Sexuality In The Outsiders

Last but not least, Ponyboy faces the society’s impression of the greasers. Everybody thinks that they are hoods and that nothing good can come out of them. The greasers are judged strongly because of their economic status and face judgment from everyone. Nobody cares to understand their life and what experience on a daily basis. He also finds out when he was in Windrixville, that people don’t judge them like they do in their city. The whole conflict of the story is the Greasers and the Socs. The characters in the story have gone about their own ways to at least try to fix the problem. Many chose fighting and violence in general, but Ponyboy choose to write a book for a writing assignment. He discovers that there is no difference between them

The Outsiders, made in 1983, is based on the original book made in 1967, The Outsiders. The movie copied the same plot of the book heavily, as it still portrays the same main character, Ponyboy Curtis (played by Thomas C. Howell), a fourteen year old boy living with his two brothers. This one and a half hour film shows Ponyboy’s life as a greaser, as he experiences the positive and negative sides of his family life style, and questions the benefits of the greaser’s biggest enemy; the Socials.

Most people strive to belong, to be someone or part of something important. People all around you experience different ways of belonging, such as cliques or social class. Others who are excluded, are simply left as outsiders, forced to make up their own groups, maybe just because of where they live, how much money they have, and the items they have and do not have. This is the case in author S.E. Hinton’s prominent novel The Outsiders. Within this well known book is a 2 week story of 14 year old Ponyboy, as he learns to mature in his rough, poor, East side neighborhood while also dealing with most of the rich, stuck up, West side kids known as the Socs. To rival the Socs are the Greasers, a tight-knit gang that includes many East side teens that have become almost like brothers to each other. Throughout this novel, Ponyboy learns many life lessons, while facing multiple obstacles and overcoming his own inner problems to finally realize a bigger picture in the end. S.E. Hinton focused deeply on symbolism to display these multiple themes.

As a young adult, it is difficult to grow up without parents and still be tough and brave. In addition, teens can be emotional and overreact at times. In the novel The Outsiders, by S.E Hinton, a fourteen-year-old kid named Ponyboy Curtis feels different emotions that make him stand out from other Greasers, or “hoodlums”. Ponyboy, the youngest of all the Greasers, is a great example of a teen who feels isolated, brave, and emotional throughout the novel.

He was only 20, but he never really got to know what that was like. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton took place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the mid 1960’s. In addition, conflicts between two gangs were on the rise and the Curtis family was stuck in the middle of it. The main character Ponyboy Curtis had had two older brothers Sodapop and Darrel “Darry” Curtis. Darry happened to stand out because of his father figure presence in this novel. He had to grow up when he was only 20 years old. Both of Darry’s parents had died in a car wreck, forcing him to take on the responsibilities of his two younger brothers. Darry is a responsible, caring, and a prideful young man.

Because Kelly feels vulnerable around men, she experiences a form of alienation stemming from her own fear. Her ex boyfriend G- hurt her which caused her vulnerability. Her continuing fear of violence makes her feel alone. Just as her outer layer of skin has been peeled away, so had her dignity. When men look at her and give her any sort of attention, she becomes nothing more than an object.

Not only is Junior unpopular and alienated, but the victim of taunts and bullying as well. Furthermore, he’s considered a traitor after he transfers to Reardon. At Reardon, he’s called names and endures racial jokes until he finally finds acceptance through basketball and surprisingly finds friends with similar interests. Ultimately, Junior comes to the “huge realization” that not only does he belong to the Spokane Indian tribe, but to no less than 13 additional groups (Basketball players, cartoonists, bookworms, and sons to name a few). It is the first time he knows that he will be “OK”, sending a positive message to readers that identify with his struggles. By reading about characters similar to themselves, young adults can see that their challenges are not unique and are shared by other adolescents (Bucher & Hinton, 2009)

Psychologists usually agree that the teenage years are among the most difficult periods in one’s life. Most teens are trying to figure out who they are, what they believe, and how they fit into the world around them. Beginning in the late 1970’s, a whole genre of fiction, referred to as coming-of-age literature, emerged and serves, at least for many teens, as believable presentations of young people learning to navigate the difficulties of their lives, often fraught with feelings of rejection, seemingly unresolvable personal turmoil, social problems, school and family issues, etc. Indeed one value of reading is to see and better understand some aspect of ourselves through studying others. The reading of SPEAK, a somewhat controversial book

While Kelly is just as involved in intimate acts as the man she is with, she feels that the male’s

As an adult reader who has crossed over to the reality of life, reading about these characters can be a transparent, futile exercise because as adults looking back at youth we have the experience to know where these characters are headed before they even start their journey. However, for young adults who are still in the throes of existential angst this is a powerful novel that handles teenage rites of passage and coming-of-age issues such as loyalty, friendship, belonging, and even death and loss very well.

Psychologists usually agree that the teenage years are among the most difficult periods in one’s life. Most teens are trying to figure out who they are, what they believe, and how they fit into the world around them. Beginning in the late 1970s, a whole genre of fiction, referred to as coming-of-age literature, emerged and serves, at least fore many teens, as believable presentations of young people learning to navigate the difficulties of their lives, often fraught with feelings of rejection, seemingly unresolvable personal turmoil, social problems, school and family issues, etc. Indeed one value of reading is to see and better understand some aspect of ourselves through studying others. The reading of SPEAK, a somewhat controversial book because of its subject mater – rape --, is a worthwhile endeavor in any middle school classroom and offers many valuable life lessons to young teens.

Young adult fiction is a quickly developing genre of literature. The genre is typically marketed towards adolescents and young adults, however, it is enjoyed by a wide variety of people, including adults trying to experience youth again. Young adult fiction, also known as young adult literature, is written in a teenage language and writing style so the marketed readers can thoroughly understand it. The storyline is often full of relatable dilemmas teens face on a daily basis. Themes commonly presented in young adult fiction are usually controversial as teenagers learn things about the world and grow into adulthood. John Green’s novel, An Abundance of Katherines,

As the series progresses the audience comes to find out that they are not the first men she had wrapped around her finger, and they are not the last either. Making men fall for her is only one way she has manipulated people. Katherine, like Iago, makes people seem like she is their loyal friend until she stabs them in the back.

This novels plot of a girl transitioning her sexuality from a straight woman who is very popular within the school to discovering that she is a lesbian and her classmates outcasting her from the popular group proves to be the most interesting aspect of this novel. A strong point within this novel is Holland’s decision to cast aside her socially accepted image and explore her desire for Goddard. A weak point within this novel can be viewed through Holland’s classmates, who treat her as a stranger and outcast her from their “popular” group. Reader who are unsure about their sexual identity and seek novel that portray a courageous character that discovers a true definition of themeless may find this novel extremely interesting. The role model within this novel is Holland, who believes that although she has lost her past popular, but has developed into stronger individual through her loss. As for the age, I would recommend that only teenagers ages fourteen to adult’s should read this

The second novel by John Green, An Abundance of Katherines, should not be banned by reason of its mature content, for it is not the sole focus of the novel. The reason why parents anticipated the novel to be banned is due to their thought of their children, although they are of age, reading the sexual, mature content. However, the novel does not glorify sex, but rather shows the life of teenagers coping with their reality of love in their adolescent stage of life. Upon reading John Green’s work, his main focus is to humorously relate the protagonist to other adolescents to allow them to feel less alone. The banning of the book was lead by parents who believe that high school students are not mature enough to handle the mature content in these