Even though all novels contain valuable lessons throughout their story, young adult novels seem to stand out the most. The themes contained in young adult novels are directed towards teaching teenagers to try and learn different perspectives before making bold assumptions. In the novel The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, this theme is played out through the story as the protagonist goes through life-changing experiences that really opens his eyes on his view of the world. Early on in the novel, Ponyboy speaks his thoughts about the stereotypes made about the groups present. “Greasers are almost like hoods; we steal things and drive old souped up cars and hold up gas stations and have gang fights once in a while. I don’t mean I do things like that”(3). And, “Not like the Socs, who jump …show more content…
“He had the usual Soc belief that living on the West Side made you Mr, Super-Tuff. But what about the Bob Sheldon Cherry Valance knew? A real person, the best buddy a guy ever had, kept trying to make somebody stop him—Randy told me that”(162). Ponyboy stays laying on the couch bored out of his mind until he gets a visitor, Randy. Ponyboy invites Randy in and tells him to take a seat. Randy sat down on a chair and discussed the topic of the upcoming trial. Randy then explained,” He’s kind of upset about this. I mean, my dad’s a good guy and everything, better than most, and I kind of let him down, being mixed up in all of this. I feel lousy about the old man, and it’s the first time I’ve felt anything in a long time”(164). These two quotes demonstrate the two sides of a person, the one on the inside and the one on the outside. In a matter of a couple of months, he gets to know the two sides of the Soc known as Bob. He also gets the emotional side of Randy and how he is just a teenager just like him, he may look tough or mean but really he is just a guy with a complicated