I read The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton recently. It's a classic young adult novel first published in 1967. Krista and I read it together, or listened to the audiobook version. We plan to see the stage musical adaptation later this year when it plays at DPAC.

While I enjoyed the book, I found it a bit dated in some ways. Mentions of smoking seem less relevant today, and the scenes of Ponyboy reciting poetry to Johnny felt a bit over the top. Violence is ever-present, which might be common for a book about gangs, but it felt off from my own experiences. I enjoyed the themes of friendship and loyalty, and the social conflict between the Greasers and the Socs. With Ponyboy being a young 14-year-old narrator, the perspective is innocent and naive at times, and the social lines are starkly drawn in his eyes.

Recurring Themes

Unreliable narrator and social outsider

Throughout the book, I find Ponyboy to be an unreliable narrator. In Chapter 1, Ponyboy recounts a couple memories of school. He is placed in classes with the Socs, but his behaviors make him stand out. This is a pretty standard experience for a young person, feeling outcast from school peers even though he might not be that different from them. Ponyboy constantly makes literary references: "grinning like a Chessy cat". He's educated and thoughtful. He could fit in with the Socs if he wanted to.

Ponyboy is constantly comparing himself to the other greasers. Any number of times he reflects on the membership of his group. He goes does the list: Darry would do this, Dally would do that, Johnny would think about this. He is always measuring himself against them, and feeling like he is different. It's rare that he enjoys the ways that he's similar to his brothers and friends in the gang.

Violence & Cruelty

Violence is a constant presence in the book. Almost every memory contains a story of someone getting beat up or stabbed or shot. Crime. Theft is commonplace and almost unremarkable.

In Chapter 2, Ponyboy and others are cruel to children:

We crossed Sutton and cut around behind Spencer's Special, the discount house, and chased two junior-high kids across a field for a few minutes; by then it was dark enough to sneak in over the back fence of the Nightly Double drive-in movie.

Maturing Romantically

Growing up, maturing romantically. Focusing on the opposite sex. At the drive-in, Ponyboy is focused on Cherry Valance and Marcia. They are "real nice" and "real pretty". He is smitten.

Memes

Some of Ponyboy's inner thoughts are memeworthy in my opinion.

Madras shirt - all the Socs wear it. Spartan or plaid shirt. Lightweight cotton.

Comparing yourself to others, going down the list to say what everyone would do.

Gone with the Wind. Reciting poetry to your friends.