The Outsiders Guidelines

Plot

Background: Introduces Ponyboy Curtis &his gang. (Sodapop, Darrel, Two-Bit, Dally, Johnny, Steve)

Socs: high class & rich (West side), short for Socials

Greasers: poorer than the Socs and the middle class, emotional, like fights (East side)

1960’s America

Rising Action

Ø Ponyboy meets Cherry at the drive-in.

Johnny kills Bob(Soc).

Ø Pony and Jonhny run away to an abandoned church

Ø The church catches on fire → They save the children.

→Johnny is badly injured.

Ø The gang gets ready for the rumble (fight between the greasers and the Socs).

Climax

Ø Johnny dies

Ø Dally kills himself out of depression

Resolution

Ø Pondyboy is in denial about his friends’ deaths

Ø They go to the trial about Bob’s death & they are free.

Conclusion

Ø Ponyboy, Sodapop, Darry make up.

Ø Pondyboy accepts deaths – writes a theme about his experiences.

Point of view

l Ponyboy is the same age group as us and have similar values to us; easier to understand Ponyboy’s feelings.

→Closer to us than other characters

→ We get a good impression of him.

l Easier to understand characters’ characteristic, emotion, feeling, and expression.

l Reliable because he doesn’t take sides between greasers and Socs towards the end.

l Better understanding of moral

Setting

1960’s

If it wasn’t in the 1960’s, the police would be stricter and people, even children, would be penalized for breaking the law.

Ø Dally would be in jail again for stealing, drinking, and abusing.

Ø Johnny’s parents would be in jail for child abuse.

Ø Two-Bit would be caught for shop-lifting.

Ø Bob would be caught for acting violently on Johhny.

America

If the setting was in a country where the government was led by a dictator, there wouldn’t be people with economical differences.

Ø The groups of Socs and greasers wouldn’t have existed.

Ø Maybe there wouldn’t have been hatred and fighting between the two groups.

Characters (QUOTES)

Ponyboy

Ø “I really couldn’t see what Socs would have to sweat about… I know better now.”

→ Changes his opinions about the Socs compared to the beginning of the book and at the end.

Ø “I’m not saying that either Socs or greasers are better; that’s just the way things are.”

Ø “Socs were just guys after all. Things were rough all over, but it was better that way.”

= Nothing is perfect. Socs might seem perfect, but as Cherry mentions, “We have troubles you’ve never even heard of,” Socs have flaws too.

Ø “We saw the same sunset." = After talking to Cherry, Ponyboy see the connection between the greasers and the Socs.

Darry: “We’re not going to fight anymore.”

Ø “…you don’t just stop living because you lose someone!”

Ø "You know the only thing keeping Darry from bein' a Soc is us." = Darry gives up his dreams.

Ø “…and because he cared he was trying too hard to make something of me.” – Ponyboy = Ponyboy finally realizes that Darry cares about him when he cries at the hospital.

Dally: Described as the “tougher, colder, meaner” one amongst all Greasers.

Ø “He sounded so much like Darry that I stared at him” – Ponyboy

Ø “Dammit Johnny, don’t die.” = When Johnny dies.

Johnny: “You're gold when you're a kid, like green.”

“I don't want to die now. It ain't long enough.” = Johnny cherishes his life.

"Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold..." = When Johnny dies.

Sodapop: "We're all we've got left.” = Sodapop says to Darry to unify his family once again.

Randy: “Greasers will still be greasers and Socs will still be Socs.”

Author’s Intentions/Main Idea

What ideas can you take away from this book?

Ø Even if people are in different social classes, they all have something in common. Ex) Cherry and Pony share with each other that they like sunsets and reading.

Ø No one should be separated into social classes by their wealth. Instead, it’s about the individual person’s characteristics.

Ø Buddies are important in life. When Johnny, Bob, and Dally died, both sides grieve upon their deaths.

Essay example

Thesis: To help the kids who barely have chance to be “gold,” by showing the importance of life.

Topic 1: Youth passes away quickly, so you have to cherish it.

Ø Example 1: Johnny dies young. When Johnny dies, he says to Pony, “Stay gold, Pony. Stay gold.”

Ø Example 2: Ponyboy’s parents passed away quickly.

Ø Conclusion: Author tells them to value their youth before it’s too late.

Topic 2: There are still some good in the world.

Ø Example 1: Ponyboy and Johnny risked their life to save the children without hesitating. It’s difficult for people to risk their own lives to save those of the others. There are still good-willed people in the world.

Ø Example 2: The Socs said the truth at court. Randy confesses that Bob was threatening Ponyboy’s life and that Johnny killing Bob was for self-defense. Truth wins.

Ø Example 3: It is fair because nothing is perfect. There might be social prejudices, but in the end, nothing really matters. The Socs aren’t perfect as they look, and they do feel bad. Nothing, nobody is perfect. As Randy mentions, “Thing are rough all over.”

Topic 3: Being “gold” is a chance of life.

Ø Example 1: Johnny says to Ponyboy, “You’re gold when you’re a kid, like green.” He is saying that Ponyboy still has a chance of living up to his dreams because he is young and idealistic.

Ø Example 1: Darry missed the chance of being “gold.”

Ø Example 2: Dally is already toughened in jail, which makes him miserable. Being cynical.