Facts about The Outsiders

1. 07

   Ponyboy Curtis and his two brothers are orphans in The Outsiders, with their parents having died in a car accident before the novel's events begin.

   The OutsidersAug 1shareliteraturefamily1960s
2. 06

   The novel's iconic opening line, 'When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind,' immediately establishes Ponyboy Curtis's introspective voice and the story's setting in 1960s Oklahoma.

   The OutsidersJun 4shareliteratureopeningcharacter
3. 05

   Narrated in first person by Ponyboy Curtis, The Outsiders explores themes of class, identity, and loyalty among teenagers in 1960s Tulsa, Oklahoma.

   The OutsidersMay 17sharefictionyouthliterature
4. 04

   Rival gangs called the Greasers and the Socs are the central conflict of The Outsiders, reflecting class divisions between working-class and wealthy teenagers.

   The OutsidersMay 17sharefictionyouthliterature
5. 03

   Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, and Emilio Estevez were among the young actors cast in the 1983 film adaptation of The Outsiders.

   The OutsidersMay 14sharefilmcasting1983
6. 02

   Francis Ford Coppola directed the 1983 film adaptation of The Outsiders, which premiered at the Tulsa Theater in Oklahoma on March 25, 1983.

   The OutsidersMay 14sharefilmcinema1980s
7. 01

   Author S.E. Hinton wrote The Outsiders when she was just 16 years old, publishing it in 1967 at age 17.

   The OutsidersMay 14shareliteraturebiographyyouth