Essays on The Outsiders

The Outsiders
Original title The Outsiders
Author S. E. Hinton
Genre Young Adult Fiction
Language English
Characters Ponyboy, Sodapop, Darry, Two, Bit, Steve, Johnny, Dally
Published April 24, 1967
ISBN 978-0-14-240733-5
Book Summary
Essay Examples

Table of Contents

If you’re faced with a tight deadline and need to submit an essay on S.E. Hinton’s classic novel “The Outsiders,” StudyMoose offers a rapid and reliable academic writing service tailored to your needs. Renowned for their extensive range of specialized essay-writing services, StudyMoose employs a team of experienced writers skilled in literary analysis. They can promptly deliver a well-crafted essay that delves into the themes, characters, and social implications presented in “The Outsiders.”

About The Outsiders Book

The Outsiders book was written by S. E. Hinton and published in 1967 by Viking Press. The writer wrote this novel at a very early age as she started writing the book at the age of 15 and did most of the work of the book at the age of 16. She was 18 years old when the book was published.

The book is based on a real-life high school drama. Hinton’s The Outsiders story revolves around the two weeks in the life of a 14-year-old boy. The novel unfolds so many different real-life events, so this book feels so authentic. The book tells the story of Ponyboy Curtis.

The way he fights and struggles to set in society’s good or bad and why he believes himself an Outsiders. The book is found in genres such as Novels, Young adult fiction, Drama, and Bildungsroman.

Book Summary

The story depicts many layers of social differences we witness in our society. The book explains the story of Ponyboy Curtis, 14 years old, and the book’s narrator. He recently lost his parents and lives with his two elder brothers, Darrel and Soda. Darrel is 20 years old, while Soda is just 16.

At the story’s beginning, Ponyboy returns from the movie, where he interacts with the Socs, also known as the socials. The Socs is a group of rich and spoiled children who love to drink, drive and beat the Greasers to make fun. It is why Greasers hate the Socials and try to avoid them. The Socs have beaten Johnny, a 14 years old boy and friend of Ponyboy.

On another day, Ponyboy and Johnny go for a movie with their friend Dally Winston and chat with two girls named Cherry and Marcia. Both of these were the girlfriends of Bob and Randy, who were members of Socs. So, when Ponyboy and Johnny are walking these two girls’ home, they interact with Bob and Randy again.

As Bob and his fellows were drinking, it is why both girls went to the movie by themselves. The girls were aware that there could be a fight between these two groups; they decided to go home with Bob and Randy.

When Ponyboy reaches home, Darry (his elder brother) shouts at both of them and slaps Ponyboy as he is pretty late. On this, Ponyboy runs off to find Johnny. Both of them go to a nearby park. Here, they again get in opposite to the Socials. Bob tries to threaten Johnny while his fellow attacks Ponyboy. In defense, Johnny tries to kill Bob. 

Both Johnny and Ponyboy tell Dally about all the happenings, and he suggests them to get they hide in a nearby church. After a few days, Dally comes to them and tells them that Cherry is going to the court on behalf of Johnny. As a result, Johnny decides to go to court to say that he has done all this in self-defense.

Unfortunately, the church where they were living gets a fire, and Johnny loses his life while saving the kids there for a picnic. At the same time, the police killed Dally as he robbed the bank. All this greatly impacted Ponyboy, and he wrote this story when he got an assignment to write an essay from his school.

The Outsiders Quotes

Here are some famous quotations from this story:

  • “Did you ever hear of having more than you wanted? So that you couldn’t want anything else and then started looking for something else to want? We’re always searching for something to satisfy us and never finding it.”
  •     “It seemed funny that the sunset she saw from her patio and the one I saw from the back steps were the same. Maybe the two different worlds we lived in weren’t so different. We saw the same sunset.”
  •     “Sixteen years on the streets, and you can learn a lot. But all the wrong things, not the things you want to learn. Sixteen years on the streets, and you see a lot. But all the wrong sights, not the things you want to see.”
  •     “Can you see the sunset real good on the West side? You can see it on the East side too.” 
  •     “I’ve been thinking about it, and that poem, that guy that wrote it, meant you’re gold when you’re a kid, like green. When you’re a kid, everything’s new, dawn; it’s just when you get used to everything that it’s the day. Like the way, you dig sunsets, Pony. That’s gold. Keep that way, and it’s a good way to be.”

Essay Structure On The Outsiders

After reading and understanding the Outsiders summary, it is easy to write the Outsiders essay. You can also find the Outsiders essay example on the internet to get to know how to craft an excellent quality essay on the topic!

For now, you can get an idea of how to write a compelling essay on this novel where multiple social issues have been discussed:

      Introduction

The introduction of your essay should compel the audience to stick with it so they can get a deep insight into the story of this young Ponyboy.  You can put various important points and the thesis statement to hook the readers.

For instance, you must mention the friendship of Ponyboy and Johnny, their strong bonding, and the impact of Johnny’s death on Ponyboy. Besides that, you can also inform your readers about the social differences and the influence of Socials.

Lastly, it would be best if you tried to grab the readers with some engaging turns of the story so that everyone intends to complete the reading till the end. And this is only possible if you completely understand the story!

      Body

The central part of the essay or its body must have three paragraphs. But, you can also write up to eight paragraphs depending on elaborating the story of Ponyboy. You can start with Ponyboy’s parents’ death and then end up with the death of his friends!

Remember that every paragraph should have a thesis statement and must explain the thoughts of different happenings and aspects of this young boy’s life. Also, after the thesis statement, the following lines must be about explaining the statement briefly. And the last lines of the paragraph must conclude that statement.

The same pattern goes for the further two paragraphs of the body.  The body paragraphs can be arranged based on the concept, and that concept can be cleared by reading the Outsiders theme essay.

      Conclusion

To conclude, describe the complete story concisely and briefly. There must be a proper stance on any situation in conclusion. Do not add anything else which you have not described in the essay. You have to summarize what you have discussed in the introduction and body of your essay!

You can tell about the conflict between Socials and Greasers. Also, describe the friendship between Johnny and Ponyboy. Lastly, tell about the impact of Johnny’s death on the Pony. Also, try to analyze the story deeply and keep The Outsiders book and movie differences in mind while writing the essay!

Tips To Consider While Writing An Essay About The Outsiders

One of the best tips to consider while writing an essay on the Outsiders is to ask questions, read the samples and prompts and analyze them. It will help you in writing a masterpiece essay and let you get the highest grades. Well, here, the outsiders essay prompts can also be helpful for you!

Here are the following tips one must consider while writing The Outsiders book essay:

      Read The Book Thoroughly

Reading and understanding a book is necessary before you start writing an essay, as it will clear your thoughts and help craft the best piece. Also, keeping the characters, their feelings, and the story in mind, students can easily write the essay before the deadline.

Understanding the book also helps in conveying a clear message to readers. So, try to read the book multiple times. You will get new ideas and will catch different aspects every time. Resultantly, you can craft the essay like a pro and get excellent grades on your exam!

      Find A Compelling Topic

After reading and understanding the book, the second step is to find the essay topics. You can get different topics but always go for one simple and easy to write on. Moreover, it is also important that you must have a complete understanding of the topic. 

The title selection is a tricky and important step in essay writing, so there is no need to hurry. Always take time, brainstorm different ideas, and then come up with a compelling and interesting topic to write! Multiple essay topics for The Outsiders are available on the internet. Students can select the one pretty easily!

      Create The Outline

Prepare the outline, and write down the headings and subheadings or the points about which you want to write an essay. Also, keep the estimated word count in mind when creating the outline. It will help you put the most important points on the paper, and you can complete your writing within the defined time limit! 

      Write The Thesis Statement

Loneliness is the theme of the Outsiders book as it affects Ponyboy’s life and makes him feel that he is an outsider and ultimately becomes the outsider. The self-identity vs. group identity is the theme of this book. And, while writing the book, you need to throw the light on this book! The Outsiders book free to read; you can also consult the book to get a thesis statement for your essay!

      Include A Lesson or Moral

Do not be scared to show who you are. It is the lesson or moral of this book that should be the part of your essay. While writing, you must elaborate it and show that Ponyboy, who used to remain quiet and read the books, finally realizes that he can be something more than the family’s youngest member. The need is to realize and find your real strengths!

Also, the story highlights the different issues in society. So, you can also write about this topic and elaborate on the discrimination between rich and poor through your writing.

      Conclusion: Proofread Your Work

Write down the ending and closing words in the last heading; that will help complete the essay. A broad conclusion is the best way to write, as it will help you put all the story’s major happenings at the end of your essay.

The conclusion of your essay must be firm and cheerful as the book ends on a positive note. After writing the conclusion, you must read your writing. Also, if you face any issues in writing the essay, we can help you. Our professionals can provide the best quality essays on the outsiders before your marked deadlines!

Frequently Asked Questions

      Can A 13 Year Old Watch The Outsiders?

The book is a masterpiece that everyone should read. But if a 12 or 13 years old is a bit sensitive, they should not read it. The violence at some stages of the story can badly affect the young ones!

      Is The Outsiders based on a true story?

“The Outsiders” is a great work of fiction, and its closeness to reality lets some readers feel that it is a true story. But in actuality, it is not. The writer’s credit has displayed the characters in an amazing way that they feel so real!

      Is The Outsiders appropriate for 7th grade?

It is appropriate for 7th grade as it is a semi-long book with age-appropriate chapters. Various chapters of this book may be difficult for the students in grade six. 

      Why The Outsiders is a good book?

The book is highly recommended as it has everything, i.e., love, thrill, fight, emotions, and suspense. It is a beautiful story that is recommended for everyone. The story’s plot shows the two classes Greasers, who are poor and bad, while Socs, who are rich and popular kids of the society!

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FAQ about The Outsiders

Nothing Gold Can Stay And The Outsider: What Do They Have in Common
...S.E. Hinton chose to reference this poem in her novel, The Outsiders, because both works of literature are similar in many ways. First, both poems discuss losing something or someone that is “golden.” Ponyboy, for example, has lost a lot in his l...
The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton – Why the Greasers Were Considered a Disgrace and Menace to Society
...From looking at the looks, the behavior, and the choices of both the Greasers and the Socs it is able to be concluded that the Greasers were the true disgrace to society. Even though the Greasers and Socs both did many bad things, at the end of the d...
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