The Outsiders Be Banned

Sometimes we take for granted to right to read books, but in some cases it isn't a right, it's a privilege. States have been banning books for years, and it brings up the question, should there be certain books be banned? The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton was first banned in 1986, however this book pertains two important reasons why it shouldn't be banned, being a good friend, and what it is like to grow up rich/poor.

The Outsiders is a book about to gangs, the Greasers and the Socs. The Greasers are poor, some orphans, trying to survive the hard life of the street. The main character is Ponyboy, and he has two brothers, Sodapop and Darrel, and they all belong with the Greasers. The Socs treat the Greasers really badly, and they have to overcome

the abuse of the Socs. It gets so tense, Johnny, one of the Greasers ends up killing Bob, a Soc. Johnny turns himself in, and Ponyboy gets hospitalized after he hides out in a church, that was burning. During a rumble, or a fight between the Greasers and Socs, the police come and shoot one of the Greasers Dally dead because he had a gun in his hand and was showing it to the police officer.

The Outsiders was banned because of the violence, the drug and alcohol use and “not following the pathways to of God.” THe fact of the matter is that it should never have been banned, because this book brings up issues that never were really talked about before. School Districts would banned the book for teachers to teach this book to middle schools, citing “Inappropriate for the age group,” which is ironic because when the book was released, S.E. Hinton never said that it was for Middle School students, the School Districts decide which books to read for which grade level. Kids shouldn’t be censored to drugs and alcohol in Middle or High School; it is healthy to give a dose of reality before they go into society. Most kids who end up involved with risky behavior don’t understand what will happen if you continue it.

Friendship is one of the main themes in The Outsiders and it is an important theme to analyze. Gangs aren’t something that should be encouraged, however there is a sense of friendship and togetherness that there could be important in life.