Outsiders Genra Essay, Research Paper

The word genre is defined as a category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, marked by a distinctive style, form, or content. (www.doctionary.com) Some of these genres are, comedy, horror, thriller, and or action. The novel written by S.E. Hinton titled The Outsiders may fall into a wide variety of different genres. One of the most distinctive genre formation called is bildungsroman. This term arrives from the German word meaning an upbringing or education novel. (Scamurra, note) The Outsiders emanates a sense of tests and tasks, and eventually Ponyboy comes to maturity when he realizes the futility and distinctive life he has been leading. It is this epiphany that makes The Outsiders a Bildungsroman.

In the novel The Outsiders Ponyboy Curtis starts off in a state of innocence and immaturity. Ponyboy shows innocence and immaturity every time he mentions the long feud between the Greasers and Socs . Ponyboy believes that Greasers and Socs are completely different individuals: We re poorer than the Socs and the middle class. I recon we re wilder, too. Not like the Socs, who jump Greasers and wreck houses and throw beer blasts for kicks (page 6) Ponyboy clearly states Greasers and Socs are different from each other. Another aspect that proves Ponyboy s innocence is he is only fourteen years of age; treating me as if I was six instead of fourteen (page 6) very obviously Ponyboy notifies the readers he is fourteen years old. Ponyboy also does not use his integrity sometimes which shows a great deal of immaturity: I make good grades and have a high IQ and everything, but I don t use my head ( page 7) Ponyboy says he is a smart person, but he does not use his full potential and that defiantly shows a lack of maturity. Ponyboy shows stereotype whenever he talks about Greasers : 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 (page 6) in this quote Ponyboy is explaining his stereotype of Greasers .

Most important characters in the story The Outsiders go through physical and emotional obstacles which all help the mature. There are many quotes in the novel that prove this. One of the most intense and shocking things that happened in The Outsiders is when Johnny died The pillow seemed to sink a little and Johnny died (page 130). When Johnny passed away it most defiantly affected all his friends and made them think about if all this gang rivalry was necessary. Another very emotional obstacle Ponyboy incountered was when his parents died; Since my Mom and Dad were killed in a auto wreck (page 6) the death of Ponyboy s parents dieing contributed to help him mature. One of the most emotional obstacle Ponyboy had was when he saved children he never even knew from a burning church I wasn t about to go through that flaming door, so I slammed a big rock through the window and pulled myself in (page 81) At this point Ponyboy is going through the window of the flaming church to save the small children.

Ponyboy Curtis experiences an epiphany, which most protagonists experience in a Bildungsroman novel. An epiphany is a moment of significant realization which happens to the main character, usually at the end of a story.(Scamurra, class handout) Ponyboy s epiphany occurs near the end of the story. When he a Grease has a serious conversation with a Soc named Randy ; by the end of their conversation Ponyboy realizes there is really no socs or greasers and that they are just stereotypes: I remembered Cherry s voice: Things are rough all over. I knew then what she meant (page 103). In this quote Ponyboy was talking to Randy and remembers what his friend Cherry said about Socs and Greasers . As Ponyboy and Randy s conversation grew deeper they talked about when Johnny , Dally , and Ponyboy saved the children from the burning church. Randy thinks a soc would never do a thing like that, but Ponyboy disagrees: You d have saved them the same as we did (page 103). Clearly Ponyboy disagrees with Randy because he is just now having an epiphany that greasers and socs are the same people. After Ponyboy s and Randy s conversation Ponyboy leaves Randy s car and approaches his good friend Matthew Two-Bit . Matthew asked: What d Mr.Super-Soc have to say?…” (page 104) Ponyboy replied, He ain t a Soc I said he s just a guy (page 104) in this quote Ponyboy obviously has had an epiphany and is explaining to his friend Two-bit that Randy just wanted to talk and he was not a Soc .

Indeed The Outsiders can be classified as the genre called Bildungsroman. Bildungsroman is shown throughout The Outsiders because of innocence and immaturity Ponyboy conveys. Also because all the emotional and physical suffering that helped all the characters mature. Finally and most importantly the readers can identify Bildungsroman when Ponyboy has an epiphany on the value of like when both his friends die.