outsider story essay

• The Outsiders

S.E. Hinton

• Literature Notes
• Book Summary
• About The Outsiders
• Character List
• Summary and Analysis
• Character Analysis
• Ponyboy Curtis
• Darry and Sodapop Curtis
• Johnny Cade
• Dallas (Dally) Winston
• Sherri (Cherry) Valance
• Bob Sheldon
• Randy Adderson
• Character Map
• S.E. Hinton Biography
• Critical Essays
• Themes in The Outsiders
• The Movie versus the Book
• Has Society Changed?
• Full Glossary for The Outsiders
• Essay Questions
• Practice Projects
• Cite this Literature Note

The Outsiders is about two weeks in the life of a 14-year-old boy. The novel tells the story of Ponyboy Curtis and his struggles with right and wrong in a society in which he believes that he is an outsider.

Ponyboy and his two brothers — Darrel (Darry), who is 20, and Sodapop, who is 16 — have recently lost their parents in an automobile accident. Pony and Soda are allowed to stay under Darry's guardianship as long as they all behave themselves. The boys are greasers, a class term that refers to the young men on the East Side, the poor side of town. The greasers' rivals are the Socs, short for Socials, who are the "West-side rich kids."

The story opens with Pony walking home alone from a movie; he is stopped by a gang of Socs who proceed to beat him up. The Socs badly injure and threaten to kill Ponyboy; however, some of his gang happen upon the scene and run the Socs off. This incident sets the tone for the rest of the story, because the event tells the reader that a fight between these two groups needs no provocation.

The next night Pony and two other gang members, Dallas Winston (Dally) and Johnny Cade, go to a drive-in movie. There they meet Sherri (Cherry) Valance and her friend Marcia, who have left their Soc boyfriends at the drive-in because the boys were drinking. Dally leaves after giving the girls a hard time, but another greaser, Two-Bit Mathews, joins Pony and Johnny. The boys offer to walk the girls home after the movie, but along the way, the girls' boyfriends reappear and threaten to fight the greasers. Cherry stops the fight from happening, and the girls leave with their boyfriends.

Pony and Johnny go to a vacant lot to hang out before heading home. They fall asleep, and when Johnny wakes Pony up it's 2 a.m. Pony runs home, because the time is way past his curfew, and Darry is waiting up. Darry is furious with Pony and, in the heat of the moment, he hits him. Pony runs out of the house and returns to the lot to find Johnny. Pony wants to run away, but instead they go to the park to cool off before heading back home.

At the park, Cherry's and Marcia's boyfriends reappear. Pony and Johnny are outnumbered, and the Socs grab Ponyboy and shove him face first into the fountain, holding his head under the water. Realizing that Ponyboy is drowning, Johnny panics, pulls his switchblade, and kills the Soc, Bob.

Ponyboy and Johnny seek out Dally for help in running away to avoid being arrested for Bob's murder. He gives them $50 and directions to a hideout outside of town. The boys hop a freight train and find the hideout where they are to wait until Dally comes for them. Hiding in an abandoned, rural church, they feel like real outsiders, with their greased, long hair and general hoody appearance. They both cut their hair, and Pony colors his for a disguise. They pass the time in the church playing cards and reading aloud from Gone with the Wind .

Dally shows up after a week, and takes them to the Dairy Queen in Windrixville. Thanks to Dally, the police think that the boys are headed for Texas. Dally also brings them the news that Cherry Valance is now being a spy for the greasers, and helping them out against the Socs. She has also testified that Bob was drunk the night of his death and that she was sure that the killing had been in self-defense.

Johnny decides that he has a chance now, and announces that he wants to turn himself in. They head back to the church and discover that it is on fire. A school group is there, apparently on some kind of outing, and little kids are trapped inside. Without thinking, Pony and Johnny race inside and rescue the kids. As they are handing the kids outside to Dally, the burning roof collapses. Pony barely escapes, but a piece of timber falls on Johnny, burning him badly and breaking his back. The boys, now viewed as heroes, are taken via ambulance back to town, where Pony reunites with his brothers.

Johnny dies of his injuries. Dally is overcome with grief, and he robs a grocery store. He flees the police and calls the gang from a telephone booth, asking them to pick him up in the vacant lot and take him to a hiding place. The police chase Dally to the lot, and as the gang watches, Dally pulls a "black object" from his waistband and the officers shoot him.

The senselessness of all the violent events traumatizes Pony, but he deals with his grief and frustration by writing this book for all of the "Dallys" in the world.

Next About The Outsiders

The Outsiders

By s. e. hinton, the outsiders essay questions.

Compare the characters of Bob and Dally.

On the surface, Bob and Dally couldn't be more different. However, the two boys are linked together by the phrase, "Next time you want a broad, pick up your own kind." Right before the Socs attack Ponyboy and Johnny, in the fight that results in Johnny killing Bob, Bob states the reasoning for the attack. He wants the Greasers to know their place in society, and to stay away from Soc girls. Later, in Chapter 6, Dally echoes Bob's words when he explains that Cherry is acting as a spy for the Greasers, adding: "Man, next time I want a broad I'll pick up my own kind." Ponyboy remembers Bob saying this not even a week before. Both boys are victims of the violence between the Socs and the Greasers, and die before the story is over. They both have violent tendencies, look for fights, and end up losing their lives because of it; more important, both draw ideological lines in the sand.

Discuss the relationship between Johnny and Dally.

Johnny feels hero-worship toward Dally, and thinks of him as the most gallant of all the gang. Dally wants to protect Johnny and keep him from turning out the way he himself has. As they drive back to the church in Chapter 5, he explains, "You get hardened in jail. I don't want that to happen to you. Like it happened to me..." After Johnny dies, Dally reacts with uncharacteristic emotion. Ponyboy realizes that "Johnny was the only thing Dally loved. And now Johnny was gone."

Discuss the relationship between Ponyboy and Darry, and how it changes over the course of the novel.

At the beginning of the novel, Ponyboy resents Darry for being too strict and always bothering him for not using his head. He recognizes the sacrifices that Darry has made to raise his two little brothers, but still thinks Darry just doesn't care for him at all.

But in Chapter 5, when Soda and Darry come to the hospital, Ponyboy has a revelation. He sees his oldest brother cry for the first time in years - he didn't even cry at their parents' funeral - and realizes that "Darry did care about me, maybe as much as he cared about Soda, and because he cared he was trying too hard to make something of me." He understands that Darry is terrified of losing another person he loves, and wonders "how I could ever have thought him hard and unfeeling."

In Chapter 10, when Ponyboy wakes up momentarily, he asks Soda if Darry is sorry he's sick. He also worries throughout the chapter that maybe he didn't ask for Darry while he was delirious, but Soda finally confirms that he did. This concern for Darry's feelings is a huge change from the way Ponyboy regarded his oldest brother in the beginning of the novel. Now he is worried that, because deep down he feels he can relate better to Soda, he might have left Darry out in his unconscious babbling.

How do Ponyboy's feelings toward Randy reflect the conflict between the Socs and the Greasers?

At first, Ponyboy sees Randy as a violent Soc to be avoided; he is Marcia's boyfriend, and is involved in jumping the Greasers. But in Chapter 7, they have a conversation in Randy's car, and Randy explains why he is leaving town instead of attending the rumble. He says, "You can't win, even if you whip us. You'll still be where you were before - at the bottom. And we'll still be the lucky ones with all the breaks. So it doesn't do any good, the fighting and the killing. It doesn't prove a thing. We'll forget it if you win, or if you don't. Greasers will still be greasers and Socs will still be Socs." Ponyboy begins to see Randy as someone who can appreciate sunsets, and feels a connection to him regardless of their different social statuses.

However, in Chapter 11 when Randy comes to visit Ponyboy at home, Ponyboy's denial about Johnny's death and the events leading up to it cause a rift between the two boys again. Ponyboy decides, "He was just like all the rest of the Socs. Cold-blooded and mean."

What do Johnny's last words mean?

Johnny's last words echo in Chapter 12 when Ponyboy breaks a bottle to defend himself against the Socs. Two-Bit says, "Ponyboy, listen, don't get tough. You're not like the rest of us and don't try to be..." Ponyboy is confused by what Two-Bit means, since he felt nothing when the Socs approached him. But he proves that he is still "gold" by bending down to pick up the pieces of broken glass from the ground without even thinking about it.

How does Gone with the Wind represent an ideal for Johnny?

Johnny puts his last note to Ponyboy inside his copy of Gone with the Wind . The gallantry of the Southern gentlemen in the book, who rode to their certain deaths bravely, inspires Johnny and reminds him of Dally. This allows Ponyboy to see Dally in that light, too, and to consider that his death might have been gallant. Johnny dies as a result of rescuing children from the fire in the church, so in that way he lives up to the ideal in Gone with the Wind .

What is the difference between Ponyboy the narrator and Ponyboy the character?

It is always clear that Ponyboy is narrating The Outsiders from a point in the future, after the events of the story have taken place. However, this rift between narrator and character becomes definite in Chapter 11, when Ponyboy's pretending makes him an unreliable narrator for the first time in the story. When Randy comes to visit, Ponyboy says that he was the one who killed Bob, and that Johnny is not dead. He repeats it aloud to convince himself of it. But as narrator, he says, "Johnny didn't have anything to do with Bob's getting killed." The reader has depended upon Ponyboy's narration to dictate the events of the story, and now the frame of reference is thrown off, since we know he has moved into an alternate reality.

Discuss Ponyboy's "dreaming", particularly in regard to Johnny's death.

Ponyboy's reaction to Johnny's death has been foreshadowed by Ponyboy's tendency to create alternate realities for himself throughout the story, but the difference is that "this time my dreaming worked. I convinced myself that he wasn't dead." Throughout the story, Ponyboy creates these alternate realities in order to cope with situations he feels are unbearable. For instance, in Chapter 3 he dreams of a life in the country, with his parents still alive and Darry kind and caring again. What is important to note is that he concedes that his dreams are only dreams, and that he admits to use them as a mode of escape.

Describe how eyes are used as a characterization technique.

Ponyboy's view of other characters is often reflected by his interpretation of their eyes. For example, he says that "Darry's eyes are his own. He's got eyes that are like two pieces of pale blue-green ice. They've got a determined set to them, like the rest of him... he would be real handsome if his eyes weren't so cold." Darry's eyes reflect Ponyboy's view of his oldest brother as "hardly human." In contrast, Sodapop's eyes are "dark brown - lively, dancing, recklessly laughing eyes that can be gentle and sympathetic one moment and blazing with anger the next." Johnny is defined by his emotive eyes; the difference between his mother and him is clear to Ponyboy because of their eyes: "Johnnycake's eyes were fearful and sensitive; hers were cheap and hard."

In what way is The Outsiders a call to action?

The Outsiders ends with its own opening sentence, as Ponyboy begins to write his assignment for English class, and it becomes clear that the story the reader has just finished is the assignment itself. It is inspired by Johnny's letter to Ponyboy, in which he explains what he meant by his last words: "Stay gold." There is no reason for lives to be cut short because of senseless violence between the Greasers and the Socs. Ponyboy feels called to action by Johnny's note, and wants to save the lives of other hoods who might end up like Dally. In Chapter 12, this goal is underlined:

"There should be some help, someone should tell them before it was too late. Someone should tell their side of the story, and maybe people would understand then and wouldn't be so quick to judge a boy by the amount of hair oil he wore."

The Outsiders Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Outsiders is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

on what page does cherry has an emotional connection

Cherry no longer looked sick, only sad. "I'll bet you think the Socs have it made. The rich kids, the West-side Socs. I'll tell you something, Ponyboy, and it may come as a surprise. We have troubles you've never even heard of. You want to know...

Chapter 7 through 9 questions

A) Soda and Sandy’s relationship is over because Sandy got pregnant and went to live with her grandmother in Florida.

"Look," Steve said, surprisingly angry, "does he have to draw you a picture? It was either that or get married, and her parents...

why do you think johhny wasn't scared, depsite the obvious danger?

Johnny is a sensitive boy. He cares for others, especially those that are helpless like the children. This is perhaps because he has felt so helpless in his own childhood. It is also probable their cigarettes started the fire.

Study Guide for The Outsiders

The Outsiders study guide contains a biography of author S. E. Hinton, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Outsiders
• The Outsiders Summary
• The Outsiders Video
• Character List

Essays for The Outsiders

The Outsiders essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Outsiders written by S. E. Hinton.

• Analysis of the American Reality, Possibility, and Dream found in "Nickel and Dimed" and "The Outsiders"
• Stay Gold, Ponyboy: Historical Models of Childhood in S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders
• The Socioeconomic Triggers of Juvenile Delinquency: Analysis of "The Outsiders"
• Greater Meanings in The Outsiders: A Theater, a Sunset, and a Novel

Lesson Plan for The Outsiders

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to The Outsiders
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Outsiders Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for The Outsiders

• Introduction
• Major characters
• Controversy
• Critical reception

The Outsiders

Introduction to the outsiders, summary of the outsiders, major themes in the outsiders, major characters of the outsiders, writing style of the outsiders, analysis of the literary devices in the outsiders, post navigation.

The Outsiders

S. e. hinton, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Ponyboy Curtis , a member of the greasers, a gang of poor East Side kids in Tulsa, leaves a movie theater and begins to walk home alone. A car follows him, and he suspects that it is filled with a bunch of Socs (pronounced "sohsh-es"), members of a rich West Side gang who recently beat up his friend Johnny . The car stops, and several Socs emerge and begin roughing Ponyboy up and try to cut off his hair . Ponyboy's cries for help alert his brothers and fellow greasers, and the Socs flee. Afterward, Ponyboy's older brother Darry , who is also his guardian since their parents' death, scolds him for walking alone.

The next night, Johnny and Ponyboy go to the drive-in with fellow greaser Dally . Despite Dally's unpleasant behavior toward two Soc girls, Ponyboy strikes up a friendship with one of them, whose name is Cherry Valance . Ponyboy tells her about the Socs' attack on Johnny, and she insists that not all Socs are like that. Cherry tells him about some of the problems Socs have, and they find out they share a love of watching sunsets .

The girls and greasers walk out of the drive-in together, and are confronted by a Soc named Bob, who is Cherry's boyfriend, and his friends. Things almost come to blows, but Cherry puts a stop to the confrontation by leaving with Bob. Before going home, Ponyboy talks with Johnny in the vacant lot and falls asleep. He returns home late, and Darry gets so angry that he hits Ponyboy, who runs from the house and goes with Johnny to the park. There, they run into Bob and his Soc friends. The Socs attack, dunking Ponyboy's head into the fountain. Johnny stabs and kills Bob . Dally helps them escape town.

The boys take refuge in an abandoned church in the countryside. There, they cut their hair to disguise themselves and then spend five days talking, smoking cigarettes, and reading from Gone with the Wind . Dally comes to visit them and, on the way back from a restaurant, they find the church in flames. Johnny and Ponyboy run inside to save a group of schoolchildren who have come to the site for a picnic. They save the children but are all injured, including Dally, and are rushed to the hospital. At the hospital, Ponyboy recognizes for the first time how much Darry really cares for him. He also learns that Dally will recover, but Johnny's condition is extremely serious.

The next night is set for a rumble between the greasers and the Socs. Ponyboy talks with Randy , Bob's best friend, who says that he has decided not to fight because after Bob's death he has realized it won't accomplish anything. Ponyboy is not feeling well, and he, too, is skeptical about the purpose of fighting, but he does participate in the rumble, which the greasers win.

Afterwards, Dally and Ponyboy go to visit Johnny in the hospital, where they hear his last words: "Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold." In despair over Johnny's death, Dally flees the hospital, robs a grocery store, threatens the police with his unloaded gun, and gets shot dead. Ponyboy, in worse health after the rumble, is unconscious and delirious for several days.

When Ponyboy recovers, the Socs and greasers attend a court hearing. Johnny is vindicated by all witnesses as having acted in self-defense. However, Ponyboy is depressed, his grades begin to suffer, and he almost turns to violence. His English teacher offers him a chance to pass by writing a final essay on the topic of his choice. Ponyboy can't think of a topic, though, and he and Darry fight about his lack of motivation. Sodapop becomes upset, and pleads with the brothers to stop fighting because it is tearing him apart. Ponyboy and Darry agree not to fight anymore.

Back at home that night, Ponyboy examines a copy of Gone with the Wind that Johnny left him. Out of it drops a note, written by Johnny, urging Ponyboy to keep his idealism and never give up hope for a better life. Ponyboy decides to write his essay about his experiences during the last several weeks. With it, he hopes to bring attention to the plight of boys like himself and to honor the memory of the ones who died. The first sentence of the essay is the first sentence of the novel.

77 The Outsiders Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best the outsiders topic ideas & essay examples, 📌 most interesting the outsiders topics to write about, 👍 good research topics about the outsiders, ❓ the outsiders essay questions.

• Analysis of The Outsiders From the Perspectives of Social Work Theories and Applications The rivalry between the two gangs the Greasers and the Socs turns into the struggle in the context of social problems.
• Story Analysis of “The Outsiders” by S. E. Hinton Cherry’s attraction to Dallas is of essence in the story since it illustrates that the conflict between the two teenage groups is reconcilable.”I had to.
• “Avatar” by Cameron and “The Outsiders” by Coppola: Comparison It is one of the main messages of the film. The movie shows the antagonistic attitude of people to the inhabitants of the planet of Pandora.
• “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton He thinks that the law is a joke. He was the gang leader of the Socs.
• Ponyboy’s Evolution in Hinton’s “The Outsiders” Two of Ponyboy’s friends die, and he sees a lot of violence in the streets. He is still a part of the gang, and he thinks that violence is a part of their life.
• The Outsiders by Susan Eloise Hinton Therefore, it is crucial to get acquainted with the essence of the novel and analyze its main characters to genuinely comprehend Hinton’s view on the challenges of the teenage age within the framework of this […]
• The Influence of Bad Parenting or the Lack of Parents in “The Outsiders” by S. E. Hinton
• The Conflict in “The Outsiders” and the Gap Between the Rich and the Poor
• “The Outsiders”: Ponyboy Compared to Dally
• The Three Life Lessons Learned by Ponyboy in “The Outsiders” by S. E. Hinton
• The Wrong Thing for the Wrong Reasons in “Tom Sawyer” and “The Outsiders”
• The Idea of Social Class in “The Outsiders” by S. E. Hinton
• The Common Issues of Dependence in “A Separate Peace” and “The Outsiders”
• The Characters of Jack and Ralph in “Lord of the Flies” and the Character of Pony in “The Outsiders”
• The Socioeconomic Triggers of Juvenile Delinquency: Analysis of “The Outsiders”
• The Use of Stereotypes in “The Outsiders”
• Overcoming Obstacles in “The Outsiders” and “The Time Traveler”
• Common Issues Highlighted in “The Outsiders” and “Saints and Roughnecks”
• The Act of Self Defense in “The Outsiders” by S. E. Hinton
• The Banning of Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye” and Hinton’s “The Outsiders” in U.S. Schools
• The Relationship Between Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally in S. E. Hinton’s “The Outsiders”
• “The Outsiders”: Codependence Analysis of Business Cycles in Europe
• The Similarities Between Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye” and Hinton’s “The Outsiders”
• The True Meaning of a Hero in “The Outsiders” by S. E. Hinton
• The Positive and Negative Impacts of “The Outsiders” by S. E. Hinton
• The Definition of a Social Class in “The Outsiders” by S. E. Hinton
• The Ups and Downs of “The Outsiders” by S. E. Hinton
• Comparing the Differences Between Johnny and Dally in “The Outsiders” by S. E. Hinton
• The Different Types of People in “The Outsiders” by S. E. Hinton
• The Development of Two Social Outcasts Into Strong and Dependable Individuals in “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” and “The Outsiders”
• The Five Stages of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in “The Outsiders” by S. E. Hinton
• Death Presented in the Novels “Of Mice and Men” and “The Outsiders”
• An Analysis of the Story of Brotherhood in “The Outsiders” by S. E. Hinton
• The Hero’s Journey in S. E. Hinton’s “The Outsiders”
• The Story of Conflict Between the Greasers and the Socs in S. E. Hinton’s “The Outsiders”
• The Idea of Social Acceptance in “The Outsiders” by S. E. Hinton
• The Concepts of Conformity and Staying True to One’s Self Portrayed in “The Outsiders” by S. E. Hinton
• The Character of Cherry Valance in S. E. Hinton’s “The Outsiders”
• The Theme of Alienation in “The Count of Monte Cristo,” “Invisible Man,” “Not Like Other Boys,” and “The Outsiders”
• The Rivalry Between “The West Side Story” and “The Outsiders”
• The Significance of Stereotypes Illustrated in Hinton’s “The Outsiders”
• The Courage, Selflessness, and Care of Johnny Cade in “The Outsiders” by S. E. Hinton
• The Three Deaths in Hinton’s “The Outsiders”
• The Inspiration From the Authors’ Lives in “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe and “The Outsiders” by S. E. Hinton
• The Difference Between the Greasers and Socs in “The Outsiders” by S. E. Hinton
• Events in Life That Can Induce the Loss of Innocence in S. E. Hinton’s “The Outsiders” and Richard Wright’s “Black Boy”
• What Are the Issues Explored and Techniques Used in S. E. Hinton’s “The Outsiders”?
• Who Are Your Close Ties in S. E. Hinton’s “The Outsiders”?
• How Does Ponyboy Change Through “The Outsiders”?
• What Are Conflicts of the Main Character Ponyboy Curtis in “The Outsiders”?
• What Is the Moral Lesson of “The Outsiders”?
• How Does the Division Between the East Side and the West Side Represent the Conflict Within “The Outsiders”?
• Why Should “The Outsiders” Be Taught in School?
• Is the Violence Shocking, Predictable, Boring, or Melodramatic in “The Outsiders”?
• What Do Johnny’s Last Words Mean in “The Outsiders”?
• How Does the West Side Story Compare to “The Outsiders”?
• What Is the Difference Between Ponyboy the Narrator and Ponyboy the Character in “The Outsiders”?
• How Do Dally and Johnny Compare in “The Outsiders”?
• What Elements in “The Outsiders” Make the Story More Real?
• How Many Chapters Are in “The Outsiders”?
• What Does Johnny Mean When He Tells Ponyboy “Stay Gold” in “The Outsiders”?
• What Is the Most Important Message in “The Outsiders”?
• How Did the Ponyboy’s Loss of Innocence Begin Before “The Outsiders” Begun?
• What Major Themes Are Seen in “The Outsiders”?
• How Do Cars Fill the Gap of the Differences Between the Two Socioeconomic Groups in “The Outsiders”?
• What Message Is Implied at the End of “The Outsiders”?
• Which Things in the Story Would Have Remained the Same if Ponyboy’s Parents Had Still Been Alive in “The Outsiders”?
• What Draws Cherry to the Greasers in “The Outsiders”?
• What’s the Symbolism of the Switchblade Knife in “The Outsiders”?
• What Are the Reasons Cherry Gets Attracted to the Greasers in “The Outsiders”?
• How Do “The Outsiders” Relate to the Real World?
• What Are Similarities Between Johnny and Dally in “The Outsiders”?
• What Are the Conflicts Introduced by the Reader at the Start of “The Outsiders”?
• Why Did Dally Tell Johnny Not Turn Himself in “The Outsiders”?
• What Messages Was the Author Trying to Convey by Writing “The Outsiders”?
• How Do Ponyboy’s Feelings Toward Randy Reflect the Conflict Between the Socs and the Greasers in “The Outsiders”?
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Bibliography

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The Outsiders

73 pages • 2 hours read

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Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-5

Chapters 6-8

Chapters 9-10

Chapters 11-12

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

What is the significance of the novel’s title? Are there any true outsiders in this book?

Johnny’s last words to Pony are a reference to the Frost poem he heard Pony recite in the church. Do you agree with Johnny’s interpretation of the text? How does this poem help readers understand various characters?

Ponyboy likes watching movies and reading books to escape his reality, but they often mirror it instead. How does the various literature in the novel help him understand parts of his own life?

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For a paper titled “ People’s Understanding of Inflation ,” Stantcheva and graduate student co-authors Francesco Nuzzi (Harvard) and Alberto Binetti (Princeton) conducted a large-scale survey through which they found that most Americans believe inflation has been caused by government action, trailed by supply-chain disruptions and other COVID-related issues. Respondents expressed skepticism about rate hikes as an effective countermeasure.

75% Of Republican voters surveyed blamed inflation on the government vs. 60% of Democrats

Clear partisan differences surfaced in the findings. Republicans were more likely to blame inflation on the government (more than 75 percent of GOP voters vs. 60 percent of Democrats) and less likely to blame private companies. All respondents saw inflation as more harmful to lower-income people, but Republicans were less likely to support policies that might help these households, such as expanding access to food stamps (supported by 80 percent of Democrats vs. 50 percent of Republicans) or boosting the minimum wage (80 percent for Democrats vs. 50 percent of Republicans).

The most cited burden of inflation was the impact on family budgets, notably the way it raises the stakes on household purchases and standard of living.

Among the details that caught Nuzzi’s attention was the lack of ambiguity in survey responses. “People perceive inflation as unequivocally negative, rarely associating it with positive economic developments or with a good economy,” he said.

Discussing the second paper, “ Why Do We Dislike Inflation ?,” Stantcheva noted that inflation typically plays out in one of two ways. The first is a product of a booming economy: “There’s high demand, things are going well, and that can actually generate inflation.” The other possibility, “stagflation,” is associated with high unemployment and stagnant demand.

Most respondents viewed all inflationary episodes as “stagflation,” Stantcheva said. “There is a perception that inflation is unambiguously a bad thing.”

Views on the tools policymakers use in attempts to control inflation echoed findings from “People’s Understanding of Inflation.”

“People tend to think that policymakers do not face harsh trade-offs when it comes to fighting inflation,” she said.

This is important, she added, because “when you ask people what type of policies they support to fight inflation … contractionary monetary policies like increasing interest rates or reducing money supply have very low support.”

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The Outsiders wins best musical and Stereophonic best play at 2024 Tony Awards

Angelina jolie, an outsiders producer, wins her first tony.

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The Outsiders,  a gritty adaptation of the classic young adult novel, became the essence of a Broadway insider on Sunday, winning the Tony Award for best new musical on a night when theatre history was made for women as Broadway directors and score writers.

The musical, an adaptation of the beloved S. E. Hinton novel, is about rival gangs of haves and have-nots in 1960s Oklahoma. The win means Angelina Jolie, a producer, has landed her first Tony, too.

Stereophonic,  the play about a Fleetwood Mac-like band recording an album over a turbulent and life-changing year, won best new play. It was written by David Adjmi, with songs by former Arcade Fire member Will Butler.

"Oh, no. My agent gave me a beta-blocker, but it's not working," Adjmi said. He added the play took 11 years to manifest.

"This was a very hard journey to get up here," he said. "We need to fund the arts in America."

Two special guests electrified the crowd — Jay-Z and Hillary Rodham Clinton. The latter, a producer of Suffs , presented the show.

"I have stood on a lot of stages, but this is very special," Clinton said. "I know a little bit about how hard it is to make change."

In the first musical presentation, Alicia Keys appeared at a piano as the cast of her semi-autobiographical musical, Hell's Kitchen,  presented a medley of songs. She began singing her and Jay-Z's 2009 smash Empire State of Mind , before leaving the stage to join the rapper live on some interior steps to wild applause.

Later, newcomer Maleah Joi Moon won best leading actress for Hell's Kitchen , brushing aside a challenge from veteran Kelli O'Hara. The 21-year-old New Jersey native, who plays a role loosely based on Keys' life, dedicated her award to her parents.

Danya Taymor — whose aunt is Julie Taymor, the first woman to win a Tony Award for directing a musical — became the 11th woman to win the award, for The Outsiders.

"Thank you to the great women who have lifted me up," she said.

'Vote, vote, vote!'

Then Shaina Taub, only the second woman in Broadway history to write, compose and star in a Broadway musical, won for best score. Taub, the force behind Suffs , had already won for best book earlier in the night. Her musical is about the heroic final years of the fight to allow women to vote, leading to the passage of the 19th Amendment.

"If you are inspired by the story of Suffs , please make sure you and everyone you know have registered to vote and vote, vote, vote!" she said. Taub also said the win was for all the loud girls out there: "Go for it," she urged.

Host Ariana DeBose kicked off the telecast from the Lincoln Center with an original, acrobatic number, followed by Jeremy Strong taking home the first big award of the night.

Strong, the Succession  star, landed his first Tony for his work in the revival of Henrik Ibsen's 1882 political play An Enemy of the People.  The award for best lead actor in a play will sit next to his Emmy, Screen Actors Guild Award and Golden Globe.

Kara Young, the first Black performer to be nominated for a Tony three consecutive years in a row, won this time as best featured actress in a play for Purlie Victorious , the story of a Black preacher's plan to reclaim his inheritance and win back his church from a plantation owner.

Harry Potter's Radcliffe pivots to stage

"Thank you to my ancestors," she said, adding thanks to a list that included playwright Ossie Davis and his wife and co-star Ruby Dee, who originated her role.

Harry Potter  star Daniel Radcliffe cemented his stage career pivot by winning a featured actor in a musical Tony, his first trophy in five Broadway shows. He won for the revival of Merrily We Roll Along " the Stephen Sondheim- George Furth musical that goes backward in time.

"This is one of the best experiences of my life," Radcliffe said. "I will never have it as good again." He also thanked his parents for playing Sondheim in the car growing up.

The musical also was named best musical revival and earned Jonathan Groff his first Tony, for leading actor in a musical. Groff — previously nominated for Spring Awakening  and Hamilton  — said he used to watch the Tonys in Pennsylvania as a kid and thanked co-stars Lindsay Mendez and Radcliffe, both emotional in the audience.

Kecia Lewis, who plays a formidable piano teacher in Hell's Kitchen , took home her first Tony, too. The 40-year veteran made her Broadway debut at 18 in the original company of Dreamgirls.

"This moment is the one I dreamed of for those 40 years," she told the crowd. "Don't give up!"

Appropriate , Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' show centred on a family reunion in Arkansas, was named best play revival. Jacobs-Jenkins also thanked Davis, saying there would be no Appropriate  without Purlie Victorious.

Appropriate  star Sarah Paulson added a best leading actress in a play Tony to her Emmy, SAG and Golden Globes awards. Paulson said she was thrilled to be able to interrogate the human condition: "This is the heart and soul of what we do and I am so honoured to be amongst you."

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‘This is for the city!’ Kendrick Lamar fans sound off and show out in the Forum parking lot

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Thousands of Kendrick Lamar fans from across the country congregated Wednesday afternoon at the Forum in Inglewood for the hometown rapper’s only recently announced “The Pop Out — Ken & Friends” show, which took place roughly one month after his epic rap feud with Drake.

The concert, which was held on Juneteenth (an annual commemoration of the day in 1865 in which enslaved African Americans in Texas were told they were free), featured lively performances from dozens of L.A. artists including DJ Mustard, Ty Dolla Sign, Blxst, Steve Lacy, Westside Boogie, Dom Kennedy, RJMrLA, Tommy the Clown (along with his talented crew of child krumpers) and Tyler, the Creator. Lamar also surprised fans with a Black Hippy reunion by bringing Jay Rock, Ab-Soul and Schoolboy Q to the stage.

While many of Lamar’s supporters came to experience his Drake diss records — “Not Like Us” and “Euphoria” — performed live for the first time, others thought of the concert as the best way to celebrate Juneteenth, given the topics that Lamar regularly discusses in his music.

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Before the event, we spoke to fans in the parking lot about why they wanted to attend the show, how Lamar’s music embodies the spirit of Juneteenth and why the event was a significant cultural moment in hip-hop history. Their responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Thousands of Kendrick Lamar fans congregated at The Forum in Inglewood for “The Pop Out — Ken & Friends” show on Juneteenth, with many telling The Times that the concert was the best way to celebrate the holiday.

Daja Heard, Omarri Beck, Christian Johnson, Parlet Cooper of L.A.

“There’s nobody, honestly, better than Lamar to bring out the community who actually know the history and purpose of Juneteenth and to get people more aware of Juneteenth and its importance.” — Omarri Veck, 24, of Los Angeles

“There’s been community representation, but hip-hop icon has taken Juneteenth as their celebration date and utilized it for something that speaks for the community. It’s not for a tour or nothing like that — this is for the city.” — Christian Johnson, 35, of Los Angeles

Robert Harris of Anaheim

“Kendrick has been a very inspirational person in my life. Ever since I came out to this area, I’ve been listening to his music and it’s been really touching. He always speaks to the people and for the people, so at the end of the day, it’s just great to see him always show love back. I’ve been to pretty much, every single one of his concerts. This show is impacting the people. It’s bringing people together that were normally feuding. It’s bringing good energy. It’s not even about hate and love, it’s actually just all about good vibes. And for Kendrick to do that, I celebrate him because he’s the man — he runs hip-hop. We all know that.” — Robert Harris, 34, of Anaheim

Porsche Johnson of Compton

“It’s a moment because I mean, it’s Kendrick and ‘Not Like Us’ is definitely an anthem right now. Even with other races being here, they are acknowledging us like how we do Cinco de Mayo — we celebrate everybody. Now it’s everybody celebrating us, and the fact that so many people came out for him to do this is what made it big.” — Porsche Johnson, 38, Compton

Pennelope Gonzalez and Johnny “Raydeoworld” Feliz of New York

“We wanted to be here because of the fact that he knows that he is the embodiment of culture. We feel like he understands what we go through... He’s like the best person to voice that out and lead that, and I feel like we’ve needing a leader in hip-hop who advocates for the right thing we should all follow and do. It just felt right to celebrate Juneteenth with him. He just made sense because he’s all about culture. We had to come here.” — Johnny “ Raydeoworld ” Feliz, 26 of New York

“For me, I just love Kendrick based on what I feel like he represents. [Feliz] inspired me to actually put Compton Cowboys and pgLang [on my fit]. I personally like Kendrick in this photo [from his ‘ Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers ’ album]. I’ve never seen him so relaxed, but so elegant at the same time, so I wanted a photo that represented a photo that represents this holiday specifically. It took me two days to make it.” — Pennelope Gonzalez, 21

Stacy Aneke of Ontario, Calif.

“With this being Kendrick’s first performance in a long time, being able to experience ‘Not Like Us’ in person, I had to be here. ... I obviously think he won the beef, so that’s why it’s a cultural moment. Just being able to be a part of the “winning team.” — Stacy Aneke, 25, of Ontario

Drew Bosompem of New Jersey and Chioma Nwana of New York

“It’s the two biggest rappers going at it,” said Drew Bosompem, 29, of New Jersey. “I feel like it’s something that people have been waiting for.”

Lauren and Lawrence Wolfeland of L.A.

“We’ve always been Kendrick fans, but with this whole thing that happened within the past month, I feel like he literally spoke up for the culture and pointed things out and was like ‘Look y’all. Look.’ We all know the whole history of us always being taken advantage of and somebody being like ‘I want some of that,’ and here you got somebody who kind of looks like us kind of doing the same thing, and we got to be like ‘Yo! Hey.’ And right before we have our own big celebration, it’s just perfect like let’s not only celebrate someone who we’re a fan of, but for what he just spoke about. Let’s come together and recognize that about ourselves and keep an eye out for things to come.” — Lauren Wolfeland, 40

“He unified L.A., the coast, hip-hop and then to have it on Juneteenth, our freedom day, that’s a big deal. — Lawrence Wolfeland, 43 of Los Angeles

See more shots of K.Dot fans from the Forum parking lot below:

More to Read

Mustard on the beat: Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ was a surprise, even for the DJ

June 20, 2024

DeMar DeRozan was Drake’s ‘brother.’ Now he’s dancing onstage to Kendrick Lamar’s diss track

Kendrick Lamar reps L.A. unity at Forum, performs ‘Not Like Us’ marathon, brings out Dr. Dre

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Kailyn Brown is a lifestyle reporter for the Los Angeles Times. Previously, she worked as a staff writer for Los Angeles Magazine and the Las Vegas Review-Journal. When she’s not penning an article, she’s DJing at events and parties around the city.

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Mitch McConnell: We Cannot Repeat the Mistakes of the 1930s

By Mitch McConnell

Mr. McConnell is the Senate minority leader.

On this day in 1944, the liberation of Western Europe began with immense sacrifice. In a tribute delivered 40 years later from a Normandy cliff, President Ronald Reagan reminded us that “the boys of Pointe du Hoc” were “heroes who helped end a war.” That last detail is worth some reflection because we are in danger of forgetting why it matters.

American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines joined allies and took the fight to the Axis powers not as a first instinct, but as a last resort. They ended a war that the free world’s inaction had left them no choice but to fight.

Generations have taken pride in the triumph of the West’s wartime bravery and ingenuity, from the assembly lines to the front lines. We reflect less often on the fact that the world was plunged into war, and millions of innocents died, because European powers and the United States met the rise of a militant authoritarian with appeasement or naïve neglect in the first place.

We forget how influential isolationists persuaded millions of Americans that the fate of allies and partners mattered little to our own security and prosperity. We gloss over the powerful political forces that downplayed growing danger, resisted providing assistance to allies and partners, and tried to limit America’s ability to defend its national interests.

Of course, Americans heard much less from our disgraced isolationists after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Today, America and our allies face some of the gravest threats to our security since Axis forces marched across Europe and the Pacific. And as these threats grow, some of the same forces that hampered our response in the 1930s have re-emerged.

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