Outsiders Essay: Response to Literature

I. Introduction

a. Hook

Have you ever felt like you didn’t fit in?

b. Author’s name:S.E. Hinton

c. Genre:Realistic Fiction

d. Title of novel:The Outsiders

e. Short summary of novel:

This realistic fictional novel is about two groups that do not get along. The Socs are rich and the greasers are poor. Hinton writes the story from the perspective of a young greaser named Ponyboy who doesn’t fit in with the Socs or the greasers, and deals with social injustice because he is an outsider.

f. Thesis (theme):

S. E. Hinton argues that Ponyboy is an outsider in her novel, The Outsiders.

g. Intro of Evidence for Body

Subpoints:#1doesn’t fit in with the Socs

#2 doesn’t fit in with the greasers

#3deals with social injustice because he’s an outsider

II. Body

Paragraph #1

a. Topic Sentence

Because Ponyboy is poor, he does not fit in with the Socs.

b. Quotation

“I’m not sure how you spell it, but it’s the abbreviation for the Socials, the jet set, the West side rich kids(Hinton, 6).”

c. Author’s last name and pg # in parentheses (Hinton, 6)

d. Commentary

Growing up on the lower class East side, Ponyboy is considered white trash because he wears leather jackets and has greasy, long hair.

Paragraph #2

a. Topic Sentence

As the youngest of the group, Ponyboy does not fit in with the other greasers because he is sensitive.

b. Quotation

“I’m not like them. Nobody in our gang digs movies and books the way I do. For a while there, I thought I was the only person in the world who did (Hinton, 1).”

c. Author’s last name and pg # in parentheses (Hinton, 1)

d. Commentary

Unlike the rest of the greasers, Pony goes to school and makes good grades; he enjoys watching sunsets and hates violence.

Paragraph #3

a. Topic Sentence (restate evidence #3 here)S.E Hinton illustrates to her readers that being an outsider often results in unfair treatment.

b. Summarize Quote (who/where/when/what/why)Ponyboy knows that his social class prevents him from being treated equally with the Socs.

b. Quotation“Us greasers get it worse than anyone else (Hinton, 87).”

c. Author’s last name and pg # in parentheses __________

d. Commentary (explain meaning or quote and connection to thesis—restate theme) Due to the fact that Pony does not fit in with the Socs and comes from the East side, social injustice is something he must endure. However because of his sensitivity, he cares and wants to overcome more than the typical greaser.

III. Conclusion

a. Restatement of thesis (theme)As you can see, the author wants her readers to understand that Ponyboy is an outsider and to think about how that affects his life.

b.Restatement of three subpointsBecause he is not part of the Socs, he faces discrimination from society. Unfortunately Pony is not a typical greaser either, which allows the reader to see what an outsider he truly is in the novel.

*Remember to include how Ponyboy has grown/changed.

However Ponyboy refuses to let this stand in his way and strives to achieve more than what is expected of a boy from the East side.