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Lewis Waters
Mr. Jason R. King
Pre-AP English
27 Februrary 2015
How To Read Literature Like a Professor
My section of How to Read Literature Like a Professor it focuses on symbols and
symbolism in books. The chapter reveals that a symbol has more than one meaning. To prove this
theory I am using examples from my favorite book The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton.
The Greasers hair is a symbol and it represents community and identity.
Their hair is shown to represent those qualities in parts of the book such as the beginning when
Ponyboy is attacked by the Socs and when Ponyboy and Johnny are in hiding. In the first
chapter, Ponyboy is attacked by the Socs on the way back home from the movies but instead of
hurting or killing an enemy of the Socs the decide to try to cut his hair because its a symbol of
greaser identity. Also, in chapter five, Ponyboy and Johnny are in hiding after killing a socs and
to protect them Johnny insists that they cut and dye their hair so that they wont look like
greasers and after this Ponyboys reflection disgusts him. These examples from The Outsiders
prove that symbols have more than one meaning.
In the book Two-Bits switchblade represents the disregard for authority and individual
power especially the power that comes from committing crimes. The meaning of disregard for
authority comes from the origin of Two-Bits blade and the meaning of individual power comes
from how it is used by Dally. First, Two-Bit obtained his switchblade by stealing it which
immediately shows disregard for authority, authority being the previous owner of the
switchblade. Second, Dally uses the switchblade to break out of the hospital to join the gang in a

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rumble this shows the individual power because Dally is one man who is able to escape a
hospital. These examples show that symbols have more than one meaning.