The Outsiders: An Engaging and Heartbreaking Story That I Will Never Forget
The Outsiders is a beloved young adult fiction novel by award-winning author S.E. Hinton that even inspired a movie of the same name. At first glance, it tells the story of Ponyboy Curtis, a young “greaser,” whose life is changed forever once he must face the horrible consequences of the deadly events that ensued one night. However, all those who have read this novel know that the story it actually tells goes much deeper than the surface. They also know that once you begin this thrilling novel, you will not be able to put it down.
Ponyboy belongs to a gang called the “greasers” who are rivals with the upper-class “Socials.” In his neighborhood, trouble and violence are a large part of everyday life to a great extent. Despite this, he trusts that his brothers, Darry and Sodapop and his friends Two-Bit and Johnny, as well as other greasers will stand by him at any cost. One night, however, Darry impulsively hits Ponyboy, causing him to run away with Johnny.
They are later stopped by a group of Socials, and after arguing, Ponyboy spits at them. The Socials are enraged and proceed to drown him in a fountain. Luckily, Ponyboy is saved by Johnny and wakes with the Socials gone. However, he is horrified when he learns that in order to keep Ponyboy alive, Johnny had to resort to violence and ended up killing one of the Socials. With nowhere else to go, the two find Dally, another older greaser, who supplies them with money and a loaded gun. He instructs them to go into hiding and promises that he will come to them soon.
The days that follow are difficult for both Ponyboy and Johnny, as they realize that their life will truly never be the same and struggle to face new realities. Soon enough, Dally comes to visit them in the church they have sought refuge in. He gives them the news that after the Social’s death, the two rival gangs are essentially at war with one another. Johnny decides to turn himself in, but as they leave, they see that the church had caught fire and heroically go in to rescue the children who are stuck inside. They manage to accomplish their goal, but Ponyboy loses consciousness through he chaos and tumult of the fire.
He awakes in the hospital to find out that he and Dally are not in any danger, but sadly, this is not the case for Johnny. A piece of the roof’s church fell on his back, leaving it broken. Darry and Sodapop arrive at the hospital, and once Darry becomes emotional at the sight of Ponyboy, he realizes that Darry only cares about his safety and is worried about him; he does not want to treat Ponyboy the way he often has to.
Later, the greasers and Socs decide to have one final fight to resolve their recent conflicts and feuding. Ultimately, the greasers are victorious after the rather barbaric brawl, but their triumph does not last too long: Dallas and Ponyboy arrive back at the hospital to see Johnny’s final breaths. Afterward, once Ponyboy is back home, they receive a call from Dally informing them that the police are looking for him and he has just robbed a store. Pony and his friends find him as he us pointing a gun that is not loaded at the police, but because they are unaware of this, they kill him. Ponyboy soon realizes that it was Dally’s intention to die, and so he did.
In the wake of both Dally’s and Johnny’s deaths, Ponyboy’s life has greatly changed: not only does not feel hale after the fight, but once he goes back to school, he does do as well as he had been before. However, his English teacher, Mr. Syme, offers to let him pass the class if he writes a piece, and Ponyboy decides to do it about what has happened recently. His work is essentially what later becomes the book The Outsiders, as they begin with the same sentence. And there is where the classic tale of Ponyboy and the greasers ends, and, from one angle, the novel comes full circle and ends where it once started. The only difference, of course, is the change in Ponyboy himself, both in his knowledge and, arguably, his maturity, after his recent experiences.
There are many aspects of The Outsiders that make it such a phenomenal novel, but one of the most well-done parts of it is our beloved protagonist, Ponyboy Curtis. Most agree that The Outsiders is a coming-of-age or Bildungsroman novel due to the experiences that Ponyboy grows through that teach him and help shape him. However, it is also conceivable that Ponyboy’s personality did not change, but rather, his many encounters throughout the story simply uncovered parts of him that both he and the readers did not know he had, including and especially his courage and heroism.
Additionally, The Outsiders is an incredibly touching novel, with the ability to make you smile as well as cry. It is reasonable to say that one of the most sorrowful moments in the book was Johnny’s death at such a young age. After all, the only reason Johnny killed the Soc was for Ponyboy; it was simply a way of defending his friend. So, essentially, Johnny is not the one at fault. What made his death even more saddening was the fact that he was injured whilst saving many children from their deaths, despite Dallas’ advice against it.
Even so, our heartbreak as readers did not end there: Dallas’ death only a few pages later was equally tragic. Johnny meant a lot to him, and vice versa, so it only made his death that much more difficult for him. It is feasible to assume that he believed that there was only a single way to continue after Johnny’s death and that by ending his life. And it was clearly mentioned that Dally always got what he wanted, so his demise, albeit devastating, made perfect sense in the story. Though Dally might not have been our favorite at the beginning of the novel, by the end, we couldn’t help but sympathize with him and wish he could have gotten more out of his life.
There several other less significant but equally remarkable aspects of The Outsiders worth noting. First, there was Ponyboy’s defense of Sodapop in front of Darry. Though, at the time, Pony did not know of Dally’s pure intentions, it was brave of him to stand up for his brother whom he loved so dearly to Darry. It showed a side of Ponyboy we had not seen too much before, and which was explored a few times later in the novel. Additionally, Johnny and Pony’s interactions with Cherry and Marcia, two Socials, were incredibly profound. It showed that some things are not quite as they seem and it demonstrated how different some people who seem similar can be. Finally, another side of this novel that was particularly extraordinary was how it began and ended with the same line, completing the story in a satisfactory manner and also forcing us readers to think about what has changed and what has stayed the same throughout the book.
Overall, The Outsiders is a compelling yet heartbreaking novel that will keep readers engaged and will tug on their heartstrings at every turn. It does have a substantial amount of violence (the story does center around gangs), strong language, and underage smoking and drinking, especially from Ponyboy. Therefore, some content may not be apt for young children, despite the fact that many read it as early as eleven or twelve years old. However, it is an incredibly concise novel, and it never, at any point, feels sluggish or dull. The Outsiders teaches us as readers many things and changes life and the way we look at it ever so slightly. It demonstrates themes of loyalty and courage, and despite every character’s flaws, there is something we can learn and remember from each of them. It is a novel that everyone should read, but fair warning: once you begin reading, it will change your life forever.
