The Outsiders Book Report Essay

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is an American classic set in an economically divided city in Oklahoma. The protagonist, Ponyboy Curtis is a member of a gang called the Greasers, a group of youth from lower-class families. Ponyboy is lost in his own mind one night after attending a movie when he is attacked by a group of Socs, which is short for Socials. The Socs are a group of youth from the upper-families from the West side. The Greasers show up in the nick of time, saving Ponyboy from the rival gang before they can do any more damage than a small cut to his throat. The next night, Ponyboy decides to go to the movies with two of his fellow gang members Johnny, his best friend, and Dally, who he doesn’t originally like. Dally proceeds to harass …show more content…
Randy approaches Ponyboy one day and begins by showing his admiration, admitting that he didn’t know any Socs who would have acted like Ponyboy and the others, but the conversation quickly turns negative. He bluntly shares what is on his mind, saying that Socials will always be Socials and Greasers will always be Greasers, even if it’s not fair. That night, the rumble goes down between the lower-class gangs and the Socs, and the Socs lose after retreating. Dally, who had broken out of the hospital in order to fight in the rumble, races Ponyboy back to the hospital where they learn that Johnny is dying, and actually passes away not long after the two boys made it into his room. Dallas snapped after Johnny’s death and leaves the hospital before robbing a convenience store. The gang goes to pick Dally up after he called them, telling them what he’d done. Just as they arrive in the parking lot, Dally lifts what Ponyboy knows to be an unloaded gun, committing suicide by cop. Right after, Ponyboy collapses due to the combination of a head wound, minor concussion, and plain