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Character Analysis: The Outsiders

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Name: Isabela Schmalz
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Insider and Outsider?
I know all of you must be asking, how can someone be both an insider and outsider? In the book The Outsiders by S.E Hinton many of the characters are both insiders and outsiders throughout the book. The genre of this book is realistic fiction because it was similar to what happened to S.E Hinton in high school, but the characters and story are fake. This book’s setting is based on Hinton’s hometown Tulsa Oklahoma. In this novel there are two different gangs of people, Socs and Greasers. They both have a rivalry and fight all the time. The book is through the eyes of the main character Ponyboy, whose parents died and is being raised by his two older brothers. Some of the main characters …show more content…
This makes him an insider because all the rest of the gang fights in rumbles so he fits in. Darry didn't want Ponyboy to fight in this rumble because it was dangerous, but Ponyboy wanted to because he is a Greaser and acts like the rest of the gang.“Oh, no, I thought in mortal fear, I've got to be in it. Right then the most important thing in my life was helping us whip the Socs” (Hinton #134).
This quote supports my claim because Ponyboy was an insider by being a Greaser and fighting in the rumble to beat the Socs. Another quote that supports my claim is when Johnny and Ponyboy were about to get jumped by the Socs before Johnny killed Bob. “I was getting mad. I was hating them enough to lose my head”(Hinton #55). This quote supports my claim because Ponyboy is an insider because like the rest of the Greasers he hates the Socs and will participate in the rumbles as a Greaser in order to defeat them. Although Ponyboy is an insider for these reasons his also and outsider for reasons like how he doesn't normally like to fight besides in …show more content…
Ponyboy’s disinterest in fighting makes him an outsider to the world, whereas when he fights in rumbles he becomes an insider to his gang/ “family”. Ponyboy doesn't like to fight with weapons because he feel, it is a waste of a life and in his heart he would never intensely hurt another unless needed to. Also though, he will fight as a Greaser in rumbles to represent his gang and stand up to the Socs, he does this solely for his gang and their future lives. Overall I didn't really enjoy the book, but I found the points interesting and understood what the author was trying to get across to the reader. S.E Hinton, in my eyes, was trying to get across that at times in life you will be an outsider but you need to accept it because the insider and outsider qualities in yourself is what makes you who you

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