboy Curtis
• Narrator and
protagonist
• Different from the rest
of the greasers: has
interests literature
and school
• Reliable and
observant
• Rocky home life and
relationship with older
brother, Darry
• Darrell “Darry” Curtis
• Ponyboy’s oldest
brother
• Raised his brothers
after the death of their
parents in a car crash
• Works two jobs
• Strong, athletic and
intelligent
• Nicknamed
“Superman”
• Dallas “Dally” Winston • The toughest hood in
Ponboy’s group
• A hardened teen who
used to run gangs in
New York
• Does not put grease
in his hair.
• Tim Shepard
• Leader of another
group of greasers
• Sodapop Curtis
• Cherry and Marcia
• Happy and attractive
older brother of
Ponyboy
• Soc girls who become
interested in the
greasers
• Randy Adderson
• Soc who eventually
see the pointlessness
of fighting the
greasers
• If the most redeeming
soc character
• Johnny Cade
• Parent are abusive
and drunks
• Nervous and sensitive
• Greasers are his
family more than his
parents
• Two-Bit Mathews
• The joker of
Ponyboy’s group
• Steve Randle
• Sodapop’s best friend
• Talent of stealing hub
caps
• Cocky, aware and
smart
This guy might look a little familiar