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The Outsiders Analysis

Decent Essays

S.E. Hinton’s realistic fiction novel, The Outsiders, takes place in Tulsa, Oklahoma-where social divisions is the cause of all their problems. Ponyboy, a Greaser, lives in a society where you’re either socially accepted or not. He isn’t as privileged or lucky as the Socs and isn’t socially accepted. Ponyboy and his gang have to endure rude treatment, beatings, and being outcasted. One lesson the story suggests is to stay gold. While some readers believe this means to be who you are and not let others hurt you, I argue that this means to preserve your childhood innocence and not grow up to become a mature, cranky old man, but stay pure and innocent. This is indicated by Hinton’s use of characterization, dialogue, and conflict. Hinton’s use of characterization in the novel shows how Ponyboy and his gang have had to grow up too soon. It shows how they wish to stay young and gold instead of having to be cold hearted adults. For instance, Hinton states, “Johnny never walked by himself after that. And Johnny…now carried in his back pocket a six inch switchblade. He’d use it, too, if he ever got jumped again (Hinton 340.)” Before Johnny got jumped he was innocent and was “the pet of the gang.” After being shown the true dangers of society, however, he was forced to become mature and tough. “That was [Darry’s] silent fear then-of losing another person he loved. I remembered how close he and Dad had been, and I wondered how I could ever have Mendoza 2 thought him hard and

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