Category: The Outsiders

Introduction

Almost every literary tradition can present the world with at least one child prodigy  the author of a sensational book that makes a significant impact on the whole world. Susan Eloise Hinton, who wrote her novel The Outsiders in 1965, is the American version of such cultural archetype. After its publication, the novel was faced with both a massive scandal and enormous popularity; in some states, it was prohibited, and in others, it was included in the school curriculum.

The Outsiders is a small book that evokes different emotions among readers. The novel depicts teenage boys who are forced to protect themselves from the attacks of their peers from a wealthier neighborhood. Therefore, it is crucial to get acquainted with the essence of the novel and analyze its main characters to genuinely comprehend Hintons view on the challenges of the teenage age within the framework of this paper.

The Summary of the Novel

The main character of the novel, with a comical name Ponyboy Curtis, is a 14-year-old orphan with big dreams. His parents died in a car accident a year ago, and now he lives with two older brothers  a 20-year-old strong man Darry and 16-year-old handsome Gas. Gas is a favorite person in any circle, while Darry is cruel and arrogant: Ponyboy Curtis is convinced that he tyrannizes him in vain and wants to take his younger brother to a shelter.

Ponyboy Curtis, his brothers, and their friends are greasers: they comb their long hair back, smoke cigarettes from their youth, steal from shops, and turn empty bottles into Molotov cocktails in one polished motion. What is more, many of the greasers have switchblades in their pockets. However, the main thing that all the greasers are busy with is the hostility towards the rival gang, the socsneat and elegant children from wealthy areas.

The greasers, teenagers from working-class families living in poverty, are convinced that the socs are less valuable people since they are more privileged from birth. Thus, the greasers hate them to a great extent due to the difference in their social status. Moreover, the socs indeed behave in a challenging manner: they attack weaker groups of people, beat the smallest, and generally do not demonstrate fidelity to the street honor code.

Once, Ponyboy and his best friend, Johnny, get in serious trouble: first, they want to date two girls from the socs party, then they get involved in a fight with their enemies, and later they accidentally kill one of the attackers. What happens next in the novel is entirely predictable. When Johnny and Ponyboy pull defenseless children out of the fire in the church, they appear heroes in readers eyes. The story ends with the bitterness of loss, Ponyboys long-awaited reconciliation with his brother, and a fantastic discovery that the socs are also people with the same feelings, problems, and challenges.

An Analysis of the Main Characters

The protagonist of the book, a teenage boy, Ponyboy Curtis, is a person with a complex and stubborn character. He suffers from a problematic relationship with his older brothers and has difficulty in finding common ground with peers. All his life Ponyboy lives with a feeling of hatred and rejection, especially in relation to a hostile gang, the socs. Later on, faced with poverty, hunger, and the pain of losing his best friend, Ponyboy realizes that all people are the same.

As a consequence, after realizing all the mistakes he made in life, Ponyboy says: It seemed funny to me that the sunset she saw from her patio and the one I saw from the back steps was the same one. Maybe the two different worlds we lived in werent so different. We saw the same sunset. Thus, within the framework of the novel, Ponyboy goes through the difficult path of rebirth to break free from hatred and evil and become a completely new person.

The other important character in the novel is Johnny, who is forced to hide in a church from the police after killing a boy from the socs group. Together with Ponyboy, Johnny lives in the church for some time, but the two boys do not use this time in vain, reading famous poems and novels. Subsequently, a terrible fire breaks out in the church, and trying to save the children, Johnny suffers from serious burns and finds himself in the hospital. He soon realizes that he will not survive and spends the last moments of life with his best friend, Ponyboy. Before dying, realizing all his mistakes in life, Johnny says, Stay gold, Ponyboy, stay gold, and peacefully passes away. Therefore, the main characters of the novel are a great example of a real friendship, mutual assistance, and support.

The Theme of the Novel

The most prevailing topics covered all through The Outsiders novel are social and class conflicts between youngsters. These conflicts take place between two opponent groups, the socs and the greasers. The distinctions in personal qualities and the financial status between the greasers from the East Side and the socs from the West Side have turned the two groups against one another in enmity.

Throughout the novel, Ponyboy comes to change his point of view about favoring one side, and discovers that class conflict is unsafe and inefficient for all people in spite of the social and financial status. Accordingly, the main theme of the novel revolves around social differences and class conflicts.

Personal Opinion about the Novel

For me, The Outsiders is the novel that should not be judged by its retelling. It is a very uneven book with a rather weak plot. However, there is something in the story that cannot be found in more mature books: from Hintons novel comes lively energy that Kurt Cobain sang about in Smells Like Teen Spirit. This very teen spirit, the spirit of rebellious youth, completely naturally pays for all shortcomings of the novel.

If readers are in their twenties, they will recognize themselves in this book, and, most likely, they will feel frustrated. In the contemporary world, not many people think about what real poverty is and how youngsters can survive it. The book The Outsiders shows the very life of poor people in distressed neighborhoods that have to survive challenges of modern life. However, the most valuable thing about the book is that it depicts how teenagers are trying to find their place in this cruel world.

Conclusion

Overall, the distinctive feature of The Outsiders is Hintons power to deal with difficult topics in an easy-to-read manner. In its essence, the novel shows the recognition by the narrator, Ponyboy Curtis, of the fact that there is no way out of the world of brutal gangs, discrimination, and poverty in which he lives. Heroes have to survive without the support of a stable family or state in constrained financial circumstances.

Nevertheless, the author shows that embarking on the path of crime and violence as self-defense is the only possible way out for the protagonist-narrator and his friends. Although this story is very bleak and violent, Hinton brings a touch of optimism when Ponyboy, at the end of the book, realizes the need for change in his life.

Bibliography

Dorling, Danny. Injustice (revised edition): Why Social Inequality Still Persists. New York: Policy Press, 2015.

Hinton, Susan. The Outsiders. London: Penguin, 2016.

Prasad, Suji, and Rangasami Periyan. Factors Influencing Intimate Partner Violence. Indian Journal of Community Health 31, no. 1 (2019): 49.

Raudenbush, Stephen, and Robert Eschmann. Does Schooling Increase or Reduce Social Inequality? Annual Review of Sociology 12, no. 2(2015): 443470.

Ponyboy is the narrator who tells a story of two gangs and the hatred between the two groups. He is a member of a street gang. The members of this gang call themselves Greasers and live in families of workers. Greasers hate another gang, Socs, who are children of wealthy parents. Ponyboy is a teenager who faces a lot of problems. Two of Ponyboys friends die, and he sees a lot of violence in the streets. He takes part in many violent acts. All these events and experiences help Ponyboy to develop into a new person. In the course of the novel, the main character becomes a better person who has learned important lessons about violence, death, friendship, love, and life.

At the beginning of the story, Ponyboy is a typical teenager who has problems at school and who wants to break the rules. He is a member of a gang of Greasers. Ponyboys family is not wealthy, but the teenager still understands that there is beauty in the world. Ponyboy takes part in many fights and sees a lot of violence. However, he cannot live such a life, and he suffers. He understands that wars and violence can never help teenagers to find their ways in their lives. Nevertheless, he still takes part in the gangs activities as he feels he must do this (133). He feels he cannot leave, so he helps his friends even if he believes that fights are wrong. He is still a part of the gang, and he thinks that violence is a part of their life.

However, one horrible event becomes a turning point in his life. Ponyboys friend dies, and this death makes the teenager understand everything. Ponyboy remembers, He told me to stay gold (Hinton 152). These words help him know that he must change. He has noticed that the fights make the thing worse. He has witnessed that friends become enemies because of the divide. The death of another member of his gang made Ponyboy understand one more thing.

He said he lost two friends, one a hero, the other a hoodlum (Hinton 154). These two deaths show that gangs kill young people even if their hearts are gold and even if they can understand the beauty of the world. Thus, teenagers enjoy sunrises and poetry and think that they are beautiful (Hinton 77). After his friends death, Ponyboy understands that it is time to stop violence, and it is better to start living. He starts making things right, and his first step is writing an essay about his experiences.

In conclusion, it is possible to note that Ponyboy becomes a better person throughout the novel. He understands that violence can never solve problems. He also understands that he should start living. Ponyboy understands that everyday life is full of beauty, happiness, and joy, and life in a gang can lead to misery and death. It is possible to state that Ponyboy grows up and he will leave the band to start an everyday life. The novel is a story of Ponyboys evolution. He tries to break the rules of society at the beginning, but he understands that these rules make life better at the end of the story. He becomes an adult who is responsible and resolute. He has learned his lessons, and he will definitely enjoy his life as he understands that there are so many beautiful things to live for.

Works Cited

Hinton, Susan Eloise. The Outsiders. New York, NY: Puffin Books, 1997. Print.

Summary of the Book and Analysis of Characters’ Relations

The Outsiders is a book that narrates about social struggles premised on differences in social outlooks, wealth, and cultural beliefs (Hinton, 2005). The rivalry between the two gangs – the Greasers and the Socs – turns into the struggle in the context of social problems. Thus, the story represents a microcosm in which people with problematic backgrounds confront social challenges.

The main protagonist Ponyboy is a 14 years old boy who lives with his elder brothers – 16-year old Sodapop and the eldest brother Darry. The latter takes responsibilities for his brothers because their parents died in a car accident (Hinton, 2005). Ponyboy, along with his friends Johnny and Dally, confronts Bob and Randy, the members of the Socs, after returning from the cinema with Socs’ girlfriends Cherry and Marcia. Later, Bob and Randy decide to revenge on the Greasers and threaten Panyboy to kill him.

In a struggle, Johnny kills Bob because the latter attempted to drown Ponyboy. Both Johnny and Ponyboy decide to escape and hide in a church. However, when the church got on fire they rescue a group of children, but both teenagers are seriously wounded. Learning about the rescue of children from church, local newspapers proclaim Johnny and Ponyboy as heroes.

In a hospital, Johnny dies because of serious injuries whereas Dally suffers from Johnny’s loss and decides to commit suicide while confronting the police. After the accident and recovery, Ponybody returns home and leads a normal life, but his grades in school leave much to be desired. Then, he writes a term paper based on the story of his life, which later turns into a novel.

The book reveals a complex interaction between representatives of different layers of society resulting in rigorous struggles between the rich and the poor. The story is also about complicated family relations, as well as how family background influences teenager’s outlook on social interaction and communication.

In this respect, the three brothers – Ponyboy, Sodapop, and Darry – are left without parents’ attention and, as a result, they have to take on extra duties and responsibilities. Ponyboy is irritated by Darry’s extreme care. He befriends Johnny and shares his outlooks on life.

Sodapope is a handsome and carefree high school student who gave up studying. Along with his best friend Steve, he works at the gas station and knows everything about how to steel hubcaps. All these relationships are presented in the context of specific behavioral codes dictated by external constrains. All the members of the gang, therefore, are committed to the idea of honorable actions, which implies readiness to stand for each other in front of the Greasers’ enemies.

Johnny has also a problematic family history with his abusive mother and father paying insufficient attention to their son’s education. Therefore, he is vulnerable enough to the external environment. The three brothers are also left without attention and, therefore, they are ignorant of generally accepted codes of behavior in a community.

Exercising violence against other social groups seems to be the only means of protection accepted by the characters. In addition, there are also cases of substance abuse that can be seen the way drunken Socs attack Ponyboy and his friends.

Approaches Related to the Case

From a social worker perspective, many theories and approaches are applicable to the case. Particular attention should be paid to the social theories related to the analysis of the place of gangs in society, as well as the nature and causes of social struggles (Heinonen & Spearman, 2000). In this respect, consideration of community development theory, crisis theory, family relationships and processes, as well as ego psychology is imperative for explaining the social problems and concerns the book heroes encounter.

Applying Approaches to Solve Social Problems

Regarding the case under analysis, social work practice should be implemented by using strength and ecological perspectives. The idea of the strength perspective is premised on the theory of positive psychology and cognitive therapies that would enable individuals to search for their resourcefulness and worth.

Recognizing personal skills and abilities and acceptance of other views and outlooks can contribute to building a positive environment, as well as successfully interacting with other people (Ronen and Freeman, 2007 p. 7). From a social worker perspective, Ponyboy and Johnny should accept their worthiness and resourcefulness to fulfill themselves in such disciplines as literature and music. Moreover, the strength perspective allows the social workers to address resilience of individuals interacting in social and family context.

The need to focus on solutions rather than on challenges and problems is paramount as well (Ronen and Freeman, 2007). Flexibility and readiness to changes, therefore, should come to the forth when it comes to case of Dally’s suicide. Indeed, the hero fails to find a solution because he cannot reveal other way-outs. At this point, the Greasers have chosen the wrong tactics while confronting the outside society and considering those enemies.

From an ecological perspective, the situation presented in the book should be considered as a sophisticated interaction of microcosm, mesosystem, and macrosystem. The microcosm is represented in the form of relationships within the gang and between Panyboy and his brothers, which are quite complicated because each one encounters significant psychological problems (Pardeck, 1996).

These problems are also revealed while considering the interaction of the gang with other members of the community, which refers to the idea of mesosystem. Finally, macrosystem addresses the issues related to the conflicts and interaction between different cultures (Pardeck, 1996). Because the characters of the book have different family backgrounds and outlooks on life, social workers cannot solve the problem by analyzing psychological characteristics and behaviors separately.

Rather, social contexts should be considered to define what challenges and reasons an individual has while committing a particular action. In other words, the ecological perspective should address the “person-in-environment as one entity” (Greene & Rubin, 2008, p. 200). Social workers should deal with Ponyboy’s problems with regard to the relationships with his brother and his best friend Johnny and define what influence the gang as a social construct has on his outlook on society.

Conclusion: Social Perspective and Outcomes

Regarding the social and family problems experienced by the main characters in the book, the story provides a typical account on how different social layers interact, as well as how different social groups accept the reality. In fact, the title of the book, The Outsiders, provide sufficient explanation for social issues.

The principle of differentiating people according to social status, wealth, gender, and sex leads to spreading the concepts of superiority and inferiority where the dominant group disapproves the action performed by the outsiders. Therefore, the book provides an adequate portrayal of social struggles.

Judging from the above analysis, the outcome of social work practice should be similar to the one practiced in reality.

References

Greene, R., & Rubin R. (2008). Human Behavior Theory and Social Work Practice. US: Transaction Publishers.

Heinonen, T., & Spearman, L. (2000). Social Work Practice: Problem Solving and Beyond. US: Irwin Higher Education.

Hinton, S. E. (2005). The Outsiders. US: Penguin Group.

Pardeck, J. T. (1996). Social Work Practice: An Ecological Approach. US: ABC-CLIO.

Ronen, T., & Freeman, A. (2007). Cognitive Behavior Therapy in Clinical Social Work Practice. US: Springer Publishing Company.

S.E Hinton has several characters in her book ‘The Outsiders’. I will discuss the following characters: Ponyboy, Dally and Darry.

Ponyboy Curtis is a young innocent boy. He is still naïve. This is because Pony boy does not understand why his brother is so hard on him and why Darry has to work so hard.Ponyboy is a dreamer. This illustrated at the beginning of chapter 1 where he wishes he were tough and handsome like Paul Newman. Ponyboy is a shy boy. He likes to keep quiet and he talks to his friends Jonny and Cherry. They usually talk about sunsets and poetry.

Dallas Winston (Dally) is a mean person. He is meaner than the other gang members are. He is a criminal who does not take the law seriously. He thinks that the law is a joke. Dally is usually angry at the world.

Darrel Curtis (Darry) is Ponyboy’s eldest brother. He is tough and wants Ponyboy to be tough too. This is illustrated in chapter one where he yells at pony for not fighting back. Darry works hard. This is because the book says that he overworks himself. Darry is also caring. Being the eldest among his siblings, he protects and takes care of them.

Yesterday a rival gang killed the gang leader of Socs at the Fountain. This was after a fight ensued between the two groups. The rival gang call themselves the ‘Greasers.’ Bob is the deceased gang leader. A gang member from the rival group stabbed the deceased with a knife. Johnny (a member of the Greasers) killed Bob after he threatened to drown Ponyboy (also a member of the Greasers).

Bob was from a wealthy family. Bob wore rings on his fingers. He was the gang leader of the Socs (Socials). Cherry was Bob’s boyfriend. The police have speculated that Cherry could be the cause of the fight. However, the police are still investigating the matter.

Ponyboy and Jonny were walking in the park.This is when a blue Mustang pulled up. The Socs were in the car. They jumped out and went straight for Ponboy and Jonny. The boys tried acting tough. One of the Socs pushed Ponyboy to the fountain. Ponyboy tried fighting back but Bob was too strong for him. Ponyboy was drowning. Jonny had to do something. Jonny pulled out Knife and stabbed Bob. Bob fell down with a thud. He was dead.

When Ponyboy woke up, he found Jonny staring at Knife.The knife had blood. Jonny told Ponyboy that he had killed Bob. They decided to go and look for Dally. He would know what to do. They knew where to find Dally. He was at the Buck Merrill’s place. On their way they got stopped by the police. Jonny still had the Knife. The police arrested Phonyboy and Jonny. The police arraigned them in court. Johnny stated that it was self-defense.

Cherry testified for Jonny. She stated that Jonny and Ponyboy were good persons. The judge acquitted them of the murder charges. However, the judge stated, that the Greasers and the Socs were going to do community service together. The judge further stated that, the two gangs should stop Fighting. This whole experience changed Dally. He vowed to stop his criminal activities. Dally was employed at a good factory. Pony boy became friends with Randy.

There are several groups in this school similar to the Greasers and the Socs. These groups include the geeks; the cool people; racist group; the cheerleaders and the Bullies.

The geeks have the following strengths: they are smart; obedient; creative; polite and thoughtful. However, they have their weaknesses too. These are, they are timid, weak, shy, have low self-esteem and naïve.

The cool people have the following strengths: they are fun; easy going; popular; confident and smart. Their weakness includes the following: they usually get poor grades; they are egocentric; mean to the not so cool people; selfish and inconsiderate of other people’s feelings.

The Cheerleaders group consists of pretty girls. This group has the following strengths: the members are confident; popular; almost everyone in school likes them; they are fun to hang out with and they are confident. Their weakness includes the following: they are mean; egocentric; selfish; arrogant and timid.

Racist gangs consist of kids who do not associate with kids of a different race. They consider themselves more superior than the other kids in school. During Lunchtime, they do not allow kids of different race to share a table with them. They have the following strengths: solidarity amongst them: unity; they are tough; they look out for each other; and are protective of each other. Their weakness includes the following: they are discriminative; they are cowards when alone; have low self-esteem; they weak when alone and they are egocentric.

The bullies are the group of kids who harass other children in school with no good reason. Bullying should not be encouraged. For purpose of this assignment, this group has the following strengths: they are tough; they operate as a team; they are united; they always get what they want; and every one fears them. Bullies always target weak the weak children in school. This means that they have the following weakness: they are not tough; they have personality issues: they do not have many friends; they are cowards in the inside and they usually get poor grades.

Interviewer: Welcome to our breakfast show.

Cherry: Thank you.

Interviewer: Tell us why kids in schools form gangs.

Cherry: I think the problem emanates from the society.

Interviewer: Tell us more on this.

Cherry: There is something called social segregation. It starts with our parents and the adults. The rich people only socialize with the rich. Rich people leave out the poor. This passes to us children.

Interviewer: I understand you are from a wealthy family. So why did you help the Greasers?

Cherry: I believe the Greasers are good people.

Interviewer: Are you trying to say that the Socs are bad people?

Cherry: No, The Socs are equally good people.

Interviewer: so why did you then Help the Greasers? Does it look like you betrayed the Socs? Besides that, the Greasers killed your boyfriend!

Cherry: The two groups tore me. However, I felt that the Socs had been doing a great injustice to the Greasers. That is the reason I helped them. Further, the Socs are the ones who started these fights

Interviewer: It was a pleasure having you here.

Cherry: Thank you.

“I wished I looked like Paul Newman. He looks tough and I don’t. The other thing-it’s a long walk home with no company…And nobody in our gang digs movies and books the way I do. So I lone it” (Hinton, 1967, p.6). From this passage, it is evident that the main character, Ponyboy Curtis, who is fourteen years of age, will be telling the story from the first person perspective. This is important to the story because he describes the events in a slangy, youthful voice that makes his narration easily believable.

I liked this passage because it shows that though Ponyboy belongs to a gang, he is not stereotypical as he loves being alone in pursuit of his own interests. On the other hand, this passage does not interest me in the sense that Ponyboy wishes to be another person, instead of focusing on his own strengths. The fact that Ponyboy regards himself as “superior,” despite his young age, to other gang members amazes me.

“…so I can still help Darry with the bills and stuff…Tuff enough. Wait till I get out…I told you he don’t mean half of what he says…” (Hinton, 1967, page 26). This phrase illustrates the method of communication between the gang members. Since they speak in street slang, this illustrates that the two rival groups of the greasers and the Socs share some things in common.

This potential for agreement is important for the story since the reader can feel the aversion between the two teenage groups when they are engaging in a conversation. I like this method of communication because it is able to harmonize the division between the groups. However, I hate it because it is full of grammatical errors. Though the interpretation of this street slang may be difficult, it is an interesting youthful way of talking.

“I could fall in love with Dallas Winston. I hope I never see him again, or I will” (Hinton, 1967, p.46). This quote is what Cheery told Ponyboy when they were having a conversation in chapter three. I like this conversation since it shows that Dallas Winston, the meanest person, could make a lady, like Cherry-a Soc girl with good habits, like him.

This also amuses me as well. I hate the words Cheery uses in this instance because she seems not to be considering the personality of Dallas. She is simply speaking because she has been driven by emotions. Cherry’s attraction to Dallas is of essence in the story since it illustrates that the conflict between the two teenage groups is reconcilable.

“I had to. They were drowning you, Pony. They might have killed you. And they had a blade… they were gonna beat me up…” (Hinton, 1967, p.57). These words were spoken by Johnny to Pony. I liked this phrase because it shows the sincerity in Johnny. Although he had killed Bob, he only did so to defend himself, otherwise he could have been killed instead.

One thing I hate about this incidence is that instead of finding an easier way of solving the problem, Johnny, a greaser, opted to commit murder. It is sad that Bob, who played a critical role in defending the Socs, lost his life in such an unfortunate way. The death of Bob increased the rivalry between the two contending gangs.

Ponyboy thinks, “That was the first time I realized the extent of Johnny’s hero-worship for Dallas Winston” (Hinton, 1967, p.76). This is another phrase that captures my attention in the novel. After reading Gone with the Wind, the boys come to terms with what they are going through.

I like this phrase because the book managed to open Ponyboy’s eyes such that he was able to seen the extent to which Dallas has been idolized. On the other hand, I doesn’t like the notion that the boys were unable to realize their own sense of worth by having a high esteem of the concerning the ideas of Dallas.

The tension between the two rival groups continued to increased after Ponyboy and Johnny came to that abrupt realization. And, Dallas even started to walk around with an gun so as to threaten his enemies.

“Greasers will still be greasers and Socs will still be Socs. Sometimes I think it’s the ones in the middle that are really the lucky stiffs” (Hinton, 1967, p.117). These words were spoken by Randy. He was informing Ponyboy that he will cease to engage in fights in the rumble. I find these words interesting because they signify the futility of the conflicts between the two groups.

Randy brings a good point by suggesting that the recurring Soc-greaser conflict will make them unable to rise above their social identities. This message is important in the story since it signifies the socioeconomic differences that were the root cause of the bitter rivalry between the two gang groups. These disparities between the social classes were the source of the tension between the greasers and the Socs.

Reference List

Hinton, S. E. The Outsiders. (1967). New York: Viking Press, Dell Publishing.

Introduction

Almost every literary tradition can present the world with at least one child prodigy — the author of a sensational book that makes a significant impact on the whole world. Susan Eloise Hinton, who wrote her novel The Outsiders in 1965, is the American version of such cultural archetype. After its publication, the novel was faced with both a massive scandal and enormous popularity; in some states, it was prohibited, and in others, it was included in the school curriculum.

The Outsiders is a small book that evokes different emotions among readers. The novel depicts teenage boys who are forced to protect themselves from the attacks of their peers from a wealthier neighborhood. Therefore, it is crucial to get acquainted with the essence of the novel and analyze its main characters to genuinely comprehend Hinton’s view on the challenges of the teenage age within the framework of this paper.

The Summary of the Novel

The main character of the novel, with a comical name Ponyboy Curtis, is a 14-year-old orphan with big dreams. His parents died in a car accident a year ago, and now he lives with two older brothers — a 20-year-old strong man Darry and 16-year-old handsome Gas. Gas is a favorite person in any circle, while Darry is cruel and arrogant: Ponyboy Curtis is convinced that he tyrannizes him in vain and wants to take his younger brother to a shelter.

Ponyboy Curtis, his brothers, and their friends are “greasers”: they comb their long hair back, smoke cigarettes from their youth, steal from shops, and turn empty bottles into Molotov cocktails in one polished motion. What is more, many of the “greasers” have switchblades in their pockets. However, the main thing that all the “greasers” are busy with is the hostility towards the rival gang, the “socs”—neat and elegant children from wealthy areas.

The “greasers,” teenagers from working-class families living in poverty, are convinced that the “socs” are less valuable people since they are more privileged from birth. Thus, the “greasers” hate them to a great extent due to the difference in their social status. Moreover, the “socs” indeed behave in a challenging manner: they attack weaker groups of people, beat the smallest, and generally do not demonstrate fidelity to the street honor code.

Once, Ponyboy and his best friend, Johnny, get in serious trouble: first, they want to date two girls from the “socs” party, then they get involved in a fight with their enemies, and later they accidentally kill one of the attackers. What happens next in the novel is entirely predictable. When Johnny and Ponyboy pull defenseless children out of the fire in the church, they appear heroes in readers’ eyes. The story ends with the bitterness of loss, Ponyboy’s long-awaited reconciliation with his brother, and a fantastic discovery that the “socs” are also people with the same feelings, problems, and challenges.

An Analysis of the Main Characters

The protagonist of the book, a teenage boy, Ponyboy Curtis, is a person with a complex and stubborn character. He suffers from a problematic relationship with his older brothers and has difficulty in finding common ground with peers. All his life Ponyboy lives with a feeling of hatred and rejection, especially in relation to a hostile gang, the “socs.” Later on, faced with poverty, hunger, and the pain of losing his best friend, Ponyboy realizes that all people are the same.

As a consequence, after realizing all the mistakes he made in life, Ponyboy says: “It seemed funny to me that the sunset she saw from her patio and the one I saw from the back steps was the same one. Maybe the two different worlds we lived in weren’t so different. We saw the same sunset.” Thus, within the framework of the novel, Ponyboy goes through the difficult path of rebirth to break free from hatred and evil and become a completely new person.

The other important character in the novel is Johnny, who is forced to hide in a church from the police after killing a boy from the “socs” group. Together with Ponyboy, Johnny lives in the church for some time, but the two boys do not use this time in vain, reading famous poems and novels. Subsequently, a terrible fire breaks out in the church, and trying to save the children, Johnny suffers from serious burns and finds himself in the hospital. He soon realizes that he will not survive and spends the last moments of life with his best friend, Ponyboy. Before dying, realizing all his mistakes in life, Johnny says, “Stay gold, Ponyboy, stay gold,” and peacefully passes away. Therefore, the main characters of the novel are a great example of a real friendship, mutual assistance, and support.

The Theme of the Novel

The most prevailing topics covered all through The Outsiders novel are social and class conflicts between youngsters. These conflicts take place between two opponent groups, the “socs” and the “greasers.” The distinctions in personal qualities and the financial status between the “greasers” from the East Side and the “socs” from the West Side have turned the two groups against one another in enmity.

Throughout the novel, Ponyboy comes to change his point of view about favoring one side, and discovers that class conflict is unsafe and inefficient for all people in spite of the social and financial status. Accordingly, the main theme of the novel revolves around social differences and class conflicts.

Personal Opinion about the Novel

For me, The Outsiders is the novel that should not be judged by its retelling. It is a very uneven book with a rather weak plot. However, there is something in the story that cannot be found in more mature books: from Hinton’s novel comes lively energy that Kurt Cobain sang about in “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” This very teen spirit, the spirit of rebellious youth, completely naturally pays for all shortcomings of the novel.

If readers are in their twenties, they will recognize themselves in this book, and, most likely, they will feel frustrated. In the contemporary world, not many people think about what real poverty is and how youngsters can survive it. The book The Outsiders shows the very life of poor people in distressed neighborhoods that have to survive challenges of modern life. However, the most valuable thing about the book is that it depicts how teenagers are trying to find their place in this cruel world.

Conclusion

Overall, the distinctive feature of The Outsiders is Hinton’s power to deal with difficult topics in an easy-to-read manner. In its essence, the novel shows the recognition by the narrator, Ponyboy Curtis, of the fact that there is no way out of the world of brutal gangs, discrimination, and poverty in which he lives. Heroes have to survive without the support of a stable family or state in constrained financial circumstances.

Nevertheless, the author shows that embarking on the path of crime and violence as self-defense is the only possible way out for the protagonist-narrator and his friends. Although this story is very bleak and violent, Hinton brings a touch of optimism when Ponyboy, at the end of the book, realizes the need for change in his life.

Bibliography

Dorling, Danny. Injustice (revised edition): Why Social Inequality Still Persists. New York: Policy Press, 2015.

Hinton, Susan. The Outsiders. London: Penguin, 2016.

Prasad, Suji, and Rangasami Periyan. “Factors Influencing Intimate Partner Violence.” Indian Journal of Community Health 31, no. 1 (2019): 4–9.

Raudenbush, Stephen, and Robert Eschmann. “Does Schooling Increase or Reduce Social Inequality?” Annual Review of Sociology 12, no. 2(2015): 443–470.

Ponyboy is the narrator who tells a story of two gangs and the hatred between the two groups. He is a member of a street gang. The members of this gang call themselves Greasers and live in families of workers. Greasers hate another gang, Socs, who are children of wealthy parents. Ponyboy is a teenager who faces a lot of problems. Two of Ponyboy’s friends die, and he sees a lot of violence in the streets. He takes part in many violent acts. All these events and experiences help Ponyboy to develop into a new person. In the course of the novel, the main character becomes a better person who has learned important lessons about violence, death, friendship, love, and life.

At the beginning of the story, Ponyboy is a typical teenager who has problems at school and who wants to break the rules. He is a member of a gang of Greasers. Ponyboy’s family is not wealthy, but the teenager still understands that there is beauty in the world. Ponyboy takes part in many fights and sees a lot of violence. However, he cannot live such a life, and he suffers. He understands that wars and violence can never help teenagers to find their ways in their lives. Nevertheless, he still takes part in the gang’s activities as he feels he must do this (133). He feels he cannot leave, so he helps his friends even if he believes that fights are wrong. He is still a part of the gang, and he thinks that violence is a part of their life.

However, one horrible event becomes a turning point in his life. Ponyboy’s friend dies, and this death makes the teenager understand everything. Ponyboy remembers, “He told me to stay gold” (Hinton 152). These words help him know that he must change. He has noticed that the fights make the thing worse. He has witnessed that friends become enemies because of the divide. The death of another member of his gang made Ponyboy understand one more thing.

He said he lost two friends, “one a hero, the other a hoodlum” (Hinton 154). These two deaths show that gangs kill young people even if their hearts are gold and even if they can understand the beauty of the world. Thus, teenagers enjoy sunrises and poetry and think that they are “beautiful” (Hinton 77). After his friends’ death, Ponyboy understands that it is time to stop violence, and it is better to start living. He starts making things right, and his first step is writing an essay about his experiences.

In conclusion, it is possible to note that Ponyboy becomes a better person throughout the novel. He understands that violence can never solve problems. He also understands that he should start living. Ponyboy understands that everyday life is full of beauty, happiness, and joy, and life in a gang can lead to misery and death. It is possible to state that Ponyboy grows up and he will leave the band to start an everyday life. The novel is a story of Ponyboy’s evolution. He tries to break the rules of society at the beginning, but he understands that these rules make life better at the end of the story. He becomes an adult who is responsible and resolute. He has learned his lessons, and he will definitely enjoy his life as he understands that there are so many beautiful things to live for.

Works Cited

Hinton, Susan Eloise. The Outsiders. New York, NY: Puffin Books, 1997. Print.

Needless to say that cinema has become one of the most important and famous arts in the world. It happens due to several reasons. First of all for most people it is more interesting to watch a movie rather than read books as movies are able to provide visual improvement of some facts. Modern cinema can offer a lot of interesting and outstanding films. Watching the framing of the films can provide us with the main information about the film and define whether this movie worth watching or not. This paper deals with the framings of two outstanding movies Avatar by Cameron and The Outsiders by Francis Ford Coppola. Undoubtedly, these movies shocked the audience by their captivating plot and brilliant visual effects.

The first part of the paper is devoted to the movie Avatar by James Cameron. The film was shot in 2009 and by the beginning of 2010 it achievs so huge success and breakes all possible records for box-office takings all around the world. Creation of the film took about two decades. James Cameron who is famous for such films as Titanic and Terminator is eager to create the movie that will become the expression of his own vision of the science fiction book.

By 2005, he makes the announcement that Avatar would certainly be his next movie, a technically complicated mixture of live action and virtually descriptions that will “alter” the background of general motion pictures. True to the words of Cameron, this movie is about humans invading Pandora planet. This story is a mixture of every provisional fiction topic stanch to paper. This film can not leave the audience indifferent, as it touches upon serious problems and issues and director tries to demonstrate those issues from his point of view.

The planet of Pandora as presented from the imagination of Cameron and produced with the help of computers and super-modern technologies fit for the armed forces is ahead of charming to fix your eyes on. Flourishing woods with phosphorous plants house enormous trees strengthening a great number of meters into the air. Above this cover, serrated hovering mountains spot the sky. By the description of nature Cameron tries to show attitude of people of Pandora to their environment. Some scenes of the movie demonstrate that nature is like our mother and the source of life, which requires care and gentle attitude. So, to my mind this film is a perfect demonstration of ideal attitude to nature.

The director tries to show people’s direct connection with nature and points out that eco-friendly relationship between people and nature are of great importance. It is one of the main messages of the film. Moreover, Avatar is not just a breathtaking amusement, though it is that. It is a technological breakthrough. Unfortunately the frame does not provide with the complete information about the film, presenting just general and the brightest moments of the film. A lot of issues are left behind the frame. For example, except the problem of eco-friendly attitude of people to the nature, this film contains a flat-out, pacifist or anti-war idea. It is destined to instigate a cult.

It comprises such imagery details that it would recompense repeating viewings. The movie shows the antagonistic attitude of people to the inhabitants of the planet of Pandora. Pandora does not represent even a remote threat to the Earth, but still people who inhabit Earth send in ex-military armed forces to assail and surmount Pandora (Plambeck paragraph 3). The armed soldiers of Gung-ho attack the planet in order to conquer its lands and its priceless natural recourses.

To my mind it is some kind of implication used by the director in order to indirectly demonstrate the actions of contemporary politics. It is some kind of allegory that Cameron uses to show that people are weaker than weapons, but unity with nature can resist any attack and cope with any kind of difficulty. As for the question of stratification concerned, Cameron touches upon it as well. He demonstrates the negative attitude of people from Earth to those from Pandora, considering them as representatives of lower class that is very simple to conquer. Pandora’s population is different from Earth’s in the sense of appearance.

Probably this is one more reason why they are not treated as normal. The most interesting thing about this movie is the change of dominant roles. From the very beginning people from Earth were considered as dominants, having the most sophisticated weapons, the end of the film shows that weapons and modern technologies are not obviously the synonym for dominance, as unity and friendship are much stronger. This point of view can be supported by one of the final scenes of the movie, when people of Pandora are being already attacked, they demonstrated their unity and readiness to fight and defend their land in any situation.

Another film that is worth discussing is The Outsiders by Francis Ford Coppola. The content of this film is also very captivating and inspiring. As in the previous movie the director of the film touches upon different social problems faced by the main characters.

The Outsiders is one of the least favorite films Francis Ford Coppola. It is considered to some extent an urchin of both his individual and proficient storms. The movie was released in 1983 and gained quick popularity among the viewers and did rather well at the box office, but still its critics are mainly unconvinced, even somewhat disapproving. We know this movie is shot on the basis of the book written by S. E. Hinton during her sophomore period of high school (Dargis paragraph 2).

So, it is understandable why film describes the problems of the youth so precisely and expressively. After watching the frame of this film the viewer can understand some events of the film, but still it is impossible to realize all the depth of the film without watching it completely. There are different reasons why the reviewers do not like The Outsiders. Some of them stated that Coppola would undertake such apparently inconsequential material; another try to blame the director in using a great number of sins, both authentic and imagined. In fact The Outsiders is some sort of a prompt of Coppola what is like to be a teenager, when each tear is an absolute epic of hurt. Coppola shot this movie to demonstrate people the real life of teenagers, who were considered as the outsiders as they refused to obey to the generally accepted rules of the society.

This is some kind of conflict between youth and society that Coppola tries to concentrate on. This movie comprises both, conviction and justification of the main character, despite of his rude and sometimes violent actions. Probably, the main reason why Coppola comprises so many scenes of violence in the movie is to demonstrate surrounding can alter the inner world of the person and show this person’s desire to dominate over the rules and laws of the society.

Comparing with the movie Avatar by Cameron, it is necessary to tell about the problem of stratification of the society that is also seen in The Outsiders. Coppola demonstrates his character as a member of the lower class of the society, opposite to his fellows, the representatives of higher class. The movie develops the topic of class conflict and demonstrates the differences in the way of life of unequal members of society. Moreover, the appearance stratification is also seen during in this movie. The Socs, who are the representatives of the so-called upper class of the society get by with their spitefulness as they have normal appearance.

They live on the rich side of the town, have a lot of money and opportunity to dress well, they have tiny and tidy haircut, drive expensive and luxurious cars. So, as a consequence, they are never responsible and blamed for something awful. In contrast, the members of the lower part of society that is Greasers are regarded as hoods, as they are underprivileged and poor. Their houses are situated on the poor side of the town. Unfortunately they do not have the opportunity to buy expensive cloth and live the luxuries life. That is why they are convicted in everything wrong and negative. This is the problem of injustice and domination of rich people that Coppola tries to consider in his film as well.

Among other topics described in the movie, we can see the themes of love and affection, coming of age and brotherly love from the point of view of young people. Social identities of the main characters help to understand their way of life and realize true reasons of their mistakes and sins. Despite of the fact that the main character is somewhat negative in the movie, Coppola does not demonstrate him as a criminal or disgusting man. He tries to show that everyone of us was a teenager and it is very hard to remain yourself in the world of people who have completely another interests with you.

A minor theme touched upon in the movie is that dysfunctional families set an incredible suffering on the children and play very important role during the formation of their character. Family has always been regarded as a dominant power over the child that is why the relations inside the family are so important for the personal growth of a child. The main character of the movie and suffers from neglect, abandon and a lack of attention and love. As a result he becomes the member of a gang, belonging to the lowest part of the society, but this gang is actually his family, where he is respected, having the sense of belonging.

Watching the framing of the movies gives audience the possibility to catch the main issues and ideas of the films, but still the greatest part of essential information is hidden inside the movie.

Works Cited

Plambeck, Joseph News Corp. Gets a Lift From Ads and ‘Avatar’. New York Times. 2010. Web.

Dargis, Manohla The Outsiders (1983) Coppola Pays a Return Visit to His ‘Gone With the Wind’ for Teenagers. New York Times. Web.

Introduction

A film is a visual medium and normally attempts to portray certain parts on thoughts of characters not explicitly expressed. Recognizing themes of loyalty, moral crisis, honor, and revenge, Ford Coppola brings life into the film The Outsiders.

Thus, this analytical treatise attempts to explicitly and critically review the elements of storytelling, acting, cinematography, editing, sound and style, directing, themes, genre, and the impact of the film on the society, framing and scene selection in the film The Outsider. Besides, the treatise analysis the main themes in the film directed by Ford Coppola.

Story Telling

At the onset the film, viewers are introduced to the class stratification in the society and rivalry between the rich kids and Curtis’ camp. Its visual representational meaning conveys the relationship between Curtis and the depicted structuring of subsequent scenes. The creation of a visual representational meaning proposed the space-based model for analysis centered on the placement of objects within the semiotic space as represented in the plot of the film (Monaco, 2009).

The relationship between the visual participant-interactive or represented- in this film is realized by elements defined as vectors or processes which correspond to a group of action in the surprise of fear (Coppola, 1983, scene 8). The story takes place in a society consisting of clear lines between the rich and the poor.

Coppola has created an interesting fictional premise that takes the route of a thought-provoking path of action and chase scenes. Reflectively, this creates a feeling of an imaginative casting. Factually, the storyline is far more and fascinating than the film. Coppola even goes ahead to include slow motion pictures yet the film is a high speed genre.

This adversely distracts the flow from its original interesting and provocative aspects. For instance, in scene seven, where the Greasers are in the church, the audience is interrupted by their presence which the director modified through the use of slow motion pictures of them (Coppola, 1983, scene 7).

The theme of violence is fully exploited. However, the thriller misses the truly poetic orchestrations of actions and heroic displays of bravado especially on the aspect of flow. The film has an intriguing premise on the theme of violence: characters in the film are drunkards, smokers, bullies, and are involved in fights using crude weapons and even end up killing (Coppola, 1983, scene 2-8).

Acting

This metaphysical fiction genre captures the lives of the Greasers (Curtis, brothers, and friends living in the low income side of the town) and the Socs (wealthy kids living in higher income side of the town). Drawn from life experiences, this movie reveals the decay of the society as contributed by the themes of monopolistic corporations, misery, twin-self, paranoia, violence, peer influences, and drug abuse.

The actors are mostly young adults who still live a carefree life in the midst of poverty. From the third scene to the seventh scene, the Greasers are drunk. The state of anomy in the story line seems to suggest a weak social system and failed family life. For instance, Curtis brothers and their friends find themselves in the company of chaotic greasers. Across the film, a series of tragic events unfold and climax with death. The main character looks moderately concerned and a bit confused. In fact he fails to play his role convincingly.

Cinematic Perspectives

Contact is one of the most important visual systems as it enables the viewer to distinguish between images that depict different objects and scenes, such as a person or an animal. Contact visualization has been achieved by use dark background that introduces the characters at the beginning of the film.

However, from the picture motions, the main character is very cautious in thought and action pattern. Furthermore, the lighting also creates an attitude which relates to the way the viewer relates to the image in either horizontal or vertical angle (Monaco, 2009). Reflectively, when the viewer looks from a vertical angle, it is in order to opine that it depicts class stratification. For example, when the viewer looks up from a low angle, the motion images show rebellion from authority.

On the other hand, when the viewer looks down from a high angle, the images show vulnerability. In the film The Outsiders, the above cinematic invisibility forms indicate the themes of vulnerability, fear of the unknown and class stratification surrounding this society. These themes are critical in exploring the plot of the film set in a background of poverty and violence (Coppola, 1983).

Editing

Visual communication relies on both the eyes that see the images and the brain that processes and makes sense of the information received. An active mind therefore is capable of remembering visual images; consequently having both text and images enables one to analyze the pictures (Monaco, 2009).

The frame in the storyline of this film deals with factors that the plot language is ill equipped to handle. To be precise, the visually salient elements of the subject and its spatial position are symmetric. In the third scene, the frame picture of Curtis invokes meaning by adding information to the words presented, for example, the story teaches on the importance family values of care, protection as a measure against deviant behavior (Coppola, 1983, scene 4).

This frame of the film creates a conceptual process that is visually characterized by the presence of a chronological order piece. This conceptual process defines, analyzes and classifies the place, people or things including abstract ones into a symbolic and analytical parameter. The classification categorizes people, things or places in a tree structure in which things are represented as belonging to a particular class or order. In the film, conceptual processes occur when Curtis and the brothers encounters a surprise fear of the unknown

Composition and Soundtracks

Since the invention of motion pictures, music has been a vital tool as a communication medium in films. As a matter of fact, the use of music resonates on the facets of the plot and its significance in defining and modeling the synopsis via the creation of desired effects (Monaco, 2009).

Often, music takes the form of filmic metaphor, that is, the message being communicated. The choice of instrument used and monotony of the soundtrack Stay Gold in the film The Outsiders and Tomorrow is a Long Time by Elvis Presley have created the unique coded sounds for recognizable geographical access.

Though constantly and consistently playing in the background, these soundtracks are not heard consciously. Rather, they function actively in the subconscious mind as they lead the audience to the preceding scene. Besides, tonal balancing makes these soundtracks a subordinate to visuals and dialogue, though they are part of the narrative vehicle (Coppola, 1983).

The background sound track Stay Gold by Wayne Wonder in the film createsan ambience in the plot and ensures continuity as integrated by emotions. In the process, emotional act is invoked for different characterized trait played by each character in the cast.The emotional play is organized into music to make the audience appreciate and feel the same way as expected from the film maker.

From the type of music being played, the audience can predict the turn of events in the next scene; whether bad or good. Besides, this soundtrack evokesthe sensational horror of the synopsis (Monaco, 2009). Without music, this narrative presented in motion pictures would have minimal impacts on the audience as compared to the same with a variety of musical soundtracks (Coppola, 1983).

In addition, the song Tomorrow is a Long Time by Elvis Presley in the film enables the audience to identify themselves with Curtis and relate to his role in the film. This composition relaxes the mood in the movie as sadness intensifies. To align to the traditional setting aspects of production design and the society, this composition heightens hyper-real palate of emotional expression.

Moreover, this choice of music was essential in the need for a proper balance of production aural, sound accordion, and permeates scenes (Monaco, 2009). Subsequently, this balance has facilitated the addition of decadent uncertainty feeling across the film and in the cast (Coppola, 1983).

Style and directing

As a matter of fact, irrespective of the level of knowledge and understanding of research facets, literature versions are inclusive of literature tools such as metaphors. Literature comparison is about enjoying the phrases, feeling the actor’s words in action, imagining, and placing oneself in the actor’s shoes.

Creation of scenes with consistent assumptions and symbolic insinuation add comprehensiveness to film perception by the audience.The film shows how an individual’s sense of identity is vulnerable to manipulation by others within the same peer group (Coppola, 1983, scene 5). Coppola relied heavily in a balance of irony, realism, and parody in the film The Outsiders to present a distinct literary style in depicting different societal setups.

The director artistically underscores the traditional position on triangulated desires as a trajectory and paradoxically dependent on desire nurtured by peer pressure to form the underlying huddles towards fulfilling the traditionally internalized protagonist beliefs in discipline as a normative social positioning institution. Reflectively, integrating this in the theme of triangulated desires to overcome introduces physical and emotional insistent which is climaxed in momentous fulfillment achievement as perceived by the Greasers.

The theme of hidden and recurring desires control the lives of the main characters in this wobbly plot. This aspect is narrow and creates an essence of assuming a static plot setting (Monaco, 2009). This is a wise way to maintain the literature touch, making it simpler to understand. Thus, the director has created a quantifiable and intrinsic viewer understanding of what metaphoric use of a character was about and the resultant effect created (Coppola, 1983).

Significant lessons

Reflectively, human soul acquires great experience and remains unhurt in the experience of maturity in expression and emotional display. Human intellection is healthier when people lead the “life of nature” and are not troubled with societal challenges which in the real sense do not exist. Besides that, when people persistently build original intention, without conforming to recognized culture, they would never be confused in speculation. Instead their intellection would have achieved significant reality that other individuals would learn from them.

As a matter of fact, these events indicate that the Greasers and Socs had themselves to blame for their unfortunate situations. Their unruly behavior and abuse of drugs not only affected their lives but also the lives of their family members. In fact, their lives are consumed by series of sad events as it is apparent that the Greasers may not overcome poverty (Coppola, 1983). Besides, their low economic class is an impediment towards relating with the rich Socs.

From this film, Coppola displays the existing class discrimination on the basis of the economic worth. The haves always look down upon the have-nots simply because of the external advantages they may have above others. In addition, Coppola displays alcoholism and drug abuse as a rebellious strategy against the harsh realities of the society.

Genre

This film adopts a mixture of fantasy and western genre. Since the plot is directed towards a well arranged tone, the film can be classified as a genre film. The elements of tone, music track, and character of the cast is critical towards genre classification.

Criticism and Analysis

The film also elevates doubt of irony and actually misleads viewers with incorrect and strident imagery. Moreover, the film is a sarcastic declaration on unrealistic obsession with violence. Actually, this aspect is informed by the perception that the film holds a solemn disposition on the decay in the society. Actually, the director attempted to suggest a swift change of imagery which entailed street rivalry and darkness. Coppola deliberately uses such metaphors to portray a practical and likely result of an obsession with violence.

Conclusion

From the above reflection, it is apparent that Coppola’s film The Outsiderscombines the artistic presentation and the soundtracks to create a sense of drama within a minimal feeling of manipulation. Coherently, the level of auditory componenthasa different cinematic repertoire for sensory connection; commonly referred to as context modality.

Generally, from the stimuli created by movie excerpts and series of dynamic structural alignment in the film The Outsider, it is in order to accredit Cappola for his creativity. The performance of the cast is not condescending. Thus, it is in order to confirm that this film have lived to its potential.

References

Coppola F (Executive Producer). (1983). The Outsiders [DVD]. Warner Bros: California.

Monaco, J. (2009). How to read a film: movies, media, and beyond. London, UK: Oxford University Press.