Good morning Parents and Citizens Association of Indooroopilly State High School. Thank you for allowing me to speak to you about the exclusion of the current grade 9 book. Today I will be discussing why the awe-inspiring novel by S.E Hinton, ‘The Outsiders’, should still maintain in the year 9 English curriculum. This novel can positively impact a student’s educational experience due to the author’s frequent usage of literary devices throughout the story. This will assist the student’s effort to expand their vocabulary. Furthermore, Hinton portrays the characters as being relatable within the society of adolescents. Lastly, if ‘The Outsiders’ is excluded from the curriculum, schools would have to purchase hundreds of copies of a new novel. …show more content…
Firstly, the author, S.E Hinton, has used a series of different literary devices and descriptive language throughout the story to illustrate a conceptualization of what was currently happening.
By frequently using different devices for the whole of the novel, it expands the reader’s vocabulary. Moreover, it assists the student’s effort to increase their vocabularic knowledge in a more engaging way, reading. Examples of which literary devices were used by Hinton include, metaphors, similes and hyperbole. As exemplified by Ponyboy, ‘A dark pool was growing from him, spreading slowly over the blue-white cement.’. The phrase is a metaphorical description of Bob’s bleeding after being killed by Johnny. Also, the utilization of descriptive words is an extension to developing a larger vocabulary. In addition, the development of the student’s vocabulary will also support them in several other subjects in …show more content…
school. Secondly, the characters of the novel have different traits, personalities and flaws making them relatable. There are two distinctive rival groups in the story, the Greasers and the Socials. Socials being from an upper class; they are rich, wear expensive clothing and drive mustangs. This is different from the Greasers; a lower class of adolescents. Greasers are poor, wear leather jackets and drive run-down cars. Ponyboy and Johnny, two of the members of the Greasers, are jumped by the Socials which reflects upon the issue of bullying in modern day time. Bullying has become a major issue within teenagers and young adults. S.E Hinton has evoked the theme of friendship as the characters help and support each other when in need. For instance, when Ponyboy is jumped by the Socials the other members of his gang arrive and help aid him back to a healthier state. By conveying the message of friendship, it motivates the readers to also support friends when they are in need, predominantly when being bullied. Lastly, the school’s budget should also be a consideration to when deciding if ‘The Outsiders’ will remain in the curriculum.
If the book is excluded from the curriculum schools are to purchase hundreds of copies of a new novel. Indooroopilly State High School has over 300 students in grade 9. Depending on the novel, an estimated total price of $3000 would have to be spent for every student to have access to a copy. Spending this excessive amount of money can lead to budget cuts in other departments, which can affect student’s learning experience. Grade 9 is a crucial time for students to perform well in their subjects to be able to choose their preferred courses for their following high school
years. In summary, the unique narrative by American author, S.E Hinton, ‘The Outsiders’ should remain in the curriculum as it significantly benefits a student’s accomplishments in school. Scholars’ performance in grade 9 is ultimately important as it impacts their future years in school. Again, ‘The Outsiders’ contains numerous literary devices and descriptive language which improves the reader’s vocabulary. Additionally, the characters are described to have flaws and diverse traits making them relevant to the youth. Finally, schools could possibly undergo budget cuts in other departments. On the contrary, the book may not be relevant as it is set in the 1960’s, however this can give an insight of what life was like and broaden students’ contextual information of the past century. Once again, thank you for your time and patience this morning.
The “Outsiders”, by S.E. Hinton, is a novel about a young boys journey through life after a horrible tragedy. When Ponyboy's parents died, he struggled with living alongside his two older brothers. Darry, Ponyboy’s older brother, was his legal guardian. Pony should stay with his older brothers, Sodapop and Darry, because they are all each other have. The only family Pony has left is his older brothers and the greasers. Taking him away from his family when he needs it most is wrong.
Conflicts are present in everyday life, whether they are at work, school, or at home. Some people may have worse conflicts than others depending on their environment and surroundings. In “The Outsiders” by S. E. Hinton, Ponyboy and his friends face many different types of conflicts because of who other people think they are and their position in society. They are from the East Side of New York and are called “greasers”, or poor, by the wealthier people. The characters in “The Outsiders” overcome conflicts that are out of their control, like “Man vs. Society”, “Man vs. Self” and “Man vs. Man”.
At what point does conformity become unacceptable and harmful towards an individual’s life? In the novel The Outsiders by S.E Hinton, a gang called the Greasers suffers from stereotype threat and external expectations cause internal expectations within the gang to lower. Expectations of Greasers are set by the Socs, and visa versa for the Socs. As a result of these expectations, Greasers think they can accomplish less than other members of society because that is what is expected of them. Not all expectations set by external people are harmful though. Darry, Ponyboy’s oldest brother, expectation for Ponyboy to rise above the rest of the Greasers is a positive expectation. A Greaser named Ponyboy and a Soc named Cherry is
The Outsiders identified the 60’s, often there would be violence between groups and often involving a group’s social class. For instance, the tensions between the Socs and Greasers is violent, and this will lead to Bob’s death, Johnny’s death, as well as many injuries throughout both gangs. The book The Outsiders is written by S.E. Hinton and is portrayed through the eyes of a high school student in Tulsa, OK where S.E. Hinton grew up. Hinton began writing The Outsiders in 1965 at the age of 17 and the book was finally published in 1967 when she was 19. The difference in perspective upon the society and social class creates issues throughout The Outsiders and they assume the problems will be solved with violence,
The book The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, follows a horrific part of the life of a boy named Ponyboy Curtis. He is what you might call a Greaser, and has had a rough go at it in his life compared to others. It is difficult, but Ponyboy somehow manages to be himself and has the tenacity to stick through it all. He is in a gang with his friends and family and they are loyal to one another no matter what. A rival gang from the Socs crowd, a richer, more refined group, send him and his pals into a whirlwind of trouble and hurt. This book shows on multiple occasions that perseverance is necessary to get through life .
Could a person live in a world without people who love and care for them? Could people survive in a world where they were judged by how they were presented on the outside? S.E. Hinton, the author of The Outsiders, discusses many universal themes, such as friendship, stereotyping, and change. In The Outsiders, two rival groups, the socs and the greasers, are separated by social class. The friendship between the greasers will be tested when an unexpected event changes everything. The greasers must learn that people experience many tragic events, no matter who the person is. Based on the universal themes, the readers will begin to understand how the characters in the novel grow and change, and how friendship and family help along the way.
The movie, The Outsiders, starts with the Curtis parents on their weekly, Saturday evening drive to the baking store to buy some ingredients for their boys’ favorite Sunday morning, breakfast treat: chocolate cake. The Curtis boys love their chocolate cake for Sunday breakfast not only because they love it, but also because they appreciate how hard their parents have to work to save the monies necessary for the morsels that put smiles on their faces!
For many years people have argued about the inclusion of The Cather in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger in the high school english curriculum. This is such due to the inappropriate and adult oriented themes within If considered, many times within the novel the main character will face situations in which that the negative and vulgar themes will blossom into something meaningful that the reader can benefit from as a person and as a student. While the vulgarity and adult themes in The Catcher in the Rye are indeed inappropriate for adolescent students, ultimately its underlying themes of self discovery and possessing moral values provides life and ethical lessons that can be applied in the classroom as well as on a daily basis and therefore, the novel should be included in the high school curriculum for students to learn.
Despite all the challenges we are faced with there is always a strong sense of positivity through those who believe in hope, friendship and have a sense of belonging.Determination and a strong connection with the natural world can uphold a person's sense of hope, Dedication and friendship can promote a person’s sense of belonging and that through trust and loyalty you can always rely on friends to be there in difficult situations.This is a inspiring message represented in The Outsiders by SE Hinton a tale told through the eyes of a determined and courageous fourteen year old boy who through , loss ,pain and difficult challenges finds a impression of positivity as a result of hope, friendship and belonging. The Outsiders is set in Tulsa
Hile, Kevin, and Diane Telger, eds. Novels for Students. Vol. 3. Detroit, MI: Gale, 1998. 264-271.
In S.E Hinton’s The Outsiders, a “Greaser” having promise is impossible.A Greaser can not be promising; they are the lowest of society. There is, however, against considerable odds, a Greaser who shows incredible promise. Darrel Curtis, eldest son of his deceased parents and guardian of his two younger brothers, was one of the only characters who showed major promise. However, society refused to accept that he had potential. Darrel Curtis showed major promise and should have had a favorable future regardless of his lack of wealth because of his determination, hard work, and intelligence.
Scarseth, Thomas. "A Teachable Good Book: Of Mice and Men." Censored Books: Critical Viewpoints. Ed. Nicholas J. Karolides, John M. Kean, and Lee Burress Scarecrow Press, 1993. 388-394. Rpt. in Novels for Students. Ed. Diane Telgen. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Literature Resource Center. Gale. Los Angeles Public Library. 4-16-2014.
The Outsiders is about the life of a 14-year-old boy. The book tells the story of Ponyboy “Curtis” and his struggles with right and wrong in a society in which he believes that he is an outsider. Ponyboy and his two brothers, Darrel (Darry), who is 20, and Sodapop, who is 16, have recently lost their parents in an automobile accident. Pony and Soda are allowed to stay under Darry's guardianship as long as they all behave themselves. The boys are greasers, a class term that refers to the young men on the East Side, the poor side of town. The greasers' rivals are the Socs, short for Socials, who are the "West-side rich kids."
Scarseth, Thomas. "A Teachable Good Book: Of Mice and Men." Censored Books: Critical Viewpoints. Ed. Nicholas J. Karolides, Lee Burress, and John M. Kean. Scarecrow Press, 1993. 388-394. Rpt. in Novels for Students. Ed. Diane Telgen. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 11 Jan. 2012.
"The Value of Children's Literature | Education.com." Education.com | An Education & Child Development Site for Parents | Parenting & Educational Resource. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. .