The Outsiders Summary: Plot, Characters and Ending
The Outsiders is narrated by Ponyboy Curtis, a fourteen-year-old greaser in 1960s Oklahoma whose gang of poor kids is constantly at war with the rich Socs. When his friend Johnny kills a Soc to save Ponyboy's life, the two boys go on the run, and a few days change everything.
S. E. Hinton began writing the novel at fifteen.
| Character | Who they are |
|---|---|
| Ponyboy Curtis | Narrator, a bookish greaser |
| Sodapop Curtis | His charming middle brother |
| Darry Curtis | Eldest brother who raises them |
| Johnny Cade | Quiet, fragile greaser |
| Dallas (Dally) Winston | Tough, reckless greaser |
| Two-Bit Mathews | Wisecracking greaser |
| Cherry Valance | Soc girl who befriends Ponyboy |
| Bob Sheldon | Soc who attacks the boys |
| Randy Adderson | Bob's friend |
Who are the greasers and the Socs?
Ponyboy and his brothers lost their parents in a car crash, and twenty-year-old Darry works hard to keep the family together. The greasers wear their hair long and greased; the Socs, from the West Side, drive nice cars and jump greasers for fun. Johnny was badly beaten by Socs months ago and has been nervous ever since. At a drive-in, Ponyboy and Johnny talk with Cherry and Marcia, two Soc girls.
↑ Back to the topWhy do Johnny and Ponyboy run away?
After a fight with Darry, Ponyboy runs off with Johnny. In a park, Bob and other Socs, angry about the girls, attack them and hold Ponyboy's head under the water of a fountain. Johnny stabs Bob to save him, and Bob dies. Dally gives them money and a gun and sends them to an abandoned building on a hill outside town.
↑ Back to the topWhat happens while they hide?
They cut and bleach their hair and spend days reading Gone with the Wind and watching sunrises. Ponyboy recites a Robert Frost poem about how golden things never last. Johnny decides to turn himself in. When Dally drives up to take them home, they see that the building is on fire and schoolchildren are trapped inside.
↑ Back to the topWhat happens in the fire?
Ponyboy and Johnny climb in and pass the children out through a window. Dally drags Ponyboy out, but a burning beam falls on Johnny, breaking his back. The newspapers call them heroes. In hospital Johnny is dying.
↑ Back to the topHow does The Outsiders end?
The greasers win a big rumble with the Socs. Dally and Ponyboy rush to the hospital, where Johnny tells Ponyboy to stay gold before he dies. Dally, who loved Johnny more than anyone, falls apart. He robs a store and waves an unloaded gun at the police, who shoot him dead. Ponyboy, sick and confused, struggles at school. He finds a letter from Johnny in Gone with the Wind, urging him to see the good in the world. To help other boys like him, Ponyboy begins to write his English assignment, which becomes the novel, starting with its opening line.
↑ Back to the topMore about The Outsiders
This summary reveals the whole plot, including the ending.