1. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Background Information

2. Compare these two images when you make your impressions.
First Impressions
We often judge people based on our first impressions of their physical appearance. Verbalize your first impressions of the people in the images below.
Compare these two images when you make your impressions.

3. The Author
Susan Eloise Hinton

4. S.E. Hinton Hinton was born in Tulsa in 1948.
As a young child, she was an avid reader and would spend her time writing her own stories.
She wanted to
create stories
about the truth
of teenagers (no
sugar coating).

5. S.E. Hinton
Hinton wrote The Outsiders while she was in high school. During her high school graduation ceremony, she was offered a publication contract for the novel. She published the novel under the name S.E. Hinton (instead of Susan Eloise) because the publishers didn’t think boys would want to read a ‘tough’ novel by a female.
Publication
Deal
Diploma

6. S.E. Hinton
After the success of The Outsiders, she attended the University Of Tulsa where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Education.
In college, she met David Inhofe (her future husband). He was a major influence in her writing her second novel, That Was Then, This Is Now.

7. Susan married David and they had one son, Nicholas David.
S.E. Hinton
Susan married David and they had one son, Nicholas David.
She wrote a few more books (Tex, Rumble Fish, Taming The Star Runner). In the 1990’s, she focused mainly on children’s picture books.

8. The Story They walked out slowly, silently, smiling.
"Need a haircut, greaser?" The medium-sized blond pulled a knife out of his back pocket and flipped the blade open.
I finally thought of something to say. "No.“ I was backing up, away from that knife. Of course I backed right into one of them. They had me down in a second. I fought to get loose, and almost did for a second; then they tightened up on me and slugged me a couple of times. So I lay still, swearing at them between gasps. A blade was held against my throat.
"How'd you like that haircut to begin just below the chin?"

9. The Characters
-- According to the main character, Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs.
-- A soc (short for "social") has money, is very popular, and has things handed to them.
-- A greaser, on the other hand, works hard, is an outsider and needs to fight for a living.
-- The greasers and socs stick to their own groups. They get into fights when one group crosses into the other group’s turf.

10. The Setting -- Tulsa, Oklahoma
Population of New York City:
19 million
Population of Los Angeles:
15 million
Population of Tulsa:
300,000

11. This novel is widely considered the first realistic young-adult novel.
The Outsiders
The Outsiders was inspired by real-life events at Hinton’s high school in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
This novel is widely considered the first realistic young-adult novel.
Hinton’s High School
(Will Rogers High)

12. Historical Context
The book reflects the social division Americans experienced during the 1960s. Young people were attempting to find their voices and express their political opinions. Race relations were changing dramatically as the Civil Rights Movement drew attention to discrimination against African Americans. Though Hinton does not refer directly to any historical or political events in her work, the novel seeks to elevate public awareness of marginalized groups and to validate the voices and experiences of young people.

13. 1960’s Terminology
Below are some words you may encounter in the novel The Outsiders that were popular in the 1960’s
Fuzz = Police
Heater = Gun
Broad = Woman
Hacked Off = Angry

14. JD = Juvenile Delinquent
1960’s Terminology
Below are some words you may encounter in the novel The Outsiders that we rarely use today:
JD = Juvenile Delinquent
The Cooler = Jail
Rumble = Fight
Pickled = Drunk

15. Tension existed between races and between social classes.
The Setting -- The Sixties’ Politics: Martin Luther King, Jr., JFK, Vietnam War
Tension existed between races and between social classes.

16. The Sixties Music and Television
The Beatles
Elvis
Rock music grew in popularity -- Elvis was more popular among the greasers and The Beatles were more popular among the soc’s.

17. The Setting – The Sixties Clothes and Hair Styles
Jackie Kennedy, Paul Newman and James Dean portray styles popular with soc’s and greasers.

18. The Setting -- The Sixties Cars
Muscle Cars: Corvair, Corvette, Mustang
Popular among soc’s and greasers

19. Credits:
Fanpop. Fanpop, Inc., n.d. Web. 31 Oct <
Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders. New York: Penguin Group Inc., 1995.
Hoffman, Carl. The 60's Official Site. N.p., 26 Oct Web. 31 Oct <
"S. E. Hinton - About S. E. Hinton." Penguin.com. Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers, Web. 31 Oct <
"S. E. Hinton" Tumblr. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct <
"Tulsa Maps and Orientation: Tulsa, Oklahoma - OK, USA." Tulsa Maps and Orientation: Tulsa, Oklahoma - OK, USA. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct <