The Outsiders Lesson 9

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

This final chapter of the novel leaves the reader with much to consider when turning that final page.

Many young adults who experience this novel for the first time are often left feeling a little uneasy, but that's alright.

Now is your chance to step back and look at the novel as a whole rather than in individual pieces as you have been.

Work backward and retrace the steps of all the characters to find what started all the problems early on in the novel. This will allow you to look for hidden or overlooked literary devices and symbolism you may have missed during the first read.

You will also watch more clips from the movie and compare and contrast further.

Begin with the final words of the novel, which are also the beginning words of the book. You learn in the last few pages that Ponyboy needs to write a theme for his English class to maintain a passing grade after missing so many days of school.

• That raises the question, "Is the entire novel his theme?"
• Is Hinton putting herself into the role of Ponyboy to discuss these issues as though they are actual events that have already occurred?
• If so, how does that affect your reaction to — and opinion of — the novel?

A step further back, revisit the Robert Frost poem Ponyboy recites when he and Johnny see the sunrise in Windrixville.

Earlier, you were asked to find the allusion in the poem; that allusion has a great deal of significance for the setting and dynamic character of Ponyboy. If you missed that allusion, it is the Garden of Eden.

• Why is this Biblical allusion significant in the context of the poem and the poem's relevance to the novel?

Compare your ideas to those below.

You may have also noticed a reference to the colors in the novel.

Think about what "Stay Gold" means, then relate it to green. Think about how Pony often refers to various individuals' eye colors: he fights the fact that his eyes are green, and he notices Cherry's green eyes.

• Do you think Hinton (through Pony's observations) is making a connection between personality and eye color?

Think back to any other color references and connections.

• What do you think they mean?

Compare your ideas to those below.

Ponyboy is the novel's central character, and the plot centers around his realization of Darry's sacrifices to keep him safe in the wake of their parent's death.

• This being the case, what purpose do Johnny, Dally, and even Bob serve in the novel?
• What do these three characters have in common, if anything?
• Do you think Hinton was trying to send a message to a specific audience?
• Do you think all three characters needed to die to make a point?

Compare your ideas to those below.

Johnny's letter inspires Pony to do something about the violence and lost innocence.

• Do you think if Dally had read Johnny's letter, he would still be alive?

Head to the Got It? section to explore Ponyboy's conflicts further.