ENGLISH 1113 Synthesis: Gaining New Insights from 'Outsiders' Reviews

This essay synthesizes Dale Peck's and Michael Malone's reviews of S.E. Hinton's 'The Outsiders' to reveal a new understanding of the novel. Dale Peck emphasizes the novel's frank depiction of adolescent issues and its influence on young adult fiction, while Michael Malone critiques its unrealistic portrayal of teen life, viewing it as a romanticized fairy tale. Despite their differing opinions, both acknowledge the book's groundbreaking impact on teenage literature. The synthesis highlights that 'The Outsiders' brought teenage issues to the forefront, sparking debate and ultimately revolutionizing the young adult genre by addressing previously taboo subjects such as smoking and drinking, making it a significant cultural touchstone. Desklib provides students access to similar essays and study resources.

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English composition
The Outsider is a novel written by S.E. Hinton. MacAfee shows that this novel was first
published in the year 1967 by Viking Press (14). This book basically entails a conflict between
two rival gangs that their basis of the division was their social-economic status.
This write-up will focus on the review of this particular book by both Dale Peck and Michael
Malone. It would entail what the two authors are arguing in regard to this book and also how
they disagree/agree in relation to this groundbreaking novel by S.E. Hinton. Based on what the
two authors think and argue about this particular book, then a totally new understanding brought
about by this book will be unveiled.
First and foremost I will first describe how the two authors are arguing relevant to the book.
Shostak argues that Dale Peck n the "The Outsiders" shocked audience with the entire frank
depictions on the aspect of adolescents drinking and smoking (34). Different authors had argued
about this culture but the article shocked a lot of people. Contrary to the story "The Outsiders"
was directed to the teenagers but later on, the article was described as a young-adult novel. The
article is changing how fiction is done by different authors. Hinton's novel analyses how a
teenager's mode of reading was changed thus increasing the sense of generating more demand for

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teenager related stories. The article revolves around a 14-year-old Pony boy Curtis's existential
crisis. In fact, it is famous for the issue of "stay gold (Shostak, 110)." In fact, nothing gold can
stay and this suggests that the book targeted the Ponyboys English class. In addition, it revealed
that one can tell a story to the audience and they fail to judge at the moment. To all the
adolescent, the important clunker basically reinforces the entire concept of authenticity on the
voice of writing various books (Hoffman, Pamela, Kelly, Robert, 82).
Hoffman et al argues that Hinton's had some sense of strength(190).This is well depicted in the
sense that she was a teenager and her writing a book about fellow teenagers was kind of a
stepping stone. Dale Park argues that re-translating all the influences about teenagers and what it
was that they really felt was quite simple. This is even evident since we see that the book was
greatly received by teenagers since it talked more about issues that they were experiencing.
Argument by Michael Malone shows that Michael Malone is very bold in his argument in regard
to The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. He basically argues that the book is not solid and it gives a
totally unrealistic and romanticized view of the teen life (Gifford, Robert, Andreas, 50) Despite
the writer being a teenager when she wrote the book, Malone strongly believes that the book is a
total mess and it does not exhibit the issues at the ground in relations to factors affecting the
teens but it provides an unrealistic overview.
Michael argues that despite the book being outspoken and recognized for its realism in issues
that affects the teens, it is not in any sense really but it's rather some kind of hybrid fairy-tale
romantic novel. Gifford et al includes that his conviction is that the book attracts and gets the
attention of many teens not because that it speaks reality about the teens but rather because it
speaks directly about some important aspects that teens idealize in life (79).

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In addition, there is an aspect of agreement and disagreement between the two authors. First and
foremost, we see that they both agree that the book was groundbreaking and it revolutionized the
reading in the early days and the teenagers started demanding for books that depicted their
reality.
Despite that agreement, we see that these two authors greatly disagree in the sense that Michael
Malone thinks that the book attracts and gets the attention of many teens not because that it
speaks reality about the teens but rather because it speaks directly about some important aspects
that teens idealize in life (Gifford et al., 100). He says that the book is a total mess and does not
portray any sense of reality in matters affecting the teenagers. Duke Park, on the other hand,
feels that the book is of its kind and it greatly portrays the reality in matters affecting the teens
and it is for this reason why the book was of great demand among teenagers.
By analyzing the understanding considered apt from the two concepts we see that "The
Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton then we see that in both cases the issues of teenagers come in (Cohen,
Sydney, Elizabeth, 39).Well, this is expected because in all dimensions the book reveals and tries
to mention the reality in the ground regarding the teenagers. From this then we clearly see that a
totally new understanding sets in.
Cohen et al emphasizes on new understanding that sets in by considering the fact that they all
mention issues affecting the teenagers (190).This is what forms the basis of the new
understanding. On both arguments, we see that teenagers were the subjects of interest. This
brings out the understanding that the book, the Outsiders was designed to bring about the issues
affecting the teenagers during that time. This is very evident since it the book greatly shocked
readers and analysts across the globe by its total frankness in depictions and statements regarding
the adolescent's habits of smoking and drinking. It was basically a book of teenagers, it

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highlighted more about teenagers' staff and most importantly it was written by a teenager
(Schonert-Reichl, Kimberly, Molly, 207).
In conclusion, the novel “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton was a book that brought about new
trends in writing and it acted like a pacesetter in terms of writing. The arguments presented by
the two authors, Duke Park, and Michael Malone were both solid and each of them had a
perspective in regard to the book. Most importantly, however, is the new understanding that sets
in after considering the arguments presented by the two authors.

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Work cited
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