It’s unexpected that The Outsiders would appeal to me. I find the bad-boy image off-putting but the story and characters grew on me very quickly. It’s funny how I came to know of it from a 12-year-old. I was talking to her about literature and she told me that this was what they were currently reading in class.
When I watched the movie, I first fell in love with Ponyboy during the scene where Cherry tells him that she likes Dally. The way his face falls as Elvis begins crooning Blue Moon in the background makes me feel very much for him. When I read the book after, I began to fall in love with the other characters too: Sodapop especially, I’m always smitten by this sort of character and personality, then Darry, and Johnny, even Two-Bit has some insightful things to say, and the way Steve crumples to the ground in both situations. I first found Dally annoying — I see through the bad-boy ruse easily. But towards the end, I had a soft spot for him. He reminds me of Finnick, not just in the bad-boy persona and premature loss alone, but in the way my perception of and fondness (the lack thereof) for them change and evolve.
I fancy that era — the music and the style captivate me. I’ve purchased the songs used in the re-release of the movie, as well as the original film score that came with a digital booklet, which was a nice surprise. I’ll be re-reading the book and rewatching the movie multiple times over. This prolongs the mood I’m in, which I enjoy doing with things that I like. The emotions simmer and brew inside me, and this’ll be on my mind almost all the time for quite a while. It provides some relief and escape as I’m absorbed in a fictional world.
INTJargon 