Hinton, S.E. (1967). The Outsiders. New York, NY: Penguin Group. Ponyboy, Sodapop and Darrel (Darry) were three orphaned brothers that were part of the greasers. A name that was given to a group of boys that oiled their hair. Darry was the oldest of the brothers and took a paternal role. Sodapop was the middle brother and his character was always joyful and carefree. Ponyboy the main character is smart and brave.The other greasers were Steve, Two-Bit Mathews, Dallas (Dally) and Johnny. In the world of Ponyboy there were the greasers and the Socials (Socs). The socials were a group of rich boys that were always targeting the greasers. Until one day, everything went too far and Johnny murdered one of the Socs. As a result, Johnny and Ponyboy had to leave town and go to an abandoned church in Windrixville. However, everything changed when the church went up in flames with children inside. Ponyboy and Johnny decided to go into the burning church and save the kids. Because of this Johnny was badly burned and hurt. He later died in the hospital and Ponyboy was forced to return to his neighborhood. In the end the greasers and the Socs had a last rumble to settle the death of one of their own. After this, Ponyboy realized the importance of family and friends.
This novel is considered a coming of age fiction story. The main characters are young teenagers that are part of society's problems like poverty, gangs, smoking and violence. This novel also shows a strong connection to friendship and the importance of family. This novel was later turned into a motion picture which featured many famous actors.
The strengths of the novel include the plot and how it unravels at the end and the description and qualities given to each character. I really enjoyed reading this novel. I found no weakness because I was able to understand the characters roles that followed the plot.
Review excerpt (Booklist)
https://www.booklistonline.com/The-Outsiders/pid=8612801
Review excerpt (SLJ)
https://www.slj.com/review/the-outsiders
No comments:
Post a Comment