Have you ever read a book that you just didn’t want to put down, no matter what time of day it was? The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton is one of those magnificent books. When authors include three important elements, good books are created.
S. E. Hinton describes the setting amazingly, and that made the book so easy to understand. Every time the Greasers or the Soc’s went somewhere, she describes it perfectly. Whether it was the Curtis house, the church, or the hospital, the author set the scene flawlessly. The story of Ponyboy takes place in an unknown town in the United States in the 1960’s. They live on the east side of town while their enemies, the Soc’s, live on the other side of town. The story shifts places from their neighborhood to the church in Windrixville, and back to their neighborhood in a hospital. It takes place over a few days. By describing every detail that the reader wanted to know, Hinton made the setting a big part of the story.
Next, the characters in The Outsiders also play a very large role. Their personalities all clash, and their differences make the book fun to read. The four main characters in the novel are Ponyboy Curtis, Johnny Cade, Dallas Winston, and Sodapop Curtis. Ponyboy is the narrator of the story, brothers with Sodapop and Darry, and they are all members of a gang called the Greasers. Pony is a sensitive boy, and the only reason he is in the gang is basically because his brothers are in it, too. He loves his brothers dearly, especially because he has no parents and his brothers raise him. He is “gold,” in the words of Johnny, and “digs” sunsets. He is quiet, but opinionated, and is a powerful speaker. He enjoys track and field. Johnny is the youngest Greaser, and is the “pet” of the gang. Johnny is also a quiet kid, but not by choice. He is an emotional wreck, between beatings by his drunken father, not being loved by his parents, and being brutally beaten by the Soc’s. He carries a switchblade with him for protection. He is most like Pony, because of his sensitivity and quiet nature, and can also be considered heroic. He saved the lives of boys in a church fire that he and Pony accidentally started, and in the action of saving the victim’s lives he threw away his own. He believes that it was worth it, though. Dallas “Dally” Winston’s personality is the exact opposite of Johnny, and it is amazing how they were still friends. Tough, cold, and dangerous can all describe Dally, who was in jail at the ripe age of ten. But, he is a true friend. When Pony and Johnny were in a mess for killing Bob, he lent them money. His friendship proves true when he was ruined by Johnny’s death that he passed away himself. Sodapop also plays an important part in the book. He is the middle child of the Curtis family, and is extremely handsome. He worships life and sticks up for Ponyboy because he loves him. Everyone enjoys being around Sodapop for no apparent reason other than he lights up people’s days. The characters in The Outsiders are frequently mentioned, and played a large outcome on the novel’s success.
The last important element in the book is the theme. The theme is stated obviously by S. E. Hinton. The theme is the unnecessary death and violence caused by gangs. There are three deaths in the book that are related, directly or indirectly, to gang violence. Bob was killed in self defense in a fight between the Greasers and Soc’s, Johnny was indirectly killed when he had to flee because he killed Bob, and Dally was killed indirectly because he had a bad reputation and possessed an unloaded gun. There are also many injuries caused by gang violence such as Johnny and Ponyboy being beaten up, and Pony suffering a concussion. Some readers may disagree and say that the two groups had nothing in common, and if they wanted to fight, that was okay. But that is false. An example is Cherry and Pony both being sensitive and digging sunsets. The theme is directly stated in Johnny’s letter. Pony realizes what Johnny is saying, and agrees with it. Johnny says that the violence is not needed. The gangs don’t have to get along, but they don’t have to fight about it either. That is why he was so upset when Dally said that they beat the Soc’s in the rumble. Johnny realized there are no winners and losers in violence, only losers. It is unfortunate he realized it too late. That is why Johnny tells Ponyboy to “stay gold.” The theme in The Outsiders not only adds to the book, but it completes it.
Finally, The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton is in my opinion, a classic. It is one of the best books that I’ve ever read. Because of the three important elements; the setting, the characters, and the theme, The Outsiders will always have a place in my heart as a great book.


Recommended: Yes