1. The Outsiders
S.E. Hinton

2. Journal
DIRECTIONS: In every organized grouping of people, social cliques exist. Think about the social groups (cliques) that exist at our school. Where do you fit into this structure, and do you feel that your placement in this category/group is a fair and accurate one? Why or why not? Things to consider: What specific social groupings exist in our school? What characteristics does each social grouping possess? Who makes up the criteria for membership in different social groupings? How easy/difficult is it to get out of a social group that you have been placed in? What do people need to do to change their social status? Are they easily accepted into a new one?

3. Directions: Use the information from your free write, and add information that you have thought of since then to fill in the cluster outline. Your main idea goes inside the oval. You can attach supporting ideas as boxes attached to the circles. Place stars to the social groups you feel you belong to.

4. Time to Discuss What are the main social groups at SanLee?
What are the secondary social groups at SanLee?

5. S.E. Hinton
Susan Eloise Hinton was born in the 1950s in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a place that she describes as “a pleasant place to live if you don’t want to do anything.” She began The Outsiders at the age of fifteen, inspired by her frustration with the social divisions in her high school and the lack of realistic fiction for high school readers. The Outsiders, first published in 1967, tells the story of class conflict between the greasers, a group of low-class youths, and the Socs (short for Socials), a group of privileged rich kids who live on the wealthy West Side of town. The novel broke ground in the genre of Young Adult fiction, transcending established boundaries in its portrayal of violence, class conflict, and prejudice.

6. Hinton’s publishers decided that Hinton should publish her novel under the name S. E. Hinton in order to cloak her gender. They worried that readers would not respect The Outsiders, which features male protagonists and violent situations, if they knew a female wrote it. Hinton has said that she does not mind using an authorial name that is gender neutral.

7. The language and details of the novel root the story in the sixties
The language and details of the novel root the story in the sixties. Characters call fights “rumbles,” and people listen to the Beatles and Elvis Presley. The novel is set in the Southwest, as evidenced by the fact that many greasers ride in local rodeos. Despite its location in a specific time and place, however, the novel is remarkable for its ability to transcend location. The Outsiders examines the universal urge to form factions, compete, and unite for survival. With only a few minor cosmetic changes, the novel could easily take place in a contemporary setting. This fact has given it universal appeal for the last few decades.

8. Hinton attempts to humanize the greasers, the outsiders of the story’s title, by showing that their exterior toughness masks vulnerability and emotion. She makes both the greasers and the Socs sympathetic and refuses to cast blame on one group over the other. As one character tells another, “Things are rough all over.”

9. After the publication of her first novel, Hinton felt pressure to turn out a successful sophomore effort. She had difficulty writing under this stress, and her boyfriend (who later become her husband) nudged her along by taking her out only if she had completed two pages per day. Hinton successfully finished her second novel, titled That Was Then, This is Now, published in In all, she has -written eight novels for young adults. The Outsiders is Hinton’s best-selling novel. A film version of the novel, starring C. Thomas -Howell, Patrick Swayze, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe, and Ralph Macchio, was released in 1983.

10. Study Questions Ch. 1 & 2
1. Why do you think Ponyboy loves going to the movies? What do movies do for him? 2. What does Ponyboy mean when he says that he does well in school but he doesn’t “use his head”? 3. What are some of the reasons Ponyboy gives for Darry’s strict rules? 4. Why doesn’t Ponyboy think Darry loves him?

11. Study Questions Ch. 1&2
4. Why doesn’t Ponyboy think Darry loves him? 5. What is Johnny’s life at home like? What do the Greaser’s give Johnny that he doesn’t get at home? 6. How does Ponyboy feel when the Soc’s tease him? 7. Who does Ponyboy think looks like a movie star? a. Sodapop b. Johnny c. Steve Randle d. Himself 8. What is Two-Bit Matthews famous for? a. fixing cars b. eating 4 dozen eggs c. shoplifting d. weightlifting 9. Why doesn’t Ponyboy live with his mom and dad? a. they don’t want him b. they were killed c. he chose to live w/his brothers

12. Study Questions Ch. 1 & 2
10. Who is Sodapop’s girlfriend? a. Sandie b. Evie c. Sylvia d. Marcy Who was the captain of the football team in high school? a. Dally b. Darry c. Ponyboy d. Steve Which of the Greasers was in jail at 10 years old? a. Dallas b. Two-Bit Matthews c. Darry d. Sodapop

13. The Outsiders Chapters 3 & 4 Discussion Questions
1. Why does Ponyboy dream about the country? Why does Ponyboy think that Dally could never love anyone or anything? 3. Why does Ponyboy feel bad when he talks about his unhappy home life to Johnny? 4. Why would a Soc like Cherry Valence be attracted to a Greaser like Dally?

14. The Outsiders Chapters 3 & 4 Discussion Questions
4. Why would a Soc like Cherry Valence be attracted to a Greaser like Dally? 5. When he is talking to Cherry, what does Ponyboy say separates Greasers from Socs? a. money b. location c. cars d. feelings According to Cherry, what is the main difference between Greasers and Socs? a. money b. location c. cars d. feelings Who was Mickey Mouse? a. Soda’s horse b. Soda’s puppy c. Soda’s car d. Soda’s toy According to Bob, what is a Greaser? a. white trash with madras and Mustangs b. white trash with long hair c. white trash

15. The Outsiders Chapters 3 & 4 Discussion Questions
9. Who helps Johnny and Ponyboy escape after the murder? a. Two-Bit b. Dally c. Buck Merill d. Darry Where do Ponyboy and Johnny hide out after the murder? a. a train car b. a church c. a school d. a field

16. The Outsiders Chapters 5 & 6 Discussion Questions
1. What do the boys do to their hair the day after they arrive at the church? Why?
2. Why can’t Ponyboy tell anyone but Johnny about the “sunrise and clouds and stuff”? How does Ponyboy feel about hunting? Why do you think he is afraid to tell Dally he feels this way? How does Johnny feel when he finds out his parents weren’t looking for him?

17. 5. What is the reason Dallas gives for not wanting to see Johnny go to jail? Why do you think Johnny looks happy when he’s in the burning church? The boys pass the time in the church by reading: a. Time magazine b. Gone With the Wind c. the comics 8. What makes Johnny think of Dallas as “gallant”? a. is success with girls b. coolly accepting blame for something another gang member did c. the way he helped the boys hide out d. his criminal record

18. 9. Who writes Ponyboy a letter when they are hiding out. a. Soda b
9. Who writes Ponyboy a letter when they are hiding out? a. Soda b. Cherry c. Darry d. Two-Bit Where do the police think Johnny and Pony have gone to after the murder? a. NY b. Texas c. Oklahoma d. Kansas What does Ponyboy find most scary about Dallas? a. his criminal record b. his hair c. his realness d. his intelligence Who is the “spy” for the greasers? a. Randy b. Bob c. Marcia d. Cherry