S.E. Hinton wrote The Outsiders to share the unseen lives of teenagers at the time. When Ponyboy and a friend get into a fight with their rival gang, the Socs, Ponyboy is badly beaten. Upon waking, Ponyboy discovers his friend has done something unforgettable and must now decide whether to run from his problems or confront them head on. The main characters include Ponyboy, Sodapop, Darrel, Dallas, and Two-Bit.