“Stay gold.” This is the advice that is given by Johnny, a sixteen year old greaser, in the book The Outsiders. The Outsiders, a book written by S. E. Hinton published in 1967 is the touching tale of a group of boys called the greasers making their way through the rough and tumble world of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Though very similar, the 1983 movie based on The Outsiders has some major differences from the book. These differences can affect the experience for the whole audience of this engaging story. The movie The Outsiders sticks to the major storyline of the narrative. The book begins with Ponyboy Curtis walking home from the movies when he gets jumped by some Socs. It quickly introduces the other members of the gang, including background information and physical appearances. This is one place the movie falls short. In the book, many details are given about how greatly the different characters vary, …show more content…
One major theme of the story is things are rough all over and it’s important to stay true to yourself and to “Stay gold.” This theme is more prevalent in the book than the movie because the reader of the book receives more details and descriptions than a watcher of the movie does. These reasons make the book more enjoyable than the movie. This story is about the trials of a bunch of boys from rival groups. Neither group is free from suffering or pain. Both groups are expected to be a certain way and for the most part, both groups are stuck where they are in society. Never to change. Everyone in the story realizes these things, but Johnny thinks they can overcome it. The message he tells Ponyboy is to “Stay Gold.” Meaning to be himself and rise above the rest as someone who is different. Someone who can make a difference. If everyone took Johnny’s advice to heart, the world could be so different. Maybe someday we will learn and change the way we look at ourselves and each