The Outsiders Quotes

Context

This line is spoken by Johnny in the book The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton (1967).

The Outsiders is a touching story of male friendship among tough outcasts in the1960s. Well, it's a touching story of how a teenage female author views male friendship. Okay, it's how she wishes male friendship really was: these guys read poetry, snuggle platonically in bed, and tease each other in the shower.

What…you mean all guys don't do that?

When they're not being super sensitive, the Greasers engage in knife fights with a rival group of popular kids. In one skirmish, Johnny kills a kid to save his friend, Ponyboy. Later, Johnny saves children from a burning church. Whoa. What can't he do?

Well, he can't get out of there alive. Burning timber falls on Johnny. Lying in the hospital in critical condition, Johnny whispers to his friend, "Stay gold, Ponyboy," and dies. Millions of tough-but-sensitive boys weep quietly.

Where you've heard it

You've heard this if someone is dramatically urging you to hang on to your innocence. Stay gold, Shmoopers!

Additional Notable References:

• They obviously had to include this iconic line in the movie.
• Reverse reference: Johnny takes this line from Robert Frost's "Nothing Gold Can Stay."

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

No teenage boy actually talks this way, but this line is a lot nicer than most things teenage boys say, so we're splitting the difference here.