Kasey Ackert

I first read The Outsiders when I was in the 8th grade. Not a lot of books stand out to me when I read them, but this is one that has stood out to me. I would say that I liked the book a lot back then because I related a lot to one of the main characters, Ponyboy. Ponyboy is constantly trying to find himself throughout the book. I also feel like I was trying to find myself back then and really still am today. 

The Outsiders takes place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1965. There are two gangs: the Greasers, which are more of a working-class group of people, and then there are the Socs, which are upper-class individuals. The story is told in the first person by Ponyboy Curtis. The story’s plot begins with Ponyboy leaving a movie theater one night and getting jumped by a group of the Socs. Ponyboy’s two older brothers, Darry and Sodapop, along with other greasers come to Ponyboy’s rescue. Time passes and Ponyboy and his oldest brother get into a fight that ends in Ponyboy getting slapped. Ponyboy then meets up with Johnny and they find themselves going into a park. There happened to be Bob and four other Socs at this park. They get into some heated argument and physical tension arises. The socs then attempt to drown Ponyboy in a nearby fountain. However, Johnny stabs Bob, killing him, which then causes the other Socs to disperse. After these events Ponyboy and Johnny go to find Dally, who then gives them money and a loaded gun and directs them to an abandoned church where they can hide out. Going to this church has a lasting impact on the events that highlight the major themes.                  

A major thing happens when Ponyboy and Johnny finally decide to go back and turn themselves in for what they did due to the violence between the Greasers and Socs getting so bad. Upon leaving the abandoned church the three, Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally, notice a church that is burning and several children are stuck inside. They immediately act to try and save the children from the burning building. During the saving of the children Ponyboy goes unconscious due to all the fumes and wakes back up in a hospital. He then finds out the Dally was not badly injured but a piece of the roof had fallen on Johnny, breaking his back. 

I feel like this is an important section of the book because it brings out one of the major themes which is that anyone has the ability to be selfless. The three Greasers had no reason at all to go into the burning building, and they did it knowing that injury could occur. The thing that was of greater concern to them was saving the children, which also shows the goodness that is really within the Greasers. It brings out a new characteristic in Ponyboy specifically that shows us his character development. This characteristic could be selflessness, in that he is doing things for others and not just focusing upon himself. Also, when the boys save the children from the burning church it shows a pretty major theme of not judging a book by its cover, meaning that even the Greasers can be selfless.

I feel like the time in which this church burning occurs has an impact. It happens right when Johnny decides to turn himself in. Johnny knows the he will likely be put in jail, so it gives him all the more reason to save these children, to do something good before he faces his prior

actions. He also knows that he doesn’t have much to lose if he was to get injured because he is about to be in trouble anyways. 

The narration of the story is done by Ponyboy, the main character. This is useful because it breaks down any separation between the characters and the plot. If this story were to be written in a typical third person narrative, then we would not get the emotion filled story, only the events. We would receive much less insight into the main character’s mind. The fact that the story is told by the main character allows us to see into the consciousness and decision-making process of that character. Without a 1st person narrator the plot of this story would fall flat on the page. Ponyboy’s story telling gives the events emotion, which is what particularly draws me to this story. One unique thing about the storyteller of this book is that he is just a 14 year old boy, so we see the character development much more clearly, as he is still finding himself. We see some of this self-evaluation on page 141 of the book, “That’s why people don’t ever think to blame the Socs and are always ready to jump on us. We look hoody and they look decent. It could be just the other way around—half the hoods I know are pretty decent guys underneath all that grease, and from what I’ve heard, a lot of Socs are just cold-blooded mean—but people usually go by looks.” In this line of the book we see Ponyboy coming to some realizations about his appearance against others. 

Looking back to the major theme of not judging a book by its cover, this is a major theme that applies to a lot of stories. This is also something that everyone should apply to their everyday life. Being judgmental of others in life can get you into very bad places, so it is good to not judge someone, especially if you do not know a thing about the person. This is a timeless concept that can continue to be shown in culture and literature. 

This story could have an impact on others about how relatable the story’s main character is. A lot of people at the age of fourteen like Ponyboy do not really know a lot about themselves. This story shows someone that is very relatable, persevering through things to find themselves, which is what a lot of teenagers endure through many years. This is why I feel that this story has a very relatable aspect to it. Not only is this story relatable for adolescents but it also is

entertaining and contains a plot that keeps one engaged the whole time. This works well to translate an important theme like finding yourself or judging others.