The Outsiders
S.E. Hinton
Sandra Ahnstrom
Extension Project
Language Arts & Technology
Fall 2005
About the book
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“A heroic story of friendship and
belonging. Ponyboy can count on his
brothers. And on his friends. But not on
much else besides trouble with the Socs, a
vicious gang of rich kids whose idea of a
good time is beating up “greasers” like
Ponyboy. At least he knows what to
expect – until the night someone takes
things too far.”
Greasers
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The switchblade
represents strength and
power. The Greasers, the
lower class, felt safer
when carrying this
defense. It was their
choice of weapon against
harm that may come
from the opposing social
group, the Socs.
Socs
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The blue Mustang
represents the upper
class Socs. It stands for
money power and
authority.
It was Bob’s rings,
symbols of wealth, that
were used to cut up
Johnny’s face so badly
the day he was left for
dead.
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The cigarette is a symbol of the lower class. Many of
the Greasers started smoking at an early age. It made
them feel older and helped them to fit into their group.
Later it became a way of passing time and keeping calm.
The drive in movie theatre was a place where the Greasers
and the Socs shared the same turf. Both social groups
enjoyed the theatre together. It was a place where they
could co-exist.
The horse represents
innocence. Soda’s horse,
Mickey Mouse, connects the
boys to youth. Soda enjoyed
the horse as a young boy.
When the horse was sold,
Soda was devastated. He
shared a special bond with the
horse that he could not again
duplicate.
The Curtis boys also shared an extraordinary bond
with their parents, unlike any of the other boys in
their group. When their parents were killed, it truly
was a life lost. A time that they could never get
back. They now fight to stay together and form new
bonds with each other that they didn’t know could
exist.
A turning point
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Dally’s invitation for Johnny
and Ponyboy to join him for
some food at he Dairy Queen
was truly a turning point in the
story. It was here that Johnny
announced that he was turning
himself in to the police.
It was also at the Dairy Queen
where Ponyboy and Randy met
up. Ponyboy realized that
although they were very
different, they were all just
guys.
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The church was a safe
haven for both Ponyboy
and Johnny. It was a
hideout for them as they
were hiding from the
crime that was
committed. It was a
place that allowed them
to be themselves and
reflect on their lives.
Later, it was the burning
church that allowed them
to show their true colors.
Johnny and Dally both ended
up in the hospital after their
heroic rescues saving several
students from the burning
church. They ran in despite
the danger of the falling roof.
As a result of their actions
they both died significant
deaths.
My Reflection
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This story is classic. Although the degrees of it may vary, I think that most
people have experienced the situations depicted in this storyline. Our world
revolves around money, social class, family and fitting in. This is a story
that constantly repeats itself time and time again throughout history. From
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to West Side Story, the idea is still the
same. It forced me to take a step back and realize that there is always a
bigger picture to life. From the best cars and the best house to the best for
our children. Life is a constant battle to get ahead and be the best.
Hopefully we learn some of life’s important lessons along the way.
I would rate my presentation as expert. My project clearly communicates
the meaning of the book. It is well organized in the fact that I presented
my material in the order that it occurred. It was visually creative and
artistic. Each slide looked different and I chose the background because it
reflected my feelings as I read the story. I chose details that I felt were
relevant to the story without telling everything. I set my presentation up to
make people want to read the story and fill in the details. I really enjoyed
the book and will probably read it again.
Pictures courtesy of:
Google.com
Images
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Book cover - www.saintpaulreads.org/.../ uploads/Outsiders.jpg
Switch blade - www.nostalgia-unlimited.com/ Misc.html
Car - photos1.blogger.com/.../ 1141/900/BlueMustang.jpg
Rings - www.skriechbaum.com/ _borders/Ring001.jpg
Cigarette - news.adventist.org/.../ 0987539258/index.html.en
Drive in theatre - wwwgarage.com/ images/ronnies1.jpg
Horse - www.sos.mo.gov/.../ symbols.asp?symbol=horse
Family - www.franciscanretreats.net/ 47-Family/Family-B...
Church - www.foxriverlutheran.org/ images/church%20001.jpg
Hospital - www.gesher.org/.../ Ethiopia/Hospital%20Scene.jpg
Dairy Queen - www.interstatedq.com/