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The Outsiders Book Report Essay

Decent Essays

Plot

There are two groups in this book, the lower income families on the east side called greasers and the higher income paid families who live on the West side of town called Socs. One night the protagonist, Ponyboy Curtis and friend Johnny Cade were making their way back from a movie, they decide to lay down and talk for a little bit before they go home. His older brother, Darry, is waiting when Pony walks in. They instantly start arguing and Darry smacks Ponyboy across the face. Ponyboy and Johnny runaway moments later and find themselves in a park with drunk Socs who attack Ponyboy. Ponyboy regains consciousness to find himself lying on the ground next to an Socs dead body. Johnny had stabbed a Soc in the back with his switchblade. They hang low at an abandon church for a long week. Then, Dally arrives to check up on them and takes them out to lunch. He …show more content…

In this case, greasers are from the East and don’t earn a lot of money; Socs are from the West and have plenty of money. Furthermore, the story takes place in the 1960’s during discrimination and racial tensions are high, not to mention in Oklahoma. Ponyboy and Johnny take a train to Windrixville to live in an abandon church for a week. Then Ponyboy and Johnny come back, but this time in the hospital. Lastly, the book ends in the park where Dally is gun down.

Conflict

There are two conflicts that are mainly presented in The Outsiders. First, Ponyboy feels unloved by his brother Darry. Ponyboy feels this way when he’s walking home from the movies and is yelled at for walking home alone when nobody would go with him. Darry states many times to Ponyboy “use your head.” Also in the novel, Johnny goes through man vs fate because he can’t escape his death. He believes that his death was for a great purpose and that the kids live have greater value than his, but he still doesn’t want to die.

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