How does Hinton use language to draw you into the world of the novel The Outsiders? Describe at least three language techniques in your answer.
Hinton’s language draws us into the world of the text through her use of characterisation, foreshadowing and narration.
The author’s characterisation is complex and interesting because it gives us unique characters such as Dallas Winston and Ponyboy Curtis. The character I am most intrigued by is Dally, he interests me because of his character development. At the start of the novel we see a tough man who isn’t afraid of anyone or anything, by the end we see a grieving, depressed and desperate boy. I think Dally meets his demise because of Johnny’s death. He can’t handle that the only thing he truly cared for was gone. Jonny’s death breaks down his emotionless facade and reveals his true self. He knows he will become a shell of his former self without Johnny so he decides to die. He lets himself die so he doesn’t have to brave the world without Johnny. The line ‘Dally Winston wanted to be dead and he always got what he wanted,’ highlights the type of character that Dally was.
The foreshadowing used in The Outsiders is deep and tragic. S.E Hinton vaguely tells us what will happen before many major events. One being Ponyboy telling us, “I saw Johnny’s cigarette glowing in the dark and wondered vaguely what it was like inside a burning ember.” This line foreshadows how later in the story Ponyboy and Johnny are both in the burning church and Johnny becomes “the burning ember,” as the wooden beam collapses and breaks his back as he rescues the children. My favourite piece of foreshadowing however is “Nothing gold can stay.” This line hints at Johnny’s fate. Johnny being compared to pure, innocent gold tells us that he is precious to many of the characters. He is Ponyboy’s best friend and Dally’s reason to live. Hinton highlights how it is the ‘golden’ Johnny that cannot stay as he is too pure and too innocent and the fact that his last line before death was ‘stay gold Ponyboy,’ highlights the purity of the boy’s friendship.
Ponyboy’s narration brings natural gaps between chapters. His blackouts leave readers in suspense, forcing them to read on. But they also help to end certain aspects of the story. Instead of Ponyboy having to witness everything and then boringly relay that information, he wakes up in the next part of the novel. This keeps the pace of the story going while not leaving crucial details out. His first person narration also provides viewpoints and introductions to foreign concepts. For example, when Cherry states that “things are rough all over,” this opens Ponyboy’s eyes to concepts beyond classism and generalisation. He finally realises that Socs and Greasers are all human, that they all bleed red, that they all witness the same sunset and they all can’t continue these acts of terror and hatred towards one another. We see this most clearly when he tells Two-Bit, ‘he ain’t soc, he’s just a guy,’ illustrating how Ponyboy’s view of the world has changed.