The Outsiders is a coming-of-age novel by S. E. Hinton, first published in 1967. The story revolves around the conflicts between two rival groups divided by their socioeconomic status: the working-class “greasers” and the upper-class “Socs”. It delves into themes of friendship, loyalty, and societal prejudice, offering impactful and memorable quotes. Here are twenty of the most popular quotes:
Quotes from The Outsiders
- “Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold.” – This is perhaps the most famous quote from the book. Spoken by Johnny before his death, it references the poem by Robert Frost, and it’s advice for Ponyboy to retain his innocence and pure view of the world.
- “Things are rough all over.” – Cherry Valance, a Soc, says this to Ponyboy, communicating the universal truth that everyone, regardless of class or status, encounters hardship.
- “I used to talk about killing myself…I don’t want to die now. It ain’t long enough.” – A poignant line from Johnny, making us realize the preciousness of life.
- “It seemed funny to me that the sunset she saw from her patio and the one I saw from the back steps was the same one.” – Ponyboy’s realization about the shared human experience, regardless of their economic or social differences.
- “We gotta win that fight tonight. We gotta get even with the Socs. For Johnny.” – A powerful call to arms from Pony’s elder brother, Darry, indicating the cycle of violence between the Greasers and the Socs.
- “I am a greaser, a JD, and a hood. But he didn’t know us. He would kill somebody and never think about it.” – A quote from Pony, conveying their pains of misunderstanding and prejudice from society.
- “Maybe the two different worlds we lived in weren’t so different. We saw the same sunset.” – Another exploration of the common human experience, despite socioeconomic differences.
- “I was crazy, you know that, Pony? Like I was really crazy. And tonight I started thinking…” – Dallas’s confession shows his remorse, and understands the consequences of his actions, and it makes him sympathetic.
- “You still have a lot of time to make yourself be what you want.” – Sodapop’s words of advice to his brother, reminding him that he still has time to shape his future.
- “Can you see the sunset from the South side very good?” – A heartfelt question Ponyboy asks Cherry, symbolizing how despite different socio-economic backgrounds they both can appreciate the beauty of nature.
- “We’re all we got left. We ought to be able to stick together against anything.” – This highlights the bond between the Greaser boys showing their loyalty and unity.
- “That was the stupidest thing you ever could have done.” – A quote from Darry to Ponyboy after they save the kids from the church fire – a reflection of Darry’s protective nature.
- “So even if we don’t have the money or the power to make things right, we’ve got the will to try.” – A passionate statement from Ponyboy about trying to do right despite their situation.
- “You have to think about your future, Pony.” – Sodapop’s warning to Pony to consider the consequences of his decisions.
- “It ain’t fair! It ain’t fair that we have all the rough breaks!” – Ponyboy expressing his frustration about their perpetual hardships.
- “Nobody’s going to call the cops in this neighborhood.” – An unsettling quote showing the harsh realities faced by people from the ‘wrong side of the tracks’.
- “I had been wrong to write off Johnny’s power to fight.” – This quote shows Ponyboy’s realisation of the strength and courage that Johnny possesses.
- “It’s okay… We aren’t in the same class. Just don’t forget that some of us watch the sunset too.” – This line shows Ponyboy’s understanding and acceptance of their class differences with the Socs.
- “It was a kind of comparison between Dally and Johnny that went on in my mind.” – Ponyboy trying to figure out the nuances of the two different outlooks towards life adopted by Dally and Johnny.
- “My life was officially the pits.” – A light-hearted yet grim look at Ponyboy’s acknowledgement of his hard circumstances.
These quotes provide a glimpse into the profound and thought-provoking dialogue found in The Outsiders. They touch on themes of social inequality, family, loyalty, and the struggle between hope and despair.