The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton

• Characters:

  • Ponyboy - protagonist, greaser, smart
  • Johnny - protagonist, greaser, loyal
  • Darry - protagonist, greaser, strict, caring/protective
  • Dally - protagonist, greaser, carefree, "real", prepared
  • Cherry - neutral but Soc
  • Bob - antagonist, soc, killed by Johnny
• Themes:

  • Conflict - prevalent in the novel, mostly between greasers and socs. Pony experiences conflict from family and conflict from social division (socs v. greasers). Violence between socs and greasers is common, ex) Pony getting jumped, the Rumble.
  • Friendship - the Greasers may appear to be violent hoodlums with their clothing and hairstyle, but internally, they all value each other and have each other's back; "if we don't have each other, then we ain't got nothing" - Sodapop