THE OUTSIDERS

 
                                                  

 The Outsiders (1967) is a well-known young adult novel by American writer S.E. Hinton. It tells the story of 14-year-old Ponyboy Curtis and his two older brothers, Soda and Darry. The boys are orphans and struggle to stick together in their lower-class neighborhood, known as the East Side.

MAIN CHARACTERS

Ponyboy Curtis:

He is the protagonist of this story. He is fourteen years old. He is a boy with great mental abilities, they have advanced a course for him. He hasn't had a chance to prove himself. Being an orphan makes him a victim, as he would not lead that lifestyle if his parents were still alive. His relationship with his older brother would improve, he would not smoke, he would spend more time studying, and he would not commit so many crimes. He is a very passionate boy to reads books in which he cannot share that same hobby with his brothers and friends. He lives immersed in his imaginative world from his books.

Soda:

He is the middle brother of the Curtis family. He is 16 years old. He is very handsome. He dropped out of school and went to work at a gas station. He has a girlfriend named Sandy who is also low class. He dreams of marrying Sandy as soon as he can save some money. He is an intermediary to fix the tensions between his two brothers. Ponyboy is very fond of him, as Soda always takes care of him. On one occasion his younger brother tells him that he will never grow up.

Darry:

He's Curtis' older brother. He is a 20-year-old who has to act like he is twice his age. Being the oldest he has to take care of his younger siblings; he has to act like a father. He has had to mature very quickly and that is why he has such a closed, cold, and severe character. Darry has many fights with Pony trying to make him reflect on that he lives by giving so much importance to a lot of books and has never given the same importance to the real-life they live. Darry regrets many times not having studied, but he had to start working to support his family.

Johnny:

He's a 16-year-old Greaser. He is a victim of domestic violence. His father abuses her physically and his mother verbally. It is for this reason that he distrusts people and is afraid even of his shadow. If his parents transmitted values ​​to him, he would have more confidence in himself. For him, his parents are two strangers whom he has to put up with, he does not consider them family. He spends a lot of time on the streets since he is not comfortable at home. He has a lot of freedom because he can go and come back wherever he wants. The love he lacks at home he looks for in the Greasers gang. The other gang called Los Socs beat him up. Which all his very scared friends of him defended him and took care of him until he recovered. He has more appreciation for Pony.

Two-Bit Matthew:

He is the oldest of the Greaser gang. He is constantly being funny. He tries to get the attention of others, since it is not possible for him at home. His parents are not mentioned, but from the way he acts, it can be deduced that they do not pay attention to him, that they give him all the freedom in the world and that they have not taught him education.

SECONDARY CHARACTERS:

Marcia: She is Cherry's friend and Randy's girlfriend. She is not mentioned as much as her friend. She doesn't like her boyfriend to drink.

Father and mother Curtis family: Both died in a car accident in their forties. The mother was, beautiful and golden like Soda; and wise and firm like Darry. The father was much like the older brother, but quieter. 

Sandy: She is Soda's girlfriend. She is poor, but nice. Soda is very clear that he wants to marry her, but when Sandy's parents find out what they are up to, they send her to live in Florida with her grandmother. Soda is very sorry for her loss.