Question

Stories tell so much about the time period, experience, and environment of an author and/or characters. What stereotypes are perpetuated in the story through color symbolism? Does S.E. Hinton create Ponyboy’s character to have biases? Let’s annotate Ponyboy’s descriptions of characters to find out.

Characters: Ponyboy, Darry, Soda pop, Two-Bit, Dally, and johnny ----(all these characters are from the outsiders)

Answer 1

In S.E. Hinton's novel "The Outsiders," the characters of Ponyboy, Darry, Soda pop, Two-Bit, Dally, and Johnny are all members of a gang of working-class teens known as the Greasers. The novel explores themes of class, masculinity, and violence through their experiences.

In terms of color symbolism, the Greasers are often described as wearing their hair "greased" and wearing leather jackets, which serves to symbolize their outsider status and working-class background. The wealthy, preppy characters known as the Socs are often described as wearing "white T-shirts" and "madras", which serves to symbolize their upper-class status and conformity.

In terms of character biases, Ponyboy, the novel's narrator, does have biases. He has a strong sense of loyalty to his gang and is often quick to defend them when they are criticized or maligned. He also has a strong sense of sympathy for the struggles of the working-class, and a disdain for the wealthy, preppy Socs. However, as the story progresses, Ponyboy's biases are challenged and he begins to see the humanity in the Socs and the destructive nature of the Greasers.

Uday Tahlan