The title of this blog should simply be: The Outsiders, however, I do find the more mystery you add to something the more nosey people are about said thing. In this case, the thing is this blog and the people, I am afraid to admit, are you, dear readers. That is of course if you are out there, existing and reading.
So, I should explain the title of this blog too. Basically, when applying for my Masters, I was slightly freaking out and thinking to myself: ”WHAT HAVE I READ THAT IS AMERICAN AND HAS NOT BEEN ON THE LECTURE COURSE FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS?!?” Thusly, I came up with The Outsiders; this was a book which I have not read once but numerous times, including just having started it again before venturing into the depths of this blogosphere. I always seem to have an aversion to writing about literature that I care about, most of this stems from a fear that I will not do the piece justice. But I have sat myself down here today to at least try to overcome this particular worrisome trait of mine.
The Outsiders is a book which did not change my life because as a teenager, growing up in the early 21st cetury, in the Irish countryside – I am not going to lie – I had a pretty normal upbringing. What this book did do for me was change my perspective. It helped me realised that there are always two sides to every story and, as a hormonal teenager, that is a thought which is not always easy to submit to. Here was a book in which I was able to identify with the characters. Not because I too was living in the 1960s, but because of the same key identifiers of teenage life which on a smaller scale are issues many of us have struggled with. I was introduced to notions of alienation and forgiveness; both are usually defined in society as separate emotions. However, in The Outsiders, we see these two themes intertwine and forge a path through the hell which is the crisis of teenage identity.
“We aren’t in the same class. Just don’t forget that some of us watch the sunset too” (46).
Set in the 1960s, the plot of the book is a pretty straight forward. The story is told in first-person narrative by Ponyboy, a fourteen year old “greaser”. The story entails an escape from the worries and harsh realities of life that accompany the process of growing up. Themes of fierce loyalty, friendship, gang violence, personal growth, alongside class and social divides are all seen throughout the book. There are references to pop culture such as: Robert Frost, Paul Newman and Gone With The Wind. All these references anchor the play to a less modern time, but if these were not present one could place the key story into any era. The problems are relatable to all teenagers and therefore, one might say this novel does stay “gold” (216).
I am not going to write about how the plot unfolds because I despise revealing and giving too much away. This is a book which can change a person’s perspectives and prejudices of those things/people surrounding them. It is a novel about realising that inner strength can grow from the most unlikely of places. I am always amazed by the fact S.E. Hinton was only 18 when the novel was first published. Its accomplishment shows knowledge and wisdom beyond her years. Her insight into teenage life during the 1960s resonated with me some forty years later upon first reading the book. The reader is enveloped into the story and the lives of the characters from the onset. This leads to an enlightening, emotive and exciting experience. The success of the novel was followed by a film (you’ll recognise most of the actors) and a lesser known television series. Having seen neither I cannot comment on them yet, however, I do plan to watch at least the film in the near future. I would encourage anyone who has never read this book to do so. I shall end this blog on that note and return to the novel myself once more.
Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders. New York: Puffin Books, 2003. Print.
All images taken from Google Image.
Americanization 