The Outsiders S E Hinton Sandra Ahnstrom Extension

The Outsiders S. E. Hinton Sandra Ahnstrom Extension Project Language Arts & Technology Fall 2005

About the book n “A heroic story of friendship and belonging. Ponyboy can count on his brothers. And on his friends. But not on much else besides trouble with the Socs, a vicious gang of rich kids whose idea of a good time is beating up “greasers” like Ponyboy. At least he knows what to expect – until the night someone takes things too far. ”

Greasers n The switchblade represents strength and power. The Greasers, the lower class, felt safer when carrying this defense. It was their choice of weapon against harm that may come from the opposing social group, the Socs.

Socs n n The blue Mustang represents the upper class Socs. It stands for money power and authority. It was Bob’s rings, symbols of wealth, that were used to cut up Johnny’s face so badly the day he was left for dead.

n The cigarette is a symbol of the lower class. Many of the Greasers started smoking at an early age. It made them feel older and helped them to fit into their group. Later it became a way of passing time and keeping calm.

The drive in movie theatre was a place where the Greasers and the Socs shared the same turf. Both social groups enjoyed theatre together. It was a place where they could co-exist.

The horse represents innocence. Soda’s horse, Mickey Mouse, connects the boys to youth. Soda enjoyed the horse as a young boy. When the horse was sold, Soda was devastated. He shared a special bond with the horse that he could not again duplicate.

The Curtis boys also shared an extraordinary bond with their parents, unlike any of the other boys in their group. When their parents were killed, it truly was a life lost. A time that they could never get back. They now fight to stay together and form new bonds with each other that they didn’t know could exist.

A turning point n n Dally’s invitation for Johnny and Ponyboy to join him for some food at he Dairy Queen was truly a turning point in the story. It was here that Johnny announced that he was turning himself in to the police. It was also at the Dairy Queen where Ponyboy and Randy met up. Ponyboy realized that although they were very different, they were all just guys.

n The church was a safe haven for both Ponyboy and Johnny. It was a hideout for them as they were hiding from the crime that was committed. It was a place that allowed them to be themselves and reflect on their lives. Later, it was the burning church that allowed them to show their true colors.

Johnny and Dally both ended up in the hospital after their heroic rescues saving several students from the burning church. They ran in despite the danger of the falling roof. As a result of their actions they both died significant deaths.

My Reflection n n This story is classic. Although the degrees of it may vary, I think that most people have experienced the situations depicted in this storyline. Our world revolves around money, social class, family and fitting in. This is a story that constantly repeats itself time and time again throughout history. From Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to West Side Story, the idea is still the same. It forced me to take a step back and realize that there is always a bigger picture to life. From the best cars and the best house to the best for our children. Life is a constant battle to get ahead and be the best. Hopefully we learn some of life’s important lessons along the way. I would rate my presentation as expert. My project clearly communicates the meaning of the book. It is well organized in the fact that I presented my material in the order that it occurred. It was visually creative and artistic. Each slide looked different and I chose the background because it reflected my feelings as I read the story. I chose details that I felt were relevant to the story without telling everything. I set my presentation up to make people want to read the story and fill in the details. I really enjoyed the book and will probably read it again.

Pictures courtesy of: Google. com Images § § § Book cover - www. saintpaulreads. org/. . . / uploads/Outsiders. jpg Switch blade - www. nostalgia-unlimited. com/ Misc. html Car - photos 1. blogger. com/. . . / 1141/900/Blue. Mustang. jpg Rings - www. skriechbaum. com/ _borders/Ring 001. jpg Cigarette - news. adventist. org/. . . / 0987539258/index. html. en Drive in theatre - wwwgarage. com/ images/ronnies 1. jpg Horse - www. sos. mo. gov/. . . / symbols. asp? symbol=horse Family - www. franciscanretreats. net/ 47 -Family/Family-B. . . Church - www. foxriverlutheran. org/ images/church%20001. jpg Hospital - www. gesher. org/. . . / Ethiopia/Hospital%20 Scene. jpg Dairy Queen - www. interstatedq. com/