Rivalry In S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders

“Stay gold,” is a reference to the Robert Frost poem that Ponyboy recites to Johnny during their stay in an abandoned church in Windrixville, and in that specific poem, the line, “Nothing can stay gold,” plays an essential role in constructing the story. The Outsiders is told from the perspective of Ponyboy, a fourteen year old boy, who is a member of a gang called the Greasers. Ponyboy lives in the east side neighborhood, which is patrolled by the Socials, rich kids from the west side of town. The Socs make it their priority to target the Greasers, because of their different sets of values and constant rivalry. Ponyboy is in a nonstop conflict between himself and the way society labels him. The book, which was published in 1967, highlights the aspects of friendship, strength, and class segregation. The protagonist, Ponyboy, goes through a stage, at which he is exposed to

He lives with his two older brothers, Sodapop and Darry, and on occasion, he hangs out with the Greasers (Johnny, Dally, Two-Bit, etc.) Along with the gang, Ponyboy must compete with the consequences of their violent lifestyle. S.E Hinton wrote The Outsiders, a realistic fiction story, although the story is written by a teenager who touches every person who reads it, because the emotions and struggles the character face are universal.

The novel, The Outsiders explores the impact of living in a place where fear is the predominant emotion and personality is based solely on appearance, due to the fact that it was during this time when society had placed a label on every individual. Most of the action and conflict is framed by the interactions within and between different groups. The book includes underage violence and drinking, delinquent behavior, and a suicide. But the indelible characters and irresistible story have consistently hooked middle school kids, teens and apathetic readers. This book appeals to teens because that’s