The Outsiders (novel)
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For the comic book characters, see Outsiders (comics).
The Outsiders is a novel written by S.E. Hinton and first published in 1967. Hinton wrote and had the book published when she was just 16 years old. The book is about rival gangs from different sides of the tracks. Although some would say that the greasers were considered to be outsiders, the title "The Outsiders" can be seen as referring to both groups and how they both are set back by economic or social or creative limits. The group fails to gain any standing even when they save kids from a burning church. The newspaper headlines read "Juvenile Delinquents Turn Hero".
The Outsiders was #38 of the American Library Association's top 100 banned books of 1990. The book was challenged in South Milwaukee because of violence, language, drug and alcohol abuse content and "virtually all the characters were from broken homes."
A movie adaptation of the novel was made in 1983 by Francis Ford Coppola. It starred C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, as well as brat-packers Patrick Swayze, Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, and Tom Cruise. Tom Waits also makes a cameo. Matt Dillon went on to star in the related film, Rumble Fish.
Plot summary
The main characters are Ponyboy Michael Curtis, Johnny Cade, Steve Randle, Dallas Winston, Darry Curtis, Two-Bit Mathews and Sodapop Curtis. The story is narrated by Ponyboy, who has two brothers named Darry & Sodapop. The three boys are orphaned after a tragic accident. Darry is the eldest brother, who works hard to keep a roof over his brothers' heads, and tries to keep them out of the "Boys Home". Darry punches Ponyboy because he came home late one evening since he unwillingly fell asleep at a vacant lot. Out of his anger, Darry slaps him, which sends Ponyboy reeling out the door and running back to the abandoned lot where his best friend, Johnny, is. Johnny's father is abusive, and his mom was just plain mean, so he avoids going home as much as possible. Johnny and Ponyboy then go to a nearby playground to smoke and to let Ponyboy calm down before going back home. This is where the story takes a huge turn. The "Socs" drive by, mainly to hassle the two greasers because they had "picked up" two of the Soc girls earlier. In reality, they were just walking them home, but the Soc guys were seeing red and didn't care.
The Socs proceed to chase after the two boys and manage to get Ponyboy in a headlock, and attempt to drown him. Johnny takes out his switchblade and kills one of the boys - who ends up being the boyfriend of one of the girls that Ponyboy befriends, known as Cherry for her red hair. Naturally, Ponyboy and Johnny are scared out of their wits, and since Pony doesn't want to risk getting thrown into a Boys Home (or suffer Darry's wrath), he and Johnny run to seek help from Dallas Winston. Dally is the tough guy of the group. Pony and Johnny figure he will know how to help them. He gives them a loaded gun, money, and directions to an abandoned church to hide out in until the boy's murder loses its steam.
The boys hide out at the church for awhile, and change their appearance so the cops won't find him, and then Dally comes to visit to see how they are and to give them news from home. He admits that the police are chasing false leads, and then takes them to get some food. On the way back, they see that the church they had been staying in is burning - due to a cigarette that hadn't been properly snuffed out. Johnny and Pony immediately go offer their help. They find that an elementary school group on a field trip of some sort decided to stop for a bit - and some kids are trapped in the burning building. Pony and Johnny go in and rescues the kids. Dally ran after them because he thought they were in trouble. Sadly enough, a burning piece of the steeple hits Johnny and breaks his back. Dally gets a burn from dragging Pony out of the building, and Pony gets smoke inhalation.
Unfortunately, Johnny passes away. Dallas takes this very hard, runs away, attempts to rob a gas station, and then ends up getting himself killed when he bluffs the cops with an unloaded gun, or heater, as they call it.
At this point, Ponyboy decides not to go "tough" like Dally and to take his studies seriously. He wants to "Stay Gold" (referring to how he digs sunsets)- like Johnny urges him to do, in the letter he gives to him before he dies. The story ends with Ponyboy writing the beginning of the story.
Other books by S.E. Hinton