Full Biography - Nuances Of S.E. Hinton

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There are many critiques on S.E. Hinton's work (despite her popularity). The text on the right provides an overview of analysis's on her most famous book, The Outsiders.Critical Reviews of Some of Hinton's novels.The OutsidersRumble FishTaming the Star RunnerThat was Then, This is Now The Puppy Sister

Full Biography and Critical Reception

The Voice of the Youth is Louder than Ever During the 1950s and 1960s, many young adults were reading young adult literature. Susan Eloise Hinton of course, was writing young adult literature. She was completely “fed up” with young adult literature that was present during her time (qtd. in Loveday). She decided to do something about it. At the age of 15, she started to write her first and most famous novel, The Outsiders (1967). Her book was very different from the other young adult literature during that time because her story was “something real, something honest and something that no one else had seen before” (qtd. in Loveday). Her ability and her trait to establish connections with her audience were very unique and different during her time. As a result, her novel became an overnight success and will continue to be a classic favored among teens today. Susan Eloise Hinton was born on July 22, 1948 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She resided there most of her life. Hinton was in love with writing and she credits her success to her affection (Loveday). She also knew she was going to be a writer so, she began at an early age: I knew I was going to be a writer. I love to write. I began in grade school, because I loved to read, and liked the idea of making stories happen the way I wanted them to. By the time I was in high school I had been practicing for years. So I was both elated and not surprised when I received my publishing contract on the day I graduated from high school. (qtd in “S.E. Hinton Letter”) Her early attempts at writing had good and bad effects. Her teachers did not like her writing and she usually received bad grades in English class. However, her first and most influential book was written during her adolescent years. The Outsiders would have a tremendous effect to the young adults during her time. The Outsiders was a “painting” or reflection of her life. During her young adult years, she faced a brutal conflict between two gangs, the Socs and the Greasers. She accumulates many male friends because she was a tomboy. So, she has friends in both gangs. These gangs were constantly at war with each other. It was a difficult time for her and she needed to let out her feelings. The only way she knew how to express herself was through her writing. She needed to tell the adults what was going on in the kids’ lives. The result of the tensions she experienced allowed her to write The Outsiders in the most realistic sense she had of her environment. The publisher of the novel advised her to use a penname because people wouldn’t believe that a girl would write such a novel. Susan Eloise Hinton became known as S.E. Hinton from the beginning of her career. S.E. Hinton was studying at the University of Tulsa. Her teachers did not like her writing so much at this point either. She struggled with class and her newfound profession during these years. While she was at college, she studied so many different writing styles and different authors. Among these authors was Jane Austen. S.E. Hinton took an interest in her writing style. Jane Austen focused on the characters of her writing. She described them with such depth and style. S.E. Hinton was already practicing this style of writing because the characters in The Outsiders were known for their well construction. She believed that her characters were real so that her readers would also feel that they are real. So, college gave her a chance to practice a natural skill she already possessed. Despite her studying during college, things weren’t going well with her profession. She was suffering from “writer’s block” or overnight fame hangover (Loveday). This suffering lasted three years until her boyfriend, David Inhofe, ended it by making her write two pages a day until she finished a novel. She wasn’t allowed to go out at night with David until she wrote her two pages. His incentive worked because after four months, she finished her second, well-thought novel, That Was Then, This Is Now (1971). That Was Then, This Is Now, was a very controversial novel. Many people loved it and some even hated it (Loveday). I believe that this book was a turning point in her life because much of the depression she faced was over. She was now famous and she had a boyfriend whom she loved. They married a year after the publication of this novel. The novel is about a story in which two brothers “live it up” in their adolescent years. They become very close throughout their experiences. However, one of the brothers decides to figure out who he wants to be. The other one doesn’t want to change. The two brothers in my opinion symbolize a feeling S.E. Hinton wants to share with the world. A huge change has come in her life. Her fame is clashing with her shy personality. She doesn’t want to feel the change but she knows she has to figure out whom she really is. The two brothers are growing apart and she feels that she doesn’t want her old self and her new self to grow apart so fast. Hinton’s third book came from a part of a short story that she had written for the University of Tulsa’s Alumni Magazine. Rumble Fish (1975) received mixed reviews from critics (Loveday). However the American Library Association stated that it was one of the best books for young adults. S.E. Hinton says, “It's the easiest book to read, but the hardest one to understand” (qtd. in Lilly). This book was basically about a tough kid who wants to be like his brother who was known as the “Motorcycle Boy”. He struggles to keep his reputation up and when something goes wrong, his brother is there to pick him up. One day, a chain of bad events happens and his brother is not there to pick him up. The younger brother wants things to go back to the old days where the gangs were on top and being tough got you what you wanted. In this “new” time, you had to be smart and well rounded to be on top. This book was her shortest book. Her longest book, Tex (1979), came four years later. Tex is very interesting novel that keeps the reader into the story. The main character is a young boy who loves everything and does everything. He attracts danger and is very vigorous. S.E. Hinton does a great job of using her skill of depicting and creating her characters. Readers could really see how the environment in which the boy lived in had produced him. Many people love this book because it was so “mature” (qtd. in Loveday). This long novel also caught the attention of no other than Walt Disney who decided to make this novel into a movie (Watts). S.E. Hinton would always supervise any film that would be based off her novel. She stayed on the set during the actual filming. In the end, basically all of her novels were made into movies. She met famous stars and became friends with Matt Dillon, who starred in many of her movies. S.E. Hinton gave birth to a son in 1983. Her son really changed her writing style a bit because her fifth book, Taming the Star Runner (1988) used third person. She was known for her excellent first person writing and a shift to third person was different: “She has remarked that it was hard to become another person, while caring for her son. Motherhood kept her busy, and it was seen years before she wrote her next book.” (qtd. in Loveday) So, because her life changed, her way to express her life or writing changed. She couldn’t think of a story to write about during this period of time as well. Until Big David, Little David (1995), she didn’t write anything else except for screenplays and advertisements (Loveday). This book was her first children’s book and was intended to the kindergarten level. Her son’s effect towards her writing continued with her next book, The Puppy Sister, which was written for the elementary school age. This book she says, is the most autobiographical story she has written (Author Spotlight). S.E Hinton currently resides in Tulsa. She does what she loves to do the most. She writes, she rides horses, and enjoys her time with her family. She is a closed person and wants to detach from the world. “S.E. Hinton is acclaimed as one of the most provocative, best known and best selling young adult authors of all time” (“S.E. Hinton). Hinton’s shyness and her love to write make her the perfect combination for a young adult author. Her thoughts can be see through her characters and her emotions can be depicted through her writing. She thought that writing was the only way she could communicate her thoughts. She believed that people should be aware of what’s going on in their environment because bad things can happen right under your nose and you wouldn’t even know it. From Jane Austen and her husband to her young son David, many people shaped her life and helped her learn skills that define who she is. She taught many young writers that you can’t be shy sometimes and that you must just sit down and write: If you want to be a writer, I have two pieces of advice. One is to be a reader. I think that's one of the most important parts of learning to write. The other piece of advice is: Just do it! Don't think about it, don't agonize, sit down and write. (qtd. in Author Spotlight) Susan Eloise Hinton’s legacy is that she is and always will be known as “The Voice of the Youth” for connecting adults and children altogether. Works Cited "Kids@Random | Catalog | S.E. Hinton." Kids@Random | Catalog | S.E. Hinton. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Dec. 2012. Loveday, Veronica. "S. E. Hinton." S.E. Hinton (2005): 1-2. Literary Reference Center. Web. 30 Dec. 2012. Lilly, Dorothy L. "Presenting S. E. Hinton (Book)." School Library Journal 36.3 (1990): 243. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 30 Dec. 2012. "S.E. Hinton." Baker & Taylor Author Biographies (2000): 1. Literary Reference Center. Web. 30 Dec. 2012. "SE Hinton.com." SE Hinton.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Dec. 2012. "SLJ Talks to S.E. Hinton On 'The Outsiders' Turning 45." SLJ Talks to S.E. Hinton On 'The Outsiders' Turning 45. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Dec. 2012. "The Outsiders S. E. Hinton Letter." The Outsiders S. E. Hinton Letter. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Dec. 2012. Watts, James D. Jr. "TU students help turn S.E. Hinton's 'Some of Tim's Stories' into short films." Tulsa World (OK) 18 Nov. 2012: Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 30 Dec. 2012. Reality, A Matter of Perspective? The narrator of the novel, The Outsiders, Ponyboy Curtis loves to read. He has two brothers Sodapop and Darry, the latter of which in Ponyboy’s opinion, doesn’t care for him. Ponyboy believed Darry wanted him out of the house. Early on in the novel, we learn that there are two rival groups, the Socs and the Greasers. The Greasers, who are from the East Side, are poor individuals that carry switchblades. On the other hand, the Socs, who are from the West Side, are richer individuals that do not have to work for a living. Ponyboy gets a beating from a group of Socs in the beginning of the novel. Following the night of the beating, Ponyboy and his friends Johnny and Dally go to a drive-in movie. They sit behind two Soc girls. A conversation begins about how the Socs and Greasers both have problems and how they both have similarities. We learn that Cherry, one of the Socs, and Ponyboy, love to watch sunsets. The novel takes a turn when Ponyboy and Johnny run away. They meet Bob and a bunch of greasers at a park late at night. Bob begins to drown Ponboy. Ponyboy blanks out and wakes up to learn that Johnny has killed Bob. Ponyboy and Johnny call Dally who gives them some money and tells them to go to an abandoned church. During their time there, Ponyboy and Johnny begin to bond. Ponyboy starts to read Gone With the Wind to Johnny. Dally meets them at the Church later on and Ponyboy and Johnny decide to come home. They witness the church on fire and attempt to rescue the children inside. Johnny is critically injured during this time and is in the hospital. Tensions rise between the Socs and the Greasers during this time Ponyboy and Darry are finally beginning to get along. The Socs and Greasers have a “rumble” or a fight. The Greasers win the rumble but instead of celebrating, they visit Johnny in the hospital who dies in their presence. A court hearing is held regarding Bob’s death. Ponyboy is present during the hearing but doesn’t say much because of his condition. Soon after, his grades begin to suffer, and the clash between Ponyboy and Darry resumes which results in Sodapop running away. Ponyboy reads a note from Johhny, which says “Stay Gold”. The novel ends with Ponyboy explaining the novel he had just written, The Outsiders. After reading many articles on S.E. Hinton, I have learned that she was a writer who develops her characters with extreme clarity. Instead of focusing on just one group such as the Greasers, she focuses on the individual character. From the beginning of the novel, we learn who Ponyboy was, instead of learning who The Greasers were. Another aspect of her writing was how she develops her characters. She does not simply talk about how they look and behave but describes them by using dialogue and by giving them personalities. This excerpt from the novel clearly shows the unique method of developing characters she uses in her stories: For a while there, I thought I was the only person in the world that did. So I loned it. Soda tries to understand, at least, which is more than Darry does. But then, Soda is different from anybody; he understands everything, almost. Like he's never hollering at me all the time the way Darry is, or treating me as if I was six instead of fourteen. I love Soda more than I've ever loved anyone, even Mom and Dad. He's always happy-go-lucky and grinning, while Darry's hard and firm and rarely grins at all. But then, Darry's gone through a lot in his twenty years, grown up too fast. Sodapop'll never grow up at all. I don't know which way's the best. I'll find out one of these days. (Hinton 1) Another aspect of her writing was also evident throughout the novel. As I read before, S.E. Hinton expressed the experiences of the life of a teenager effectively in The Outsiders. Throughout the book, we learn more about each character and how their experiences mold their personalities. The hardened personality of Dally erupts at the end of the novel, where purposely decides to die, after Johnny’s death. Another crucial idea that Hinton pointed out roots from friendship; she felt that “nothing can stay gold”. Throughout the novel, a poem (Nothing Gold Can Stay) was used to highlight major points that came up during the story. When Johnny passed away, he told Ponyboy “Stay Gold”: I barely heard him. I came closer and leaned over to hear what he was going to say.
"Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold..." The pillow seemed to sink a little, and Johnny died. (Hinton 148) Essentially, Hinton used poems and novels to create a theme throughout the story to express the experiences and life of a greaser and to communicate her experiences to the world. The last aspect of Hinton’s novel is the communicative points it makes. It is evident that she tries to assert the idea that society does not understand the life of a teenager. Much of her “substance” comes from her experience as a teenager during a time where these “rumbles” were present. The book demonstrates how society’s clashes can cause suffering to individuals who are characterized by a group, rather than their own person. From Ponyboy to Bob, each character has their own personality that surface during the many situations they face throughout the novel. I would recommend The Outsiders to readers who enjoy the substance in characters more than just a simple story in a novel. S.E. Hinton’s story provides a great understanding of the life of teenagers in an environment similar to Tulsa, Oklahoma. She also demonstrates her ability to create characters to a point where we believe that they are real people. Besides, life lessons and the style of writing, the reason most readers would enjoy the book is the connection the reader makes with the work. There are only a few books out there that can actually establish a connection (from the use of realism) between the author and a reader. The result of this connection gives a commonplace for adults and teenagers alike to understand how the younger generation is defined. An example of where S.E. Hinton uses realism to create a lifelike environment for the reader: Tim had the tense, hungry look of an alley cat--- that's what he's always reminded me of, an alley cat--- and he was constantly restless. His boys ranged from fifteen to nineteen, hard-looking characters who were used to the strict discipline Tim gave out. That was the difference between his gang and ours--- they had a leader and were organized; we were just buddies who stuck together--- each man was his own leader. Maybe that was why we could whip them. (Hinton 156) Despite the popularity of her novel, S.E. Hinton does have many literary critiques. One critique I personally like, explains why the teens enjoy the novel as much as they do. Nat Hentoff of The Atlantic Monthly, says the book is very popular because “it stimulates their own feelings and questionings about class and differing styles.” (qtd in “Social Issues In Literature”) In the novel, there are many parts where Ponyboy describes the Socs and Greasers by the cars they drive, the shirts they wear, the hair they have, and the way they fight. A negative critique to S.E. Hinton’s novel discusses how she places the characters outside their families. Michael Malone of The Nation, has criticized Hinton for “mythologizing the tragic beauty of violent youth and avoiding the problem of parental authority and conflict”(qtd. in “Gale Contextual Encyclopedia of American literature”) Throughout the novel, I did notice how many of the parents weren’t active in the novel as much as one would’ve expected. I think that S.E. Hinton believed that the book should portray the life of the teenager when the parents weren’t around. I think she was trying to tell the reader that many things happen to a teenager when the parents aren’t present in their life. Michael Malone’s opinion points out that the absence of the parents in most of the story is not a real description of society. Another negative comment made to Hinton’s work addressed the topic of how cliché the novel is. Librarians and critics such as Malone have cited “Hinton as one of the most popular authors among “reluctant readers”. (qtd. in “Gale Contextual Encyclopedia of American literature”) In one specific review, by Thomas Fleming, said, “Can sincerity overcome clichés?” (qtd. in “Social Issues In Literature”) I believe that the reason some people may feel that Hinton’s work is synonymous to others is because they are either “reserved” or that some of the events that took place in The Outsiders mirrors some of their life events. Hinton uses her past experiences to write which explains why some clichés may surface in the novel. The lessons and themes in The Outsiders is another reason for readers of all ages to pick up this book for a quick read. When Ponyboy and Johnny run away from home and spend some time together at a church, Ponyboy recites a poem, Nothing Gold Can Stay, to Johnny, who finds the poem funny and interesting. Towards the end of the novel, Ponyboy is in a horrible state. He is failing in some classes, his animosity for the Socs is at an all-time high, he witnesses Sodapop run away, and he is in trouble with the law. He recites the poem again after he remembers what Johnny had said to him on his deathbed, “Stay Gold, Ponyboy.” He realizes that he shouldn’t change who he is and he should “stay gold.” Ponyboy has been painted as a rich character that loves to read and who doesn’t participate in gang activities as much. After Johnny dies, he becomes angry towards Soc gang members and behaves differently. The following lines show us his realization: "We told him about beatin' the Socs and... I don't know, he just died." He told me to stay gold, I remembered. What was he talking about?
 There was a stricken silence (Hinton 159). The lesson learned here is just one of the many lessons and themes a reader could experience in the novel. Overall, a reader would find this book interesting because of the realism it introduces, the portraits of the character it paints, the sense of writing style, and the lessons we can learn. S.E. Hinton’s novel will continue to be a classic among teenagers of the future and will resemble the epitome of social issues in literature. Works Cited Hacht, Anne Marie., and Dwayne D. Hayes. Gale Contextual Encyclopedia of American Literature. Detroit: Gale, 2009. Print. Hinton, S. E. The Outsiders,. New York: Viking, 1967. Print. Nelson, David E. Teen Issues in S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders. Detroit, MI: Greenhaven, 2012. Print.
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