The Outsiders is a book based on a gang of friends and family members known as the "greasers." It is safe to say that there are many valuable lessons to be learned from the events of history. Ponyboy Curtis is one of many important and courageous characters who make the novel what it is. Throughout history he learns things that he had to understand the hard way. Many teenagers find it easy to relate to Hinton's words in the book and the characters because they express well what the reader is feeling internally. The characters in the book The Outsiders are one of the most important parts of the story. Each character has their own thoughts and actions. They stick together and support each other. Most of the fiction books that children loved to read were mainly about clicks and popular groups. But Hinton's novels were about the outcasts of society (Harris). Ponyboy Curtis is the storyteller and narrator, but he is not the star of the novel (Hinton 1). According to Harris, “The Outsiders is the story of Ponyboy Curtis, his brothers Darrell and Sodapop, and the gang they associate with. The book was among the first to focus on the kids on the other side of the railroad tracks (“outsiders”), rather than the popular kids” (Harris). There are so many key and fragile characters in the story that it would be practically impossible to choose a certain person as the main character. Ponyboy has to write an article in English, but he uses his story to help him write the article. And that ends up becoming the book itself (VanderStaay). Johnny Cade is the most discreet of the gang. His mother and father constantly argue and he almost never stays home because his parents always seem to hit him or yell at him. According to V...... middle of paper ......9. Gale Literary Resources. Internet. January 13, 2014. Salomon, Charles. “Outsiders Review.” The Los Angeles Times Book Review (August 12, 1990): 10. Rpt. in contemporary literary criticism. Ed. Jeffrey W. Hunter and Deborah A. Schmitt. Flight. 111. Detroit: Gale Group, 1999. Gale Library Resources. Internet. January 13, 2014. Sutherland, Zena. “The teenager speaks.” The Saturday Review (January 27, 1968): 34. Rpt. In Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Jeffrey W. Hunter and Deborah A. Schmitt. Flight. 111. Detroit: Gale Group, 1999. Gale Library Resources. Internet. January 13, 2014. VanderStaay, Steven L. “Doing Theory: About the Outsiders.” English Journal 81.7 (November 1992): 57-61. Rep. in contemporary literary criticism. Ed. Jeffrey W. Hunter and Deborah A. Schmitt. Flight. 111. Detroit: Gale Group, 1999. Gale Library Resources. Internet. January 13. 2014.