The Outsiders By SE Hinton Essays - Films, The Outsiders, Greaser

The Outsiders by SE Hinton In this book analysis, about the book ?The Outsiders? by S. E. Hinton I will discuss character and plot development, as well as the setting, the author's style and my opinions about the book. In this part of the analysis I will give some information about the subjects of the book, and about the author. The author wrote the story when she was just 16 years old, in the 1950s. The book was successful, and it was sold, and still being sold, in many copies as a young adults novel. There was a movie made about it, and today there are still many schools that use this book in junior high and high schools for English classes. There were plays made about the book too. The Outsiders is about a gang. They live in a city in Oklahoma. Ponyboy Curtis, a 14 year old greaser, tells the story. Other characters include Sodapop and Darry, Ponyboy's brothers, Johnny, Dallas, and Two- Bit, that were also gang members and Ponyboy's friends. This story deals with two forms of social classes: the socs, the r ich kids, and the greasers, the poor kids. The socs go around looking for trouble and greasers to beat up, and then the greasers are blamed for it, because they are poor and cannot affect the authorities. I hope you would enjoy and learn something about the book from reading this analysis. Plot Development The plot development in the book, ?The Outsiders? by S.E. Hinton, was easy to follow. In this part of the book analysis I will give some more details about the plot development. There were no hooks or hurdles in the beginning of the book, the first sentence starts right away with the plot?without any forewords. This is the beginning of the first sentence: ?When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house...? (page 9). As you can see, it goes straight to the point without any prologues or any kind of introduction. The plot development in the middle of the story was sensible and easy to understand. It was clear and simple, and the events have occurred in a reasonable order. The ending of the story was a bit expected. I anticipated the death of Johnny because a broken neck usually means death. The death of Dally was not as predictable as Johnny's death because it was said that: ?He was tougher than the rest of us?tougher, colder, meaner.? (page 19). I did not think that such a tough person would get himself killed because of a death of a friend, although it was said a short time before the death of Dally that: ?Johnny was the only thing Dally loved.? (page 160). The climaxes at the end of the story were the deaths of Johnny and Dally. Here are quotations about the deaths: Johnny's death: ?The pillow seemed to sink a little, and Johnny died.? (page 157). Dally's death: ?He was jerked half around by the impact of the bullets, then slowly crumpled with a look of grim triumph on his face. He was dead before he hit the ground.? (page 162). To conclude I can say that the plot development was simple and easy to understand and to follow. The author organized it in a way that fits the actual content of the plot. Character Development The characters in the book, ?The Outsiders? by S.E. Hinton, were not very heroic?they were just humans?it was easy to believe that this is the way they should be. The characters in the plot give the reader a feeling this can be a true story. The author has created the personality of the characters through the descriptions of Ponyboy?the narrator?and through their actions. Following are some examples of these methods of getting familiar with a character. Here is an example for a description of Ponyboy: ?Steve Randle was seventeen, tall and lean, with thick greasy hair he kept combed in complicated swirls. He was cocky, smart, and Soda's best buddy since grade school. Steve's specialty was cars...? (page 17). The reader can find this kind of descriptions almost everywhere in the story, but especially in the beginning. I

Explaining a Misdemeanor and Why It Can Be a Big Deal

Explaining a Misdemeanor and Why It Can Be a Big Deal A misdemeanor is a lesser crime in the United States with less severe penalties than felonies, but more severe punishments than infractions. Generally, misdemeanors are crimes for which the maximum sentence is 12 months or less. Many states have laws that establish different levels or classifications for misdemeanors, such as Class 1, Class 2, etc. The most severe classes are those that are punishable by jail time, while the other classifications are misdemeanors for which the maximum sentence does not include incarceration. Misdemeanor sentences of incarceration are usually served in the local city or county jail, while felony sentences are served in prison. Most misdemeanor sentences, however, usually involve paying a fine and doing community service or serving probation. Except in a very few states, people convicted of misdemeanors do not lose any civil rights, as convicted felons do, but can be prohibited from getting certain jobs. Classifications Differ by State It is up to each state to determine specifically which behaviors are criminal and then classify the behavior based on a set of parameters and the severity of the crime. Examples of how states differ when determining crimes and penalties are outlined below with the marijuana and drunk driving laws in different states. Marijuana Laws There are significant differences in laws governing marijuana from one state, city or country to another and from state and federal perceptions. While Alaska, Arizona, California and 20 other states have legalized (or decriminalized) the personal use of medical marijuana, other states including Washington, Oregon, and Colorado have legalized recreational and medical marijuana. A handful of states including Alabama (any amount is a misdemeanor) and Arkansas (less than 4 oz. is a misdemeanor) consider the possession of (specific amounts) of marijuana as a misdemeanor. Drunk Driving Laws Each state has different laws governing drunk driving (driving while intoxicated - DWI or Operating Under the Influence - OUI) including the legal limits, the number of DWI offenses, and the penalties. In most states, a person who receives their first or second DUI is charged with a misdemeanor while the third or subsequent offense is a felony. However, in some states, if there is property damage or someone is hurt, the penalty jumps to a felony. Others states, for example, Maryland, consider all DUI offenses as misdemeanors and New Jersey classifies DUIs as a violation, and not a crime. What Is the Difference Between Infractions and Misdemeanors? Sometimes people will refer to their crime as, just a misdemeanor, and while being charged with a misdemeanor is less serious than being charged with a felony, it is still a very serious charge that if found guilty, could result in jail time, heavy fines, community service, and probation. There are also legal fees that should be considered. Also, failure to follow any of the court-ordered conditions of a misdemeanor conviction will result in more misdemeanor charges and even heavier fines, possibly more jail time and extended probation and legal fees. Being charged with an infraction is a lot less serious than a misdemeanor and the penalties usually involve paying a ticket or small fine and never result in jail time unless there is a failure to pay the fine. Also, people found guilty of an infraction are not ordered to perform community service or attend problem-specific programs such as Alcoholic Anonymous or anger management. Criminal Record Misdemeanor convictions appear on a persons criminal record. It also may be legally required to disclose the particularities of the crime during job interviews, on college applications, when applying for the military or government jobs, and on loan applications. Infractions may appear on a persons driving record, but not on their criminal record. Misdemeanor Penalties The penalties for a person convicted of a misdemeanor depends on several factors including the severity of the crime, if it is a first-time offense or if the person is a repeat offender and if it was a violent or non-violent offense. Depending on the crime, misdemeanor convictions will rarely result in more than one year in the city or county jail. For petty misdemeanor convictions, the jail sentence could fall between 30 to 90 days. Most misdemeanor convictions also result in a fine up to $1,000 although for repeat offenders or for violent crimes the fine can increase up to $3,000. Sometimes a judge may impose both the jail time and a fine. If the misdemeanor involved property damage or financial loss to a victim, then the judge may order restitution. The restitution can include court costs.  Also, a court may suspend the sentence and place the defendant on probation.