"The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton

A fast paced book about sticking together. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton follows a young man named Ponyboy, as he navigates the world he’s in. He struggles to find his place in his family and world which is divided into two rival gangs, the Socs, who are more up-scale, and the Greasers. Ponyboy and his brothers are Greasers which are the lower class gang that are considered less educated and civil. S.E. Hinton is a young adult writer, who wrote The Outsiders while in high school during the time her high school was subject to many gang conflicts, which along with her lack of exposure to fiction books became the inspiration for the novel. Originally Hinton didn’t plan on publishing the novel, instead writing it for her personal enjoyment, but when she did finally publish the novel she used initials to avoid problems because of her gender.

The Greasers are constantly at odds with their rival gang, the Socs. One night, a fight breaks out between the two gangs, and Ponyboy's friend, Johnny, hits a Soc with a bottle, accidentally killing him. Ponyboy and Johnny then leave town to avoid being arrested for the murder. Before fleeing, they get help from their friend Dally who gives them a gun, money and little food. They hide out in an abandoned church, where they confront their own feelings about themselves and their place in the world. Eventually, they turn themselves in and are brought to trial, where they are ultimately cleared of th

e charges. The conflict in the book is clearly defined from the beginning to the end, conflict between the two gangs and Ponyboy’s place in that rivalry. It’s originally introduced when Ponyboy’s oldest brother Darry, is over controlling and protective over him. None of the members of their gang take him very seriously, not letting him participate in many of the fights or rumbles. The conflict comes to an end when after the trial resolves, Ponyboy is allowed to join the gang in a rumble. However, a conversation with a Soc member changes his view or futhers his opinion in how he feels about fighting. In the end he decides that there is no point in fighting and that the rewards to fighting don’t make up for all of the hurt it causes on both sides. The author chose to write The Outsiders in first person with Ponyboy narrating, so everything written is from his point of view and seen through his eyes. Hinton uses a lot of terminology and dialogue that is used for a more relaxed writing style to represent the way teenagers in those groups talked. I like how the writing style portrays what these teenagers in these situations would say and act like.

I really enjoyed the ideas that were presented in the book, but I felt that the execution was somewhat rushed due to the limited length of the book. In my opinion, a longer book would have allowed for a more in-depth exploration of the ideas, rather than having them feel rushed or incomplete. That being said, I still found the book to be highly engaging and thought-provoking, as it tackled a range of issues that are commonly faced by mostly teenagers but also people of other older ages. These issues included self-identity, relationships, and personal growth, all of which are important topics that are often on the minds of young people. In addition, the book was also well-written and engaging, with relatable characters and a compelling plot. I think it would be particularly appealing to a teenage audience, but I believe it has broad appeal and could be enjoyed by readers of all ages. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an interesting and enjoyable read. It's definitely worth purchasing, in my opinion, as it offers useful insights and is a good reading experience.

By, Ellis Howe