<P> When Ponyboy goes back to school, his grades drop . Although he is failing English, his teacher, Mr. Syme, says he will pass him if he writes a decent theme . In the copy of Gone with the Wind that Johnny gave him before dying, Ponyboy finds a note from Johnny describing how he will die proudly after saving the kids from the fire . Johnny also urges Ponyboy to "stay gold". Ponyboy decides to write his English assignment about the recent events, and begins his essay with the opening line of the novel: "When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home ..." </P> <Ul> <Li> Ponyboy Curtis: Narrator and the youngest Curtis brother, 14 years old, who gets good grades and runs track . </Li> <Li> Sodapop Curtis: The middle Curtis brother, 16 years old, a high school dropout who works at a gas station . </Li> <Li> Darrel "Darry" Curtis: The oldest of the Curtis brothers, 20 years old, who has been caring for his brothers since their parents died in a car crash . He is the unofficial leader of the gang . </Li> <Li> Johnny Cade: Ponyboy's best friend . He's 16 years old and lives with his alcoholic and abusive mother and father . </Li> <Li> Dallas "Dally" Winston: The roughest of the Greasers, who lived on the streets of New York City for three years . </Li> <Li> Keith "Two - Bit" Mathews: A wise - cracking kleptomaniac . </Li> <Li> Steve Randle: Sodapop's best friend since grade school . </Li> <Li> Tim Shepherd: Leader of another Greaser gang and Dally's best friend . </Li> <Li> Sandy: Sodapop's ex-girlfriend . </Li> </Ul> <Li> Ponyboy Curtis: Narrator and the youngest Curtis brother, 14 years old, who gets good grades and runs track . </Li> <Li> Sodapop Curtis: The middle Curtis brother, 16 years old, a high school dropout who works at a gas station . </Li>

Where did the story the outsiders take place