The Outsiders (novel)

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The Outsiders

The Outsiders (front cover of 1997 Puffin Books paperback reprint edition)
Author S. E. Hinton
Country United States
Language English
Genre(s) Young adult novel
Publisher Viking Press
Publication date 1967
Media type Print (Hardcover & Paperback)
Pages 156 pp
ISBN ISBN 0-670-53257-6 (hardcover edition)
Followed by That Was Then, This Is Now

The Outsiders is a novel by S. E. Hinton, first published in 1967 by Viking Press. Hinton was 15 when she began writing the novel[1] and 18 when it was published. The Outsiders is an account of a traumatic time in the life of fourteen-year-old Ponyboy Curtis. Hinton explores the themes of class conflict, brotherly love, friendship, and coming of age by following two rival gangs, the greasers and the Socs (pronounced "Soashes" by the author, short for Socials), who are separated by social-economic status.

The Outsiders is ranked 43rd on the American Library Association's top 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000[2] and 38th on their 1990-1999 list.[3] The book was challenged in South Milwaukee because of its portrayal of violence, language, drug and alcohol abuse, and the fact that "virtually all the characters were from broken homes."[citation needed].

Contents

[edit] Plot summary

The main characters in The Outsiders are Ponyboy Curtis, Johnny Cade, Dallas "Dally" Winston, Darrel "Darry" Curtis, Sodapop Curtis, Keith "Two-Bit" Mathews, and Steve Randle, a gang of greasers in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The story is narrated by Ponyboy, younger brother of both Sodapop and Darry. The three boys are orphaned after a car accident kills their parents. Darry, at age 20, assumes the paternal role to keep his brothers from getting sent to different homes. Darry feels overly burdened and cannot provide all of the things they need, often taking his frustrations out on Ponyboy. Although he is smart, he didn't pursue college so he could get a job and support Sodapop and Ponyboy. Sodapop dropped out of high school in favor of employment at a gas station to help his older brother. Sodapop also takes over the maternal role for Ponyboy, comforting him and encouraging him.

The greasers, who are generally poverty-stricken, derive their nickname from the grease, or hair oil, they use to slick back their hair. The Socs are the products of privileged upbringing. Although "the outsiders" may seem to refer to the alienated greasers, both groups are set back by economic and/or social limits. Each regard the other group as "outsiders".

The story begins with Ponyboy, the narrator and main character, walking out of a movie house and beginning to walk home. On his way, a red Corvair begins trailing him with a group of Socs in it. After a bit of trailing, the Corvair stops and a group of Socs climb out. When they attack Ponyboy, he starts yelling for anyone in the gang. Moments later, the whole gang shows up and scares the Socs away. Later, Dallas says he is going to go to a drive-in movie the next night to hunt some action and Ponyboy and Johnny agree to go with him. Two-Bit agrees to meet them later if he is not drunk.

At the open drive-in theater, Dallas starts flirting with two Soc girls, Sherri "Cherry" Valance ('Cherry' because of her red hair) and her friend Marcia. After Cherry throws a Coke in his face and Johnny tells him to leave her alone, Dally angrily leaves. Although Cherry threw a coke in his face, she still "liked" Dally (Cherry likes guys who are tough and get in danger; but not too much danger like killing someone). Ponyboy and Johnny introduce themselves to Cherry and Marcia. Cherry starts to explain to Ponyboy that not all Socs are bad, and that they have troubles too, and lead a "hollow existence." Later, while Ponyboy and Johnny are walking Cherry and Marcia home after the show, their boyfriends, Bob Sheldon and Randy Adderson, catch up to them, in their blue Mustang. Bob and Randy, who have been drinking, are angry that the greaser boys are accompanying the girls. The situation worsens when Two-Bit happens upon the scene and is eager to engage the Socs in a fight, but the girls decide to return home with their boyfriends to defuse the situation.

Johnny is reluctant to go home so he and Ponyboy go hang out in a vacant lot. The boys fall asleep, which results in Ponyboy coming home later than he had intended. Darry is worried and angry with Ponyboy and slaps him after a heated exchange with him and Sodapop. Ponyboy runs out of the house back to the vacant lot despite Darry's plea for him to come back. With all the anger, Ponyboy pretends that he didn't hear and he runs off to the lot and finds Johnny. He wakes Johnny, and the two of them walk to the park to cool off.

While Ponyboy and Johnny are at the park, Bob, Randy, and their friends drive by in the familiar blue Mustang. Drunk and dangerous, they begin to harass the two greasers, but Ponyboy stands up to them. The Socs, determined to put the greasers in their place, kick Johnny, who recognizes Bob as the Soc who brutally beat him up some months before the start of the novel, an event that caused deep emotional scarring to Johnny. When, Bob and another Soc named David try to drown Ponyboy in a nearby fountain, Johnny, hoping to save his friend, takes out his switchblade and stabs Bob to death. Randy and the other Socs run away in fright. The two boys seek help from Dallas, who gives them a loaded gun, money, and directions to an abandoned church in Windrixville, where they hide out. Dallas tells them that he will go fetch them when everything has blown over. Ponyboy and Johnny hop aboard a freight train and eventually reach the church after a long journey.

At the church, Ponyboy and Johnny cut off their long greasy hair to be less recognizable, and Johnny bleaches Ponyboy's hair with peroxide. During this time, the boys bond even more, and discover they both have a love for the beautiful things in life that are often not obvious, such as sunsets, while going through the daily struggles of living on the "wrong" side of town. To pass the time, they smoke cigarettes and play poker. Ponyboy also reads to Johnny from a paperback copy of "Gone with the Wind". While they watch a sunrise, Ponyboy shares the Robert Frost poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" with Johnny, confessing he never quite understood what the poem meant.

Dallas comes to get Ponyboy and Johnny from the church a week later. He brings them to a nearby Dairy Queen to get some hot food. While there, he tells the boys that Cherry is a spy for the gang, and he also tells them that Cherry is willing to testify that Bob had gone looking for a fight while drunk, and Ponyboy and Johnny had fought back in self-defense. After hearing this, Johnny tells Dallas that he and Ponyboy should go home and turn themselves in. Dallas is angry, feeling the boys had gone to a lot of trouble for nothing. He still agrees to take the boys home and tells Johnny that he doesn't want to see Johnny get hardened in jail the way he did. Ponyboy is somewhat shocked, because Dallas has never been as forthcoming, but he stays quiet.

On the way back home, the boys see that the old church is on fire. Ponyboy feels guilty because he assumes that he and Johnny must have left a lit cigarette in the church, thus starting the fire. When they hear the screams of children trapped inside, Ponyboy and Johnny both run in to rescue them. Ponyboy describes this as the first time Johnny did not have his usual scared, beaten-down, suspicious look. Ponyboy and Johnny get all the children out safely, and Ponyboy is able to escape the fire, but Johnny is pinned by a burning roof beam that had fallen on his back. After knocking Ponyboy to the ground in an effort to put out the flames on the younger boy's jacket, Dallas hurries into the inferno to save Johnny.

The three are taken to the hospital in town. Dallas has burns on one arm and Ponyboy is bruised, but otherwise unhurt. Johnny, however, is in critical condition; his back had been broken by the falling timber and he was in severe shock and suffering from third-degree burns. Ponyboy reunites with his brothers, finally realizing that Darry's seeming harshness with him is only because Darry loves him and is afraid of losing him.

Bob's death at Johnny's hand is the reason for the Socs to challenge the greasers to a "rumble," or gang fight. On the day of the rumble, while Ponyboy and Two-Bit are walking around town, the former is confronted by Bob's friend Randy. Randy reveals that he does not want to and will not take part in the rumble, because nothing good would come of it. He has grown sick of the fighting, to the point that he is ready to leave town, but before he did, he wanted to tell someone who would understand. Randy and Ponyboy part, each with a new perspective of each other.

Two-Bit and Ponyboy go to see Johnny and Dallas in the hospital. At first, the nurses will not let them see Johnny, but then a doctor says that he had been asking for them and "it can't hurt now." Johnny is happy to see them and manages a couple of weak grins. He asks them to get him another copy of Gone with the Wind. When Two-Bit runs to the drugstore for the book, Johnny breaks down to Ponyboy that he does not want to die, because he is only sixteen and has not seen or experienced all that is out there. Johnny passes out cold and the nurse asks Ponyboy to leave just as Two-Bit returns. They go to see Dally, who is yelling at his nurse. Dallas admits that he was scared he might have accidentally killed Ponyboy back at the church when he tried to put out the fire on Ponyboy's back, and that he is also very upset about having to be in the hospital during the rumble. Before they leave, Dally asks Two-Bit for his prized switchblade, which Two-Bit relinquishes.

Dallas breaks out of the hospital (using Two-Bit's switchblade) to fight in the rumble. The greasers, and two fellow gangs, Tim Shepard's gang and the Brumly boys, all team up to fight the Socs, evening the odds. Darry steps up first for the greasers, and his challenge is met by a Soc named Paul Holden, Darry's former high school friend. With that, the rumble begins. During the rumble, Ponyboy suffered from a kick to the head that will later affect him. Though outnumbered, the greasers are the eventual victors. Immediately after, Dallas grabs Ponyboy and they rush to the hospital. The doctor on duty refuses to let them pass, saying that Johnny is dying. Dallas brandishes Two-Bit's switchblade, but the doctor replies that the knife does not frighten him, stating that the boys are the closest thing to a family that Johnny has, so he lets them by. Dallas tells Johnny about winning the rumble, but Johnny says that "fighting ain't no good," so Dallas tells Johnny that he is proud of him. Johnny is ecstatic; his hero is proud of him. Johnny leans over to Ponyboy and faintly tells him to "stay gold," perhaps the most memorable and famous line from the novel, and then dies. Completely devastated, Dallas runs from the room, crying for the first time in years.

Ponyboy, dazed, confused, and woozy from his head injury, returns home to tell the rest of the gang that Johnny has died. The gang is shocked, despite knowing that Johnny's condition was grave, and saddened. Ponyboy tells Darry that he is scared for Dallas and what he might do next. Validating Ponyboy's fears, Dallas calls from a pay phone a few minutes later. He has robbed a grocery store and is on the run from the police. The gang races to meet Dallas at the vacant lot, where he is surrounded by police. Dallas then pulls out an unloaded gun, aims it at the cops, and commits suicide by police. Ponyboy wonders for a split second why Dallas wanted to commit suicide, but then realizes that Dallas had actually wanted to die; having lost the only thing (Johnny) that he truly loved, he had lost the will to live. Overwhelmed by the situation at hand, injuries sustained in the rumble, and general sickness, Ponyboy passes out.

Ponyboy wakes up a few days later, his mind foggy. As he becomes more lucid, he enters a state of denial, telling himself that it was he that killed Bob, not Johnny. Darry makes Ponyboy stay in bed for at least a week until he recovers fully. During this time, Ponyboy has several visitors, one of whom is Randy. Randy does not blame Ponyboy for Bob's death, but when Randy mentions that Johnny was the one who killed Bob, Ponyboy deliriously insists that he himself was the killer. Meanwhile, a court trial scheduled to decide if the Curtis brothers will be allowed to stay together determines that Darry is a fit guardian, and the boys are allowed to stay together. At the same trial, the matter of Bob's death was settled as self-defense, clearing Johnny of charges.

Ponyboy, generally a straight-A student but greatly affected by the recent events and his head injury, finds his grades slipping and fights with Darry again. To pass his English class, Mr. Syme, his English teacher, "taking in consideration the circumstances", gives him a special assignment to write an autobiographical composition. Darry and Ponyboy have another argument, this time regarding Ponyboy's composition. Sodapop suddenly shouts at his brothers to stop fighting and runs out the door. Darry and Ponyboy discover a letter that Sodapop's girlfriend, Sandy, had returned unopened, breaking up with him (presumably over a heavily-hinted-at pregnancy), and they put aside their argument to chase after Sodapop together. Sodapop runs out of the house and runs to the park. Ponyboy and Darry catch up to Sodapop. Sodapop cries and tells his brothers that he feels scared and helpless, forced between the two, when they fight, so Ponyboy and Darry vow not to fight again for their brother's sake.

While flipping through the copy of Gone With the Wind Two-Bit had bought for Johnny, Ponyboy finds a letter Johnny wrote to him, explaining that "Nothing Gold Can Stay" in the Frost poem meant to always appreciate the things one finds wondrous when one is young. "Staying gold" is the way to be ("Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold..."), and Johnny urges Ponyboy to tell Dallas this. It is, of course, too late to tell Dallas, and Ponyboy thinks about other kids in the world that are in similar situations. He thinks about Johnny, Dallas, Bob, and all the others who would die young; who would stay hoodlums forever. Inspired, Ponyboy calls his English teacher and is told that his composition can be as long as he wants it to be, so he starts writing it, beginning by recounting the events of the day that changed his life forever, and it is revealed that his composition is the novel itself, with the same starting sentence: "When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home..."

[edit] Characters

[edit] The Socs

The Socs are a group of street gangs composed of spoiled kids from well-to-do rich families. They have no reservations about "jumping" Greasers without provocation. They listen to the Beatles and wear madras shirts.

Main characters who are Socs include:

  • Robert "Bob" Sheldon: Cherry's boyfriend, who was revealed to have jumped and mentally affected Johnny before the events in the book. According to Randy, though Bob was spoiled by his parents, he really just wanted them to say no to him every once in a while and set limits for him, instead of accepting the blame as bad parents and buying him off. Bob and his friends corner Johnny and Ponyboy at the park and try to kill them for talking to Cherry and Marcia. Johnny stabs and kills Bob in self defense as fighting back . His friendship with Randy Adderson is described by Ponyboy as being similar to that of Sodapop and Steve, with Randy being like Sodapop and Bob being like Steve. Played by Leif Garrett in the film adaptation.
  • Sherri "Cherry" Valance: Bob's girlfriend, whose nickname comes from her fiery red hair. She sympathizes with the Greasers and becomes Ponyboy's friend. She admits to Ponyboy that she could fall in love with Dallas Winston and hoped to never see him again because of it. Though Cherry is appreciative of Johnny telling Dallas to leave her alone at the drive-in, she refuses to go visit Johnny at the hospital because he killed Bob. She also admits to Ponyboy that she watches sunsets from the east side. Played by Diane Lane in film adaptation.
  • Randy Adderson: Bob's friend, who is tired of the fighting between the Greasers and the Socs. He is the only person shown to voluntarily not participate in the rumble. When he meets Ponyboy at the Tasty Freez, he tells Ponyboy that he is impressed with the younger boy's heroics and admits that he himself would have been too scared to do the same, though Ponyboy disagrees. Played by Darren Dalton in the movie.
  • Marcia: Friend of Cherry's who accompanies her during the night at the drive-in. She has short black hair, and appears to get along with Two-Bit. She hangs out with Two-Bit at the drive-in. Played by Michelle Meyrink in the movie.

[edit] The Greasers

While the Socs live carefree lives of privilege, the Greasers all come from hard-knock backgrounds. They like to listen to the music of Elvis Presley. Their attire usually consists of tight fitting t-shirts, leather jackets, and snug jeans. Many Greasers are involved in criminal activities, which causes many people to incorrectly assume that all Greasers are juvenile delinquents (JDs). Many of the Greasers also have many family problems at home.

  • Ponyboy Michael Curtis, 14: The youngest of the Curtis brothers and protagonist of the novel, he is a daydreamer, painter, a bit of a bookworm, and a self proclaimed Pepsi and cigarette addict. Ponyboy watches the sunsets from his backyard and often wonders what life would be like if there were no Greasers or Socs; no labels, just people being real. At the beginning of the novel, he thinks that only Greasers have problems, but comes to realize that the Socs often have similar problems, that some of them are as tired of fighting as he is, and that they too want to live in an environment where no one looks over their shoulder for fear of being "jumped." A heavy smoker, Ponyboy is also a star on his school's track team and is best friends with Johnny Cade. He analyzes many things deeply. Ponyboy is particularly attached to his hair and was upset when Johnny told him that he had to cut and bleach it when they were on the run. He often thinks the blond hair makes him look stupid and wimpy. He has a very close relationship with his second-oldest brother, Sodapop, who he feels is the only other person, besides Johnny, that he can confide in. His parents died in a car crash, leaving his oldest brother, Darry, to take care of the two of them. Ponyboy feels that Darry is too hard on him and does not love him, but later realizes that Darry is firm with him because he loves both his brothers very much and wants them to have the opportunities that he himself did not have. Ponyboy is often considered, though not clearly stated, the baby, the "kid". Played by C. Thomas Howell in film adaptation.
  • Johnny Cade (Johnnycake), 16: "If you can picture a little dark puppy that has been kicked too many times and is lost in a crowd of strangers, you'll have Johnny," says Ponyboy. Johnny is a small and timid boy. His shy and nervous nature stems from years of abuse from his parents and from a recent jumping from a Soc, who is later revealed to be Bob Sheldon. Johnny's face bears scars from the beating from Bob, who was wearing several large rings at the time. Ever since then, Johnny never walks alone, and carries a six-inch switchblade in his back pocket. Ponyboy quotes that if Johnny was ever jumped again, he would kill the person that did it to him. He looks up to Dallas Winston and is prone to instability and emotional oversensitivity. Although he never finished school, Johnny is very good at analyzing things that many other people do not understand. Johnny is the "gang's pet, everyone's kid brother," and relies on the Greasers for the love and affection he does not get at home. He also does his share with the gang, however. He would do anything to protect Ponyboy, and this is shown while up in Windrixville. Also, he risks his life to save little children, claiming that they have more to live for. He does not have much self-confidence, but in the end, he realizes that he never wanted to die, and sixteen years was too young for anyone. He dies in the hospital after his back is broken in the fire In the film adaptation the part of Johnny is played by Ralph Macchio.
  • Dallas "Dally" Winston, 17: The tough guy of the group, Dallas is considered extremely dangerous. He grew up on the streets of New York and was arrested at the age of 10. Although he is not muscular, many people wouldn't fight him. Dallas is the opposite of Johnny; he is prone to react rashly and violently, even to his friends, and avoids showing emotion as much as possible. He does, however, have a soft spot for Johnny, and is very protective of the younger boy. Ponyboy on Dallas: "He had an elfish face, with high cheekbones and a pointed chin, small, sharp animal teeth, and ears like a lynx. His hair was almost white, it was so blond, and he didn't like haircuts, or hair oil either, so it fell over his forehead in wisps and kicked out the back in tufts and curled behind his ears and along the nape of his neck. His eyes were blue, blazing ice, cold with a hatred of the world." Dally has a record with the police 'a mile long'. He is killed by police, rather sets himself up for suicide, after the death of Johnny Cade, the only person he ever really cared about. Though he goes out in a blaze of fire In the film adaptation the part of Dallas is played by Matt Dillon.
  • Sodapop Patrick Curtis, 16: The middle Curtis brother, who dropped out in High School and works at a DX Gas Station. He is described as extremely good looking; they describe him by saying he has "Movie-Star good looks", and is an undefeated fighter, though he is not the runner his brothers are. Sodapop is very carefree, preferring to play around rather than do any work. He isolates himself and smokes only when he is upset; otherwise, he is social and hyperactive. Although he is generally very optimistic, when reality hits him, he descends into an extremely deep funk. Sodapop confides in Ponyboy and sticks up for him when Darry lectures him. He is the only person who can tease Darry and get away with it. Towards the end of the novel, Soda is greatly upset when he learns the hard way that Sandy, a girl he considered his one true love, has moved to Florida and rejected him. "I guess she didn't love him, like he thought she did," Darry says to Ponyboy. In the film adaptation the part of Sodapop is played by Rob Lowe.
  • Darrel Shaynne "Darry" Curtis, 20: The oldest of the Curtis boys, Darry is tall, broad-shouldered, and muscular. Darry is occasionally perceived as cold and uncaring, as a result of assuming the role of parental figure after the death of his parents, in order to keep the family together. Ponyboy had believed that Darry did not love him, yet later realizes otherwise when Darry cried for him, since Darry did not cry at the death of their parents. Because of his build, Darry is often referred to as "Superman" or "Muscles." However, Darry is quite intelligent, and he seems to at least slightly resent the hulking-strongman stereotype; Steve once calls him "all brawn and no brains," leading Darry to punch him hard in the jaw. He roofs houses for a living. He is Ponyboy's opposite; he is as logical as Ponyboy is imaginative. Darry is extremely concerned about Ponyboy's grades, though not upset about Sodapop dropping out of high school. Darry is very bitter about the fact that he never went to college. Even though he had been offered an athletic scholarship, he turned down the opportunity in order to raise Sodapop and Ponyboy, thus keeping them out of an boys' home. Even though Darry is associated with the Greasers, he keeps his hair cut short. Ponyboy notes that Darry is very Soc-like and too "smart" to be a Greaser, and the only reason that Darry was not a Soc was because he would not turn his back on his brothers or the gang. He even leaves his doors unlocked at night so that members of the gang can sleep over if they need a place to stay, once even waking up to find Tim Shepard sitting in an armchair, reading the newspaper. In the film adaptation the part of Darry is played by Patrick Swayze.
  • Keith "Two-Bit" Mathews, 18: He has been known as "Two-Bit" for so long that even his teachers have forgotten that his real name is Keith. Two-Bit is the joker of the gang, always smiling and cracking jokes. Like Sodapop, he lives for action and fun. Though nearly 19 years old, Two-Bit is still a junior in high school because he finds school "entertaining." With his long sideburns and deep grey eyes, Two-Bit is known as both a shoplifter and a ladies' man, though he is not perceived to be as good-looking as Sodapop. He loves fighting, his stolen black-handled switchblade (a balisong in the film), blonds, and flirting. He flirts with Marcia, even though he knows that she is the girlfriend of a Soc. In the film adaptation the part of Two-Bit is played by Emilio Estevez.
  • Steve Randle, 17: He has thick greasy hair that he combs back "in complicated swirls." Steve is tall, lean, cocky, and arrogant, though smart and skilled at driving. He is the only one of the gang who does not care much for Ponyboy. Steve has been Sodapop's best friend since grade school; the two even work at the same gas station. Steve and Sodapop often bicker and get into wrestling and arm wrestling matches to vent their excessive energy. Steve does not think before he speaks and sometimes says hurtful things to his friends, even if he does not mean what he says. On one occasion, he called Darry "all brawn and no brains," which infuriated Darry so much that he punched Steve in the jaw and nearly shattered it. He considers Ponyboy a "tag-along" and does not like when Sodapop brings him along to places. In the film adaptation the part of Steve is played by Tom Cruise.
  • Tim Shepard, 18: Though he is friends with the main characters, Tim leads a gang that bears his own name. The Shepard gang had rumbled with the Curtises and their friends in the past and they join forces at the rumble against the Socs. Tim is described as having dark, curly hair and blue eyes. A tramp slashed him with a broken pop bottle, so he has a scar from his temple to his chin. He dishes out harsh discipline to his gang, as evidenced during the rumble when he "was working over one of his own men who had broken the rules and used a piece of pipe in the fight". His nose had been broken twice before and was broken a third time during the rumble. Tim and Dallas are "two of a kind," says Ponyboy. In the film adaptation the part of Tim is played by Glenn Withrow.

[edit] Film version

Main article: The Outsiders (film)

A film adaptation of the novel was made in 1983 by Francis Ford Coppola. The film is notable for being the breakout film for a number of actors who would go on to become major stars. In September 2005, Coppola re-released the film, including 22 minutes of additional footage, entitled The Outsiders: The Complete Novel, reinserting scenes that were left out of the previous version, making this new version much closer to the book.

[edit] Television series

Main article: The Outsiders (TV series)

A 13-part television series based on the characters from the novel was aired in 1990 by Fox. S.E. Hinton co-wrote the pilot episode with Alan Shapiro.

[edit] Allusions/references from other works

 Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
  • In the TV series Frisky Dingo, when Ronnie is about to die from being crushed by the giant pants, Xander Crews runs away yelling "Stay Gold, Ponyboy!"
  • In the movie Mean Girls, when Damian come into Cady and Gretchen's English class dressed as Santa Claus, behind him on the chalkboard it says "Test on Friday - The Outsiders"
  • In the TV series My Name Is Earl, Earl the protagonist tells his ex wife Joy about how he used to hang out in an abandoned barn with Donnie (his friend) "Ponyboy" style, while the police were after them.
  • New Found Glory's first major label album was titled Nothing Gold Can Stay. Additionally, an early recording of the song "Hit or Miss" included a clip of Johnny and Ponyboy discussing the sunset.
  • Bowling for Soup has an album named Let's Do It for Johnny!.
  • The Get Up Kids have a song named "Stay gold, Ponyboy".
  • The Massachusetts metalcore band Bury Your Dead recorded a song called "The Outsiders" on their 2004 album Cover Your Tracks. During live performances of the song the band orchestrates a mosh pit known as a wall of death and simulates a gang fight.
  • Nickelodeon's animated show CatDog has a gang called "The Greasers", which beats up the main characters a lot.
  • The Japanese manga Gravitation references Ponyboy and The Outsiders when the protagonist makes a drastic change from black hair to blonde hair.
  • Comedian Julie Brown's eighties novelty hit "The Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun" ends with, "I did it for Johnny," as the explanation of her killing spree.
  • In Veronica Mars, Wallace observes that a confrontation between two of the town's gangs feels like something from the "Outsiders." Veronica replies, "Stay Cool, Sodapop".
  • In Roseanne, Darlene tells a boy attempting to put his arm around her, "Stop right there, Ponyboy. You and the rest of The Outsiders can just go rumble someplace else."
  • In an episode of Lost, entitled "Everybody Hates Hugo", a friend of Hurley's, ironically named Johnny, tells him in a flashback, "Not only will I stay gold, Ponyboy, I will drink to it."
  • In the book Nothing But the Truth by Avi, the main character Phillip reads The Outsiders.
  • In the video game Bully, random greaser NPCs can be heard saying "Stay Gold Ponyboy" and "Do it for Johnny". Additionally a mission called 'Rumble' Chapter III parallels the fight between the greasers and the socs/preppies.
  • In an episode from the first season of Gilmore Girls, Rory asks Dean to just call her Ponyboy. Later in the episode Dean says "Hey, Ponyboy."
  • In the South Park episode "The Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka", Jimbo is reading the book to Ned when he is catatonic and in hospital. The text Jimbo reads, however, is not anywhere in the book.
  • In the platform game Dance Dance Revolution ULTRAMIX 3 the song "Midnight Frankenstein" is by a band called Stay Gold Ponyboy.
  • In a scene from the 2005 film Coach Carter a student reads the scene in which Dally dies from a script of The Outsiders.
  • The band "The Bravery" references the book in the song "Time Won't Let me Go" by saying "Never had a Cherry Valance of my own".
  • In Summerland episode "Fireworks" Cameron and Nikki open the episode discussing the novel
  • In the 7th Heaven episode titled "Dirty Laundry", Simon is reading The Outsiders and tells Ruthie how sad the novel is. The entire episode was about being isolated from the mainstream.
  • In the novel "A Good Conviction" (ISBN 1595941622) a wrongly convicted young man survives in prison in part by teaching other inmates to read and write using "The Outsiders" as a model.
  • In "Idiot Box", an episode of the television program SpongeBob SquarePants, a sound clip from the movie based on the book is used.
  • Pete Wentz's feature clothing line, Clandestine Industries, has a few clothing items quoting "Stay Gold". He also sports a tattoo on his upper right arm that also quotes it.
  • In the second episode of Summer Heights High, Jonah's English class is reading The Outsiders. On the back wall of the room, there is a poster with Ponyboy as the title.
  • In the novel Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie, the main character Scott had to read The Outsiders for his English class and decided to tell his friend Patrick to read it but his friend said that he would rather waste his time watching TV.
  • In the children's book "Madison Finn", they mention about reading The Outsiders in class.
  • In the book Bottled Up, the main character mentions liking the book "The Outsiders" when asked by his English teacher.
  • In the American Version of Dancing With The Stars (season 5), the groupdance was modeled after The Outsiders. Some couples portrayed Socs, while others portrayed the Greasers.
  • In the French movie "The Science of Sleep" the character Stephanie has a stuffed animal horse named Golden the Pony Boy.
  • In The Killers' song Smile Like You Mean It, a lyrics says "Looking back at sunsets on the East Side".
  • Stay Gold was the name of a Seattle based Straight Edge Hardcore band that disbanded in 2002.
  • The band 'Gone Baby Gone' has a song called, "The Ballad of Johnny Cade".
  • In the song Declare Your War by the hardcore band Throwdown, "Stay Gold" is chanted throughout the song.
  • Referenced on Stephen Colbert's show The Colbert Report. (2/28/08). In the last segments of the show Colbert says "Stay Gold Ponyboy, and that's not a reference to The Outsiders, I really had a friend who was half pony and half boy"
  • In the Disney movie Finding Nemo, Marlin shouts out to Nemo's friend's father, who is a seahorse, "Don't tell me to calm down Ponyboy!"
  • In The Song Hey Good Looking-By Hank Williams Sr, At 00:38 To 00:45 you hear hank say theres a two dollar bill and theres sodapop with a dancing spree!
  • The American punk band The Unseen wrote a song called "Stay Gold" That mentions the way they live and Johnny killing Bob.
  • In the preteen novel Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time, by Lisa Yee, Stanford mentions many times that The Outsiders is his favorite book, and actually gives the book to his crush Emily as a gift.
  • Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes, Trace Cyrus of Metro Station, and Josh Todd of Buckcherry each has "stay" and "gold" tattooed on his knuckles.
  • In the novel Nothing But the Truth the protagonist claims he had finished The Outsiders in his journel entry.
  • The music video for American heavy metal band Atreyu's "Falling Down" pays homage to the movie.
  • Joel McHale, host of The Soup, on the May 23, 2008 episode said before a clip, "I remember the time me and Ponyboy got in a fight with the Socs and had to hide up in that church in Windrixville. We passed time by smoking cigarettes, reading Gone with the Wind, and eating baloney sandwiches until Dallas came and picked us up..."
  • In Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the newest Indiana Jones movie, Indy's sidekick, "Mutt" Williams, is called a "greaser" during a fight in a bar. The people Indy and Mutt fight with are called "Socs" and look preppy, and when Mutt punches a "Soc" in the face, the Soc yells "Get that greaser". Mutt is constantly seen taking out a comb and switchblade during the movie, wears a leather jacket, and drives a motorcycle.
  • The song "West End Riot" by The Living End makes a reference to Cherry Valance and Ponyboy Curtis and the fight between the Socs and greasers.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Hinton, S. E. [1967] (2003). "speaking with S. E. Hinton...", The Outsiders. Speak/Penguin Putnam, p. 182. ISBN 0-14-038572-X. 
  2. ^ "The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–2000", American Library Association. Retrieved 09-28-2006.
  3. ^ "The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-1999", American Library Association. Retrieved 03-27-2007.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links