The OutsidersIntroduction

By S.E. Hinton

Discussion, Author BiographyHistorical ContextNovel Information

Group DiscussionHave you ever felt like an outsider?

How are outsiders usually treated?

Do you think our school has outsiders?

First ImpressionsWe 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.

Do You Agree?

1. Would you do anything to protect your family?

2. Loyalty is the thread that holds friendships together.

3. Violence is sometimes necessary to resolve conflict.

4. People from different economic classes will usually not be friends.

Stand up if you agree when I read the following statements

Novel Title / CoverWhat do you think the title, The Outsiders, means?

Look at the picture on the front cover:- Describe the cover in detail.- What does the cover indicate about what may happen in this novel?

S.E. Hinton

Pay attention while I go through some biographical

information about S.E. Hinton, the author of The Outsiders. You may be

asked to recall this information when I am

done.

S.E. HintonHinton 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).

S.E. HintonHinton 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.

Diploma

PublicationDeal

S.E. HintonAfter 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.

S.E. HintonSusan 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.

S.E. HintonWere You Listening Quiz!

1. Where was S.E. Hinton born?

2. What did she enjoy doing as a child?

3. When did she write The Outsiders?

4. Why didn’t she publish under her full name?

5. Where did she meet her husband?

6. Name one other book she wrote besides The Outsiders.

S.E. HintonWere You Listening Quiz!

1. Where was S.E. Hinton born? Tulsa

2. What did she enjoy doing as a child? Reading and writing

3. When did she write The Outsiders? In high school (publication deal when she graduated)

4. Why didn’t she publish under her full name? Her publishers didn’t think boys would read a tough book written by a female.

5. Where did she meet her husband? At the University of Tulsa

6. Name one other book she wrote besides The Outsiders. Tex, That Was Then, This is Now, Rumble Fish, Taming The Star Runner

The OutsidersThe 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)

The OutsidersMany of Hinton’s novels were so successful,

they were turned into films

The Outsiders (1983)That Was Then, This is Now (1985)Tex (1982)Rumble Fish (1983).

Historical ContextThe 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.

1960’s TerminologyBelow 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

1960’s TerminologyBelow are some words you may encounter in the

novel The Outsiders that we rarely use today:

JD = Juvenile Delinquent The Cooler = Jail

Rumble = FightPickled = Drunk