* The Outsiders are introduced as a group of teenage boys who are considered to be outsiders by society. They are:
* Ponyboy Curtis: The protagonist, a 14-year-old boy who is intelligent and sensitive, but also troubled.
* Johnny Cade: Ponyboy's best friend, a 16-year-old boy who is shy and soft-spoken, but also loyal and brave.
* Sodapop Curtis: Ponyboy's older brother, a 16-year-old boy who is handsome and charming, but also reckless and irresponsible.
* Darrel Curtis: Ponyboy's oldest brother, a 20-year-old boy who is strong and protective, but also hot-tempered and violent.
* Steve Randle: A 17-year-old boy who is Sodapop's friend and a member of the Outsiders. He is tough and streetwise, but also kind and compassionate.
* Two-Bit Mathews: A 17-year-old boy who is Steve's friend and a member of the Outsiders. He is funny and charismatic, but also reckless and impulsive.
* The Outsiders live in a rough neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and they are constantly harassed and threatened by the Socs, a group of wealthy teenagers from the West side of town.
* One night, Ponyboy and Johnny are walking home from the movies when they are attacked by a group of Socs. Johnny is badly beaten, and Ponyboy is traumatized by the experience.
* In the aftermath of the attack, Ponyboy and Johnny decide to run away from home. They hide out in an abandoned church and spend their time reading, talking, and trying to make sense of the world.
* As the days go by, Ponyboy and Johnny's relationship grows closer. They learn to trust and respect each other, and they begin to see each other in a new light.
* Eventually, the Socs find out where Ponyboy and Johnny are hiding and come looking for them. A fight breaks out, and Johnny ends up stabbing a Soc to death in self-defense.
* Ponyboy and Johnny are arrested and taken to jail. They are both found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to juvenile detention.
* The novel ends with Ponyboy reflecting on his experiences and trying to make sense of the violence that has surrounded him.