Response to Literature Essay- The Outsiders
In the novel The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton attempts to teach many lessons. Select the theme (message) that most interests you. As
you determine how your theme is shown or taught through the novel, consider the following questions: Do some characters act as
teachers of the message? Are there specific plot events that lead to the message? Do the characters' thoughts and actions illustrate the
teaching of the theme? Does the author use setting to reveal this message?
STEP 1: Change the thematic topics below into theme statements.
 Courage
_____________________________________________________________________
 Maturing
_____________________________________________________________________
 Similarities and differences between people
______________________________________________
STEP 2: Highlight one theme statement above; you will be using this one in your Response to Literature essay.
STEP 3: Look at your theme journal and place a star (*) next to the entries that support this theme.
STEP 4: For your final essay, you will be using six theme journal entries, so choose six from the starred entries that you like best.
STEP 5: Find commonalities with the six theme entries you like best; remember these should be focused on one theme. For
example— is the theme shown through three different characters, three different events in the story, or do they take
place at three different places?
STEP 6: Using three different colored Post-it notes, partner the theme journal entries you have chosen. Since you have six entries
chosen, you will have three pairs represented by three different colored Post it notes. For example, if your theme is courage,
you might have two theme journal entries that take place at the church on Jay Mountain. Place a yellow Post-it next to these
two entries. Next, you might see two that take place at the park; place a blue Post-it next to both of these. Choose another
color Post-it and identify two more theme journal entries that support the chosen theme and take place at a different location.
(Remember, the commonality does not have to be location, it could be plot events or characters.)
STEP 7: On the Post-it pairs, identify the commonality. For example on the yellow Post-it write, Church on Jay Mountain. These will
be your thesis’s subpoints.
STEP 8: Combine step 1 and step 5 into your thesis statement with three subpoints:
 Through The Outsiders, the theme _____________________________________________________________ is
shown (at or through) _____________________, _______________________, and _______________________.
STEP 9: Begin writing your rough draft’s introduction, three body paragraphs with two chunks each, and a conclusion. For the body
paragraphs, you will be plunking your chunks—each theme journal is a chunk and can be plunked into a body paragraph.
I.
II.
Step-by-Step Recipe for Response to Literature Essay
Introduction
a. Hook: The hook is about the theme you have chosen. This can be a comment about how the theme affects people
everywhere, it can be a metaphor, an Imagine this, or a quotation. Try not to use a question.
b. Bridge: Connect the hook to the essay.
c. Title, Author, & Genre: The Outsiders, a fictional novel written by S.E. Hinton,
d. Plot Summary: 1-2 sentences about the novel.
e. Thesis: The thesis must clearly state the theme and how it is illustrated through three characters, three locations, or
three events in The Outsiders. For example— In The Outsiders, the theme of all humanity facing life struggles is
shown as the characters witness the loss of life, survive without their parents, and work towards improving
relationships.
Body Paragraph 1
a. Topic Sentence: This is a general statement that introduces the first subpoint of your thesis. For example—
Ponyboy struggles with the loss of his best friend Johnny.
b. Next, write a Lead-in introducing the first piece of evidence from the book (CD) that proves the first thesis
subpoint. Make sure the Lead-in explains what is happening in the novel at the time of the quotation, include the
details of who is there, what is happening, when and where it is taking place. Always punctuate a Lead-in with a
colon. For example— An example of Ponyboy’s struggle occurs just after Johnny dies:
c. After the Lead-in, include the Concrete Detail (CD), being sure to punctuate it correctly with quotation marks
followed by the page number in parenthesis. This CD should be an example from the story that shows the theme
III.
IV.
V.
identified in the thesis’s first subpoint. For example— “He isn’t dead, I said to myself. He isn’t dead. And this time
my dreaming worked. I convinced myself that he wasn’t dead” (150).
d. Commentary (2 sentences): Connect the evidence to the thesis. What theme is the Concrete Detail an example of?
How does the Concrete Detail show the theme? For example—Ponyboy is struggling to come to terms with his best
friend’s death. He continues to tell himself this; until he is convinced that Johnny is not dead. This is because
Ponyboy does not want to lose Johnny, nor does he want to come to the realization that he has died.
e. Introduce the next Lead-in with a transition word, and then write a Lead-in introducing the second piece of
evidence from the book (CD). Make sure the Lead-in explains what is happening in the novel at the time of the
quotation, include the details of who is there, what is happening, when and where is it taking place.
f. After the Lead-in, include the Concrete Detail (CD), being sure to punctuate it correctly with quotation marks
followed by the page number in parenthesis.
g. Commentary (2 sentences): Connect the evidence to the thesis. What theme is the Concrete Detail an example of?
How does the Concrete Detail show the theme?
h. Concluding Sentence: Restate the topic sentence and transition to the second subpoint. For example—
While Ponyboy struggles with the loss of his friends, the Curtis brothers also struggle to survive without their
parents.
Body Paragraph 2
a. Topic Sentence: This is a general statement that introduces the second subpoint of your thesis.
b. Next, write a Lead-in introducing the first piece of evidence from the book (CD) that proves the second subpoint.
Make sure the Lead-in explains what is happening in the novel at the time of the quotation, include the details of
who is there, what is happening, when and where it is taking place.
c. After the Lead-in, include the Concrete Detail (CD), being sure to punctuate it correctly with quotation marks
followed by the page number in parenthesis.
d. Commentary (2 sentences): Connect the evidence to the thesis. What theme is the Concrete Detail an example of?
How does the Concrete Detail show the theme?
e. Introduce the next Lead-in with a transition word, and then write a Lead-in introducing the second piece of
evidence from the book (CD). Make sure the Lead-in explains what is happening in the novel at the time of the
quotation, include the details of who is there, what is happening, when and where is it taking place.
f. After the Lead-in, include the Concrete Detail (CD), being sure to punctuate it correctly with quotation marks
followed by the page number in parenthesis.
g. Commentary (2 sentences): Connect the evidence to the thesis. What theme is the Concrete Detail an example of?
How does the Concrete Detail show the theme?
h. Concluding Sentence: Restate the topic sentence and transition to the third subpoint.
Body Paragraph 3
a. Topic Sentence: This is a general statement that introduces the third subpoint of your thesis.
b. Next, write a Lead-in introducing the first piece of evidence from the book (CD) that proves the third subpoint.
c. After the Lead-in, include the Concrete Detail (CD), being sure to punctuate it correctly with quotation marks
followed by the page number in parenthesis. Make sure the Lead-in explains what is happening in the novel at the
time of the quotation, include the details of who is there, what is happening, when and where it is taking place.
d. Commentary (2 sentences): Connect the evidence to the thesis. What theme is the Concrete Detail an example of?
How does the Concrete Detail show the theme?
e. Introduce the next Lead-in with a transition word, and then write a Lead-in introducing the second piece of
evidence from the book (CD). Make sure the Lead-in explains what is happening in the novel at the time of the
quotation, include the details of who is there, what is happening, when and where is it taking place.
f. After the Lead-in, include the Concrete Detail (CD), being sure to punctuate it correctly with quotation marks
followed by the page number in parenthesis.
g. Commentary (2 sentences): Connect the evidence to the thesis. What theme is the Concrete Detail an example of?
How does the Concrete Detail show the theme?
h. Concluding Sentence: Restate the topic sentence.
Conclusion
a.
b.
c.
Restate your thesis in different words
Why is this theme important in The Outsiders?
End with a powerful statement of how this theme still affects people all over the world today.