Essay Subject: The Outsiders and Empathy
Hook
The
Outsiders, a novel by S.E. Hinton, has been read and loved by teenagers for
over fifty years. It has been taught in
some schools and banned in others.
Background Information
The novel takes place in a
city in Oklahoma where the teenagers are divided by social class. The narrator, Ponyboy Curtis, and his family
and friends are called Greasers, and are from the poorer class. Greaser boys
have a reputation for “stealing things, driving souped up cars,” and
wearing their hair greased back ( ) .
There is a also a middle class that is not mentioned very much, then the
Socs (short for Socials), the rich teens who Ponyboy describes as “a public
disgrace one day and an asset to society the next” ( ). There is class warfare between the poorer and
richer groups.
Thesis: The Outsiders is a book that should be
read in schools because it helps teenagers develop empathy for their own family members,
for people from different
social classes, and for
teens who get into trouble.
First Body Paragraph
Reading this book can help
teenagers better understand their own family members.
Second Body Paragraph
Also, the novel could open students’ eyes to the fact that
people from all classes have feelings and problems.
Third Body Paragraph
Third, teenagers can come to
better understand troubled teens by reading the book.
Counterclaim/Rebuttal
Conclusion
Restate your claim and reasons. Perhaps call for action.
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Back to Essay Helps for The Outsiders Essay: Is Johnny Cade Innocent or Guilty?
