Holiday Homework: The Outsiders

Who are the Outsiders?

What is the book called 'The Outsiders' about?

The Outsiders is a Canadian book about a fight between two groups. One of the groups are called 'The Socs' and the other group is called 'The Greasers'. Both groups hate each other. As the book states from a Greaser's words: "We are poorer than the Socs and the middle class. I reckon we're wilder, too. Not like the Socs, who jump greasers and wreck houses and throw beer blasts for kicks, and get editorials in the paper for being a public disgrace one day and asset to society the next. Greasers are almost like hoods; we steal things and drive old souped-up cars and hold up gas stations and have a gang fight once in a while... I only mean that most greasers do things like that, just like we wear our hair long and dress in blue jeans and T-shirts, or leave our shirttails out and wear leather jackets and tennis shoes or boots."

As we read until the end of the chapter 4, we know the characteristics of the Greaser boys and some of the Socs. We know the places that they hang out and we know some stories about their fights. When some Socs boys (the greatest and the strongest ones) see the Greasers hanging out with Soc girls, they get so angry and warn them. When PonyBoy and Johnny (two of the young Greasers) were hanging out in the park at midnight, the strong Soc boys see them and try to jump them but Johnny had beaten so badly once and doesn't want to get jumped again so he has a switchblade with him. While the Socs try to kill PonyBoy Johnny kills one Soc and the other runs away. So now they know that police will find them, they try to find the ways to get out of the town...

The main character of the book is PonyBoy who lives with his three brothers Darry and SodaPop. Their parents are died in a car accident. PonyBoy has greenish gray eyes and light brown hair. His hair is long and always combed. SodaPop is handsome and he has dark gold hair. His eyes are dark brown. He never drinks or smokes. Darry is a big man. His hair is dark brown too. His eyes look like two pieces of ice. He uses his head and he is smart. PonyBoy is the youngest and Darry is the oldest in the family. PonyBoy and Darry aren't so well but SodaPop has a strong relationship between his two brothers. The Greasers are like a big family, they never leave each other and they have strong relationships too.