The Outsiders -

The story is narrated by 14-year-old , a sensitive and bookish Greaser who lives with his older brothers, Darry and Sodapop , after their parents died in a car accident.

" The Outsiders " by S.E. Hinton is a classic coming-of-age story that explores the bitter rivalry between two teenage groups in 1960s Tulsa, Oklahoma: the , working-class kids from the East Side, and the Socs (short for "Socials"), wealthy kids from the West Side . Plot Summary The Outsiders

The novel ends where it began, revealing that the entire story is actually an English assignment Ponyboy wrote to process his trauma and share the reality of his world. Major Themes The story is narrated by 14-year-old , a

After a late-night confrontation at a park, Ponyboy's friend Johnny Cade kills a Soc named Bob in self-defense to stop him from drowning Ponyboy. Plot Summary The novel ends where it began,

The church catches fire, and while the boys heroically rescue trapped schoolchildren, Johnny is critically injured.

Back in Tulsa, a massive "rumble" occurs between the two gangs. Though the Greasers "win," the victory feels hollow. Shortly after, Johnny dies in the hospital, and their friend Dally Winston , overwhelmed by grief, is killed by police after a desperate robbery.