The Outsiders Novel by S.E. Hinton

Study Notes

Published in 1967 by S.E. Hinton
A young adult novel that shows the lives of "greasers" from the wrong side of the tracks
The story is about the coming-of-age journey of Ponyboy, the main character

The story takes place over one summer and follows Ponyboy Curtis and his friends, a gang of "greasers"
The opposing gang is called the Socs, representing the "have's" and the "have-nots"
Ponyboy and his friends face poverty, grief, loss, and violence, and the story shows how these issues affect their lives

Chapter 1: Introduced to Ponyboy, his family, and the rivalry between the greasers and Socs
Chapter 2: Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally go to a drive-in and get into a verbal altercation with a Soc girl, Cherry Valance
Chapter 3: Ponyboy and Johnny walk Cherry home, and Ponyboy opens up about his feelings towards his brother Darry
Chapter 4: The Socs attack Ponyboy and Johnny, leading to Johnny killing Bob in self-defense
Chapter 5: Ponyboy and Johnny hide out in an abandoned church, and Ponyboy reads to Johnny from a book of poetry
Chapter 6: Johnny decides to turn himself in for Bob's murder, and Ponyboy and Johnny try to rescue children from a burning church
Chapter 7: Ponyboy and his brothers learn about the aftermath of the church fire and the consequences of Johnny's actions
Chapter 8: Ponyboy and Two-Bit visit Dally and Johnny in the hospital, and Ponyboy learns that Johnny may not survive
Chapter 9: The greasers prepare for a rumble against the Socs
Chapter 10: The rumble takes place, and the greasers win, but Johnny dies soon after
Chapter 11: Ponyboy struggles to come to terms with Johnny's death and the events that followed
Chapter 12: Ponyboy writes an autobiographical theme for his English class, reflecting on the events of the novel

Ponyboy Curtis: The main character, a 14-year-old who has lost his parents and is struggling to find his place in his family
Darryl (Darry) Curtis: Ponyboy's oldest brother, who is the guardian of his brothers after their parents' deaths
Sodapop Curtis: Ponyboy's middle brother, who is kind and handsome
Johnny Cade: A member of the gang who is frail and sensitive, but also brave and heroic
Dallas Winston: A tough and troubled member of the gang who considers the gang to be his family
Sherri "Cherry" Valance: A Soc girl who is kind and understanding, and helps Ponyboy to see the similarities between the greasers and Socs

The Outsiders was published in 1967 and was controversial at the time due to its portrayal of gang violence and strong language
The novel has stood the test of time and is a common book in many English curriculums in America today
S.E. Hinton wrote The Outsiders in her teens, based on the types of things she saw taking place in her own community
The novel is often credited with inventing the young adult category of literature