The document summarizes The Outsiders novel by S.E. Hinton and the 1983 film adaptation directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It provides accolades for both works and compares key characters from the story, including Ponyboy Curtis, Johnny Cade, and Dallas Winston. Themes from the story like family relationships, friends and enemies, and the challenges faced by greasers in their society are also examined.

1. The
Outsiders
S.E. Hinton
1967

2. Accolades
 New York Herald Tribune Best Teenage Books List, 1967
 Chicago Tribune Book World Spring Book Festival Honor
Book, 1967
 Media and Methods Maxi Award, 1975
 ALA Best Young Adult Book, 1975
 Massachusetts Children’s Book Award, 1979

3. The
Outsiders
Francis Ford Coppola
1983

4. Accolades
 Released in USA, March 1983, brought in approximately
$25,600,000 at the box office during its theatrical run
 Nominated for The Golden Prize, 1983
 Best Young Motion Picture Actor in a Feature Film; C. Thomas
Howell, Won, 1984
 Best Young Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, Diane Lane,
Nominated, 1984

5. Character Comparison
Ponyboy Curtis Johnny Cade
“I guess my own looks aren‟t so bad. I have light-brown, “Johnny Cade was last and least…He had big black eyes
almost-red hair and greenish-gray eyes…My hair is in a dark tanned face; his hair was jet black and heavily
longer…squared off in the back and long in the front and greased and combed to the side, but it was so long that it
sides…I look better with long hair” (pg. 1) fell in shaggy bangs across his forehead.” (pg. 13-14)

6. Dallas „Dally‟ Winston Bob Sheldon
“He had an elfish face, with high cheekbones and a pointed
chin, small, sharp animal teeth, and ears like a lynx. His hair “Bob is the dark-haired Soc. Bob has a set of three
was almost white it was so blond…His eyes were blue, blazing heavy rings, which he wears when he fights greasers.”
ice, cold with a hatred of the whole world.” (pg. 13) (Sparknotes)

7. Themes/Topics
Family Relationships
Friends and Enemies
Race, Ethnicity, and Culture
Challenges and Triumphs
The Individual vs. Society

8. Family Relationships
The Curtis Brothers:
Ponyboy, Sodapop, and Darry, brothers struggling
to cope with the loss of both of their parents.
Darry – works two jobs to provide for his brothers
and try to keep the family together
Sodapop – Dropped out of high-school at sixteen,
working at the local gas station
Ponyboy - the “hope” of the family, intelligent with
the hope of attending college.

9. Friends and Enemies
Greasers “Socs”
“The jet set, the West-side rich kids…They jump greasers
“We‟re poorer than the Socs…I reckon we‟re wilder and wreck houses and throw beer blasts for kicks, and
too…we wear our hair long and dress in blue jeans and T- get editorials in the paper for being a public disgrace one
Shirts, or leave our shirttails out and wear leather jackets day and an asset to society the next” – Ponyboy Curtis
and tennis shoes or boots.” – Ponyboy Curtis (pg. 6) (pg. 6)

10. Challenges and
Triumphs
“It ain’t fair that we have all the rough breaks!
I didn’t know exactly what I meant , but I was
thinking about Johnny’s father being a drunk
and his mother a selfish slob, and Two-bits
mother being a barmaid to support him…and
Dally…turning into a hoodlum because he’d
die if he didn’t, and Steve – his hatred for his
father coming out in his soft, bitter voice and
the violence of his temper. Sodapop…a
dropout so he could get a job…and Darry,
getting old before his time trying to run a
family and hang on to two jobs and never
having any fun – while the Socs had so much
spare time and money they jumped us and
each other for kicks”
– Ponyboy Curtis ( Introduction)

11. “Ponyboy…I mean…if I see you in the hall at school or someplace and don’t say hi, well, it’s not
personal or anything, but…We couldn’t let our parents see us with you all. You’re a nice boy and
everything…” Cherry Valance (pg. 42)
The Individual vs. Society

12. Wendi’s Thoughts:
 Francis Coppola’s movie version is spot
on with S.E. Hinton’s novel.
 Actors/Characters fit absolutely
 Narration coincides well with the novel
 Plot lines correspond in both versions
 Scenery is well matched