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Reference Shelf
The Outsiders is about two weeks in the life of a 14-year-old boy. The novel tells the story of Ponyboy Curtis and his struggles with right and wrong in a society in which he believes that he is an outsider.
Ponyboy and his two brothers — Darrel (Darry), who is 20, and Sodapop, who is 16 — have recently lost their parents in an automobile accident. Pony and Soda are allowed to stay under Darry's guardianship as long as they all behave themselves. The boys are greasers, a class term that refers to the young men on the East Side, the poor side of town. The greasers' rivals are the Socs, short for Socials, who are the "West-side rich kids" ...continue reading ...
Important Quotes Explained
In his final essay for English class, Ponyboy writes about his own life because he wants to share his story of struggle and resilience. The first sentence of his essay concludes The Outsiders, and these words are the same words in the first sentence of the novel...continue reading...