From goodreads: According to Ponyboy,
there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc
(short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything,
and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other
hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy
is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble
against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers--until one
terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under
Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching
him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser.
My seventh grade daughter was assigned to read this book a couple of weeks ago, and I decided to re-read it with her. The first time I read this book, I was in seventh grade too, but it made much more of an impression on me as an adult. The
Outsiders tells the
story of two groups of teenagers: the Greasers and the Socs. I thought it was
interesting that the distinguishing factor between these two groups seems to be
money. A conversation between Ponyboy and Bob Shelton illustrates this. Bob
tells Ponyboy that a greaser is “white trash with long, greasy hair.” Ponyboy
then tells Bob that a Soc is “white trash with mustangs and madras.” I thought
it was interesting that in both cases, their possessions are what set them
apart. I liked how Ponyboy discovers throughout the book that if you took those
possessions away, that underneath it all, they are all just kids trying to deal
what life has thrown at them. They see the same sunsets, read the same books,
and have the same emotions.
I loved the literary references
throughout the book. Ponyboy makes many text to world comparisons with Great Expectations, Gone with the Wind, and “Nothing Gold Can Stay”. Literature gave
Ponyboy something to connect with, and in some cases helped him to come to
terms with his life. Literature has done the same for me! Ponboy's friend Johnny showed amazing perception when he saw Ponyboy as
gold, or innocent. I loved the quote, “Like the way you dig sunsets, Pony.
That's Gold. Keep it that way, it's a good way to be. And don't be bugged over
being a greaser. You still have a lot of time to make yourself be what you
want. There's still a lot of good in the world.” Ponyboy learned a valuable
lesson that the group you belong to doesn’t define who you are.
This is a great book for anyone, young and old, who wants to get a glimpse of life in the 60s. It is also a timeless tale that teaches no matter what your circumstances are, you still
have a choice in how you live your life and who you eventually become.
Rating: 4
Content: Some language and violence
Published: 1967 Labels: Review, YA
