What tone does Ponyboy use in The Outsiders, and what are the main themes of the novel?

In the book The Outsiders, Ponyboy, the main character and narrator, has a serious but realistic tone throughout the novel. He does not shy away from telling the facts, or from telling things how they really are, even when he learns information that might change his earlier opinions. An example of this is when he comes to the understanding that the Socs do not have it as easy as it appears. He tells the...

In the book The Outsiders, Ponyboy, the main character and narrator, has a serious but realistic tone throughout the novel. He does not shy away from telling the facts, or from telling things how they really are, even when he learns information that might change his earlier opinions. An example of this is when he comes to the understanding that the Socs do not have it as easy as it appears. He tells the reader this after he meets with Randy, a Soc who was Bob's friend, when he says, "I remembered Cherry's voice: Things are rough all over. I knew then what she meant" (Hinton 117).

This tone plays into the various themes throughout the novel, such as the theme of class conflict. From the very beginning of the story, when Ponyboy is walking home from the movies and has a run-in with the Socs, to after the rumble, the conflict between the upper-class Socs and the lower-class greasers is always present. What changes throughout the novel is that Ponyboy realizes that although things such as money and prestige within the community are what separate the Socs and the greasers, both groups have problems unique to their situations. Interestingly, Ponyboy never talks about how to resolve this conflict, but only comes to the realization that the best the two groups can do is at least try to come to an understanding to stop the unnecessary fighting, something that both he and others, like Randy, realize.

Intertwined with this theme is Ponyboy's search for himself. Throughout the novel, Ponyboy wonders about himself and if he really fits in with the greaser lifestyle. He comes to realize that he can act tough like a greaser to protect himself, but deep down, he is not a juvenile delinquent like some of the other greasers, and that despite acting tough and everything he has gone through, he is still a good person who tries to do the right thing. This is demonstrated when Ponyboy breaks a bottle to threaten some Socs who bother him at a grocery store. After the whole ordeal, Two-bit warns Ponyboy about getting tough because, Two-bit says, "You're not like the rest of us" (Hinton 171). He is interrupted by Ponyboy cleaning up the glass he broke so no one would "get a flat tire" (Hinton 172), again showing Ponyboy has realized that he can be himself, and try to be a good person who does the right thing, while still fitting in with his friends.