Why 'The Outsiders' Still Matters 50 Years Later

by Margaret Eby ~ Rolling Stone Magazine

S.E. Hinton's young adult novel about greasers in Oklahoma still resonates with readers.

When S.E. Hinton published The Outsiders in 1967, a novel she began writing at age 15, the idea of a teenager writing fiction for her peers was a novelty. Most of the literature for high school students had nothing to do with the experiences of teenagers in Hinton's hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Hinton's novel, which describes in gritty detail the ongoing gang warfare between the lower-class Greasers and the well-to-do Socials, didn't have much to do with romance or horses, unless you count her protagonist, the 14-year-old Greaser Ponyboy Curtis. But it was a hit with teenagers across the country. Fifty years later, the book has sold upwards of 15 million copies, become a steady feature on middle school reading lists, inspired a film of the same name and helped shape an entire literary genre marketed to young adults.

Despite its age, The Outsiders continues to be a touchstone for adults who were born long after Hinton's graduation from high school. For proof, just look at the long tail of the phrase "Stay gold, Ponyboy," inspired from the Robert Frost poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay." In 2017, "Stay Gold" is a phrase you can find emblazoned on everything from t-shirts to throw pillows. It's the title of an entire album by Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit and a song by Run the Jewels. Though the era of Socs and Greasers has long past, the adolescent dynamic Hinton picked up on remains.

The Outsiders captured the ongoing fight at the heart of the adolescent experience. The differences between the Greasers and the Socs have to do with money, but behind them, Ponyboy realizes, they aren't so different, if only they could figure that out.

Though the specific social mores of The Outsiders are dated, that freshness remains, and continues to inspire writers. "I read The Outsiders when I was around 11 years old," says Sara Benincasa, author of the young adult book Great. "What has stuck with me is the sadness…The Outsiders is one of those books that made people believe juvenile fiction could address real issues with depth and nuance."

And it wasn't just Hinton's work that inspired writers, but her background.

"The Outsiders is the book that made me want to be a writer."

"When I found out S.E. Hinton was only 15 when she started writing it, it totally changed my definition of what a writer was. It wasn't a job you had to apply for after checking off a list of appropriate credentials – it was just something you did because you wanted to do it."

Maybe the most important lesson that Hinton taught authors about writing teen fiction is that they didn't need to water down their prose to relate to a younger audience. For example, the work of popular YA authors like John Green doesn't shy away from serious "adult" issues like violence and racism. "Writers shouldn't be afraid that they will shock their teenage audience," Hinton wrote. "But give them something to hang on to. Show them that some people don't sell out and that everyone can't be bought. Do it realistically. Earn respect by giving it." In other words: stay gold.