The Outsiders, by S.E Hinton is a novel that is specifically written to target teenagers, adolescents and young adults.
It can therefore be stated that the novel is a form of Young Adult Literature as it meets many of the characteristics required to define this type of writing. The two characteristics that will be spoken about in this essay is firstly, the novel is written in the first person of a fourteen year old, making “Ponyboy” the protagonist; and secondly, there is an absence of adult figures.
“It seemed funny to me that the sunsets she saw from her patio and, the one I saw from the back steps was the same one.” (Hinton, 1967:35). Ponyboy Curtis, the young male protagonist of the novel is presented in the first person and narrates the …show more content…
He refers to his parents in the past tense and briefly mentions how they died “… not even when Mom and Dad were killed.” (Hinton, 1967:84) When Ponyboy has an outburst about his relationship with his older brother, Darry (Hinton, 1967:37), he refers to Johnny’s abusive father and him not wanted at home.
There is however one chapter in the book where an adult figure is present. “I remembered who he was then--- Jerry somebody-or-other who was too heavy to get in the window. He must be a school teacher, I thought.” (Hinton, 1967:81) Jerry is accompanying Ponyboy to the hospital after he saved the children in the church fire. Ponyboy experiences the advice, encouragement and the consolation of an adult as Jerry is inspired by the heroism of Ponyboy. Jerry states, “Mrs. O’Briant and I think you were sent straight from heaven. Or are you just professional heroes or something?” (Hinton, 1967:81). Even though Jerry, the school teacher plays a lesser role in the novel, he is very significant because he represents a figure that is absent in the “Greaser” gang’s lives. As Ponyboy confides in Jerry about what had happened in the past week, Jerry’s view of Ponyboy, Johnny and Dally being heroes remains. (Hinton,
It can therefore be stated that the novel is a form of Young Adult Literature as it meets many of the characteristics required to define this type of writing. The two characteristics that will be spoken about in this essay is firstly, the novel is written in the first person of a fourteen year old, making “Ponyboy” the protagonist; and secondly, there is an absence of adult figures.
“It seemed funny to me that the sunsets she saw from her patio and, the one I saw from the back steps was the same one.” (Hinton, 1967:35). Ponyboy Curtis, the young male protagonist of the novel is presented in the first person and narrates the …show more content…
He refers to his parents in the past tense and briefly mentions how they died “… not even when Mom and Dad were killed.” (Hinton, 1967:84) When Ponyboy has an outburst about his relationship with his older brother, Darry (Hinton, 1967:37), he refers to Johnny’s abusive father and him not wanted at home.
There is however one chapter in the book where an adult figure is present. “I remembered who he was then--- Jerry somebody-or-other who was too heavy to get in the window. He must be a school teacher, I thought.” (Hinton, 1967:81) Jerry is accompanying Ponyboy to the hospital after he saved the children in the church fire. Ponyboy experiences the advice, encouragement and the consolation of an adult as Jerry is inspired by the heroism of Ponyboy. Jerry states, “Mrs. O’Briant and I think you were sent straight from heaven. Or are you just professional heroes or something?” (Hinton, 1967:81). Even though Jerry, the school teacher plays a lesser role in the novel, he is very significant because he represents a figure that is absent in the “Greaser” gang’s lives. As Ponyboy confides in Jerry about what had happened in the past week, Jerry’s view of Ponyboy, Johnny and Dally being heroes remains. (Hinton,