Choose one of the following to describe and discuss the themes, character development and author’s craft in the novel. Your essay should include specific textual evidence, relevant information and specific elaborated details to support your ideas, and should be 500-1000 words.
1.
How does the author use thoughts, actions and events to develop the characters’ personalities? Use specific examples from the story to discuss how the reader learns about at least three of the characters.
2.
What are some possible themes of The Outsiders? Explore one or more themes conveyed by the author and support your ideas with specific quotes from the novel.
3.
A dynamic character is one who changes over the course of the story.
Choose a dynamic character and explain how he or she changes over the course of the story using specific examples from the story that show the changes.

4. Johnny and Ponyboy watch a sunrise together and Ponyboy recites this poem by Robert Frost:
Nothing Gold Can Stay
Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf,
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day
Nothing gold can stay.
Johnny tells Ponyboy to “stay gold”. What do you think he means? Do you think Ponyboy will stay gold? Explain your choice using specific examples from the story to support your answer.
5. S. E. Hinton uses the symbolism of sunsets and sunrises several times in the novel. Why do you think she made this choice and what message does it convey to the reader? Use specific examples from the story to support your answer.