"The Outsiders" is a coming-of-age novel by S. E. Hinton, published in 1967. It centers on the conflict between two rival gangs of White American teenagers divided by socioeconomic status: the working-class "greasers" and the upper- middle-class "Socs." The story is narrated by Ponyboy Curtis and is set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the mid-1960s. The novel explores themes of teenage identity, class conflict, and the challenges of growing up. The novel has been adapted into a 1983 film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, which features an ensemble cast including C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, and others. It also inspired a short-lived television series in 1990, a stage adaptation, and a highly successful stage musical that premiered in 2023 and moved to Broadway in 2024. Another film adaptation based on the musical is in development as of 2025. The story highlights the struggles and humanity of the greasers, who are often misunderstood and judged by society, and portrays the complexity of their relationships and personal growth.
