The Outsiders

" The Outsiders" is a short novel written by S.E. Hinton. The novel is about a group of friends which are considered greasers. According to Pony Boy, there are two kinds of people in this world, greasers and soc's. A soc has money, can get away with just about anything. A greaser, on the other hand, always live outside which mean they always have to watch their back because of enemies. Pony Boy is a greaser and his gang and him always have battles with the soc's.

For instance one time after going to a movie, Pony Boy and his friend Johnny went to the park to hang out. Then wouldn't you know it the soc's showed up unannounced, and started trouble then they began to drown Pony Boy and tried to beat up Johnny. In self-defense, Johnny killed one of the Soc's crew members. When attempting to flee the scene so the police wouldn't catch them, but their friend Dally told them to hop a freight train and go to Jay Mountain and hide in the church till everything died down. They passed time by playing cards and reading "Gone With the Wind". When Dally finally came to get them, they filled up on food, and Johnny decided to turn himself in. Having no criminal record Johnny would come out with a warning.

While Dally, Johnny and Pony Boy drove by a church on their way back from eating breakfast, they realized that the church was on fire, and that there were little kids inside of it. Johnny and Pony Boy went inside to try and save all the kids but they both got injured. They were rushed to a hospital, where they found out that Johnny and Pony Boy became heroes for saving some of those children from the fire. Johnny had severe burns, but Pony Boy was all right. That night, the soc's and greasers had a rumble and many people got hurt, but the greasers won. Although Johnny died that same night. But just before he died he told Pony:

Stay gold, Pony boy. Stay gold...........(148)

It was his way of telling Pony it was okay to be different. That looking at sunsets and reading poetry was just his own way of living life. They all had love for each other especially for Johnny. He was the favorite for the group when he died one of the guys, named Two-Bit said:

"I wish it was any one of us except Johnny". (123)

Pony Boy was very heroic as well as he was brave. Pony