Literary Analysis of S.e Hinton’s The Outsiders

S.E Hinton’s The Outsiders, was published in 1967 by Viking Press. A novel depicted as coming-of-age themed, Hinton started writing the novel at age 15 and had published it by the age of 18. The author, Susan Eloise Hinton was born in Oklahoma. A place that she roughly describes as a ‘place to be, where nothing happens’. It is well known that when Hinton came to publish her novel, her publishers advised her that by initialising her name (S.E Hinton) and authorising herself with just her last name, she will create a genderless name for readers. This was a concern for the publishers as they predicted that readers would not be willing to read her novel about violence and prejudice if they knew it had been written by a female. The knowledge that being a female writer and not having the ability to sell your book to an audience because it contains violence, depicts the context and what kind of societal norms was in place in the 1960s.

The Outsiders is a novel based off the story of a 14-year-old boy named Ponyboy Curtis. It follows through two weeks of his struggles to survive in society. Ponyboy believes that he is an outsider. The story begins with an exposition of Ponyboy walking home and bumping into a group of Socs. The Socs, short for Socials, are from the higher-class area in town and The Greasers, is a term the men from the lower class of town are referred as. Pony gets beaten up by this group of Socs before a few members of his own gang arrive at the scene and fend off the Socs. Organized gangs are rarities … the warfare is between the social classes. This event sets the tone of the story and how the audience will perceive the relationship between the Socs and the Greasers.

I have chosen to analyse chapter four of The Outsiders; whereas I will be exploring the different techniques of description and voice, which allowed this chapter to become one of the novel’s best chapters. Chapter four begins with a description of the setting. Hinton uses deeply descriptive language to set the scene: “The park was about two blocks square, with a fountain in the middle and a small swimming pool for the little kids. The pool was empty now in the fall, but the fountain was going merrily. Tall elm trees made the park shadowy and dark”. This park is where Johnny suggests he and Ponyboy go to cool off before going back home. At this point Ponyboy is feeling his lowest, thinking “things gotta get better, they couldn’t get much worse”. Another technique that Hinton uses is a strong use of colour. “White as a ghost” is used to depict how Johnny felt and was seen. The colour white is often used as a combination of colours, which will not be affiliated with either the Socs, nor the Greasers. Feelings of fright is a universal feeling; thus, this allows the readers to recognise the similarities between the two different gangs. The use of voice, Ponyboy’s voice, progressively develops the more you read. The boy who once felt misplaced and confused, living behind his brother’s shadow; understands that there is more to life than being labelled as a greaser and that he holds potential to make something of himself.

The Outsiders is a classic novel read by young adults. It is a fictional story that has transformed the young adult genre by depicting teenagers unlike their typical presentation. Seemingly as the opposite of what a typical teenager is portrayed as. Although it is categorised as “young adult”, The Outsiders for me was a novel I found myself constantly relating to at many points. Although it was published over 50 years ago, it still conquers the ability to resonate with young adults today. Many critics over the years have praised the work of Hinton, some even going on to say that she “revolutionised the genre” and that “it is easily relatable- a book that resonates with us all”.

The type of language written in the novel, proves the story to be set in the 1960s. Examples used to show this, use of discourse such as “rumbles” instead of fights; the gangs listed to bands such as The Beatles etc. The type of language written in the novel, proves the story to be set in the 1960s. Examples used to show this, use of discourse such as “rumbles” instead of fights; the gangs listed to bands such as The Beatles etc. In chapter 4, Ponyboy and Johnny are both assuming that they are going to get the blame for the killing. Although the killing was a result of self-defence, neither Ponyboy nor Johnny realise that they did not need to run from the scene. Whilst reading this scene, it came to my attention just how big the extent of differences between The Greasers and The Socs were. It is apparent in this chapter that the difference between the two gangs lie greater than just economic status, but rather a wider social injustice.

To conclude, Hinton did an excellent role in demonstrating the importance of upbringing and how it will impact children in the long term. The use of themes throughout the novel such as, action and consequence, economic-based prejudice, violence and the importance of friendship; are all vital themes that are still relatable to readers today. The use of technique such as the type of language, description and voice of character, allowed us to follow and empathise with each character in the book, namely Ponyboy Curtis. 

Works Cited

1. Hinton, S. E. (1967). The Outsiders. Viking Press.
2. Fusco, D. (2005). S. E. Hinton: The Collection: The Outsiders / Rumble Fish / That Was Then, This Is Now. Speak.
3. Davis, C. (2002). Understanding S.E. Hinton. University of South Carolina Press.
4. MacLeod, A. (2010). The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success. Penguin.
5. Butler, M. J. (2013). The Legacy of The Outsiders: A Contribution to the Sociology of Knowledge. Springer.
6. Bickley-Green, J., & McCarthy, K. (Eds.). (2017). S.E. Hinton: An Annotated Bibliography, 1967-2017. Rowman & Littlefield.
7. Davidson, C. (1996). Reading in America: Literature and Social History. Johns Hopkins University Press.
8. Collins, P. L. (2008). The Outsiders: The Lives and Legacies of S.E. Hinton and Francis Ford Coppola. Praeger.
9. Malin, I. (2007). Children's Literature and Social Change: Some Case Studies from Barbara Hofland to Philip Pullman. Wiley.
10. Simpson, M. J. (2011). Young Adult Literature in the 21st Century. McGraw-Hill.