“The Outsiders” by S.E Hinton is a
young adult novel depicting the life of a young “greaser” in 1965. It is a
coming of age story of 14-year-old Ponyboy, and his fellow gang members.
The
story is centered on the class difference between the wealthy “socs” and
working-class greasers. This may be a possible reason on why this book was challenged;
it’s a commentary on a touchy subject that bothered parents. The book also
involved underage drinking and smoking, gangs and gang fights, violence, strong
language, slang use, an exposé on family dysfunction, obscenities and more.
It’s believed that exposure to this material can be harmful towards a child’s
mind, however we have to learn these things sooner or later. In the book,
Ponyboy runs away from home after being slapped by his brother. Both Ponyboy’s
parents are dead, and his two older brothers, one of whom is a high school
dropout, are raising him. The three of them are in a dangerous and violent
gang, who frequently curse, drink and smoke, although they are underage. They
are also contributors to violent and illegal acts, such as gang fights and
shoplifting.
“The
Outsiders” is a bildungsroman (my dad told me this word), a coming of age
story. In the book Ponyboy and the gang must deal with conflict that helps them
mature. This is the theme of the book. At the beginning of the story, Ponyboy
is still a child emotionally. He follows his brothers and the gang around, and
he doesn’t make his own decisions, although he is an intelligent and sensitive
young man. In the middle, he experiences a pivotal moment when he begins to
transition into a mature adult, he must learn how to survive by himself,
similar to what adults must do. In the end Ponyboy is an adult, he takes care
of himself and understands more than the gang.
There
are several reasons for the book being challenged, its overall reason is that
in the book kids act up, and this bothers parents. The theme of the book is
coming of age.
I found your position on whether or not "The Outsiders" can be considered an appropriate book for kids. I think you should probably make your bias a little more evident. However, I loved your use of language and I thought the more clear points were very detailed and passionate.
ReplyDelete* confusing
ReplyDeleteI think that the writing and emotion you evoked through out the piece was complex and meaningful. I think that the context was either to much ( taking up a large portion of the story ) or should have just been centered in one place. This would give you more space to elaborate on your concepts. Good job overall...;)
ReplyDeleteBy reading your piece, it shows which side you are on, and the opposing side isn't as strong, maybe try to use the 'Darkness Too Visible' piece!
ReplyDelete