What is Ponyboy's English assignment in The Outsiders?

Ponyboy's assignment is to write a theme about "anything (he) think(s) is important enough to write about...it isn't a reference theme...(it is his) own ideas and...experiences".  The length of the assignment is "not less than five pages".  In the last lines of the book, Ponyboy reflects upon the deaths of Bob, Johnny, and Dally over the past week and decides "I could tell peopole, beginning with my English teacher".  He goes on to describe how he began writing his assignment:

"I finally began like this:  When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind:  Paul Newmand and a ride home..." (Chapter 12).

This line happens to be the very first line in Chapter 1 of the book you have just read, The Outsiders.  The end of the book refers back to the beginning, and what the author is trying to tell us is that it is Ponyboy who is the fictional writer of the story.  For his English assignment, Ponyboy wrote the theme, or story, The Outsiders. 

Mr. Syme is Ponyboy's English teacher. The man is concerned that Ponyboy's grades are falling because he is normally capable of much more. The teacher offers Ponyboy a deal, he tells him that he can write an autobiographical paper on his own and if he turns it in he can have a chance at passing the class. Ponyboy becomes inspired at the thought of getting his story out of his head and onto paper. He ends up writing the story about the Socs and Greasers and about living with his brothers following the tragic death of their parents. The story ends up actually being the book, The Outsiders.

What book did Ponyboy have to read for English class in The Outsiders?

In the novel The Outsiders, Ponyboy is an intelligent child with a big imagination and enjoys reading. In Chapter 1, Ponyboy mentions that he has to read the novel Great Expectations by Charles Dickens for his English class. Pony comments that he can relate to the main character of the novel, Pip. Pip reminded Ponyboy of himself and the greasers because Pip was looked down upon by females for not being a gentleman. Similar to Pip, the greaser boys are viewed as pitiful trouble-makers and have a bad reputation. Ponyboy goes on to tell a story about how a girl in his biology class made him feel lousy for being a greaser. Instead of using the dull razor the science teacher had provided, Ponyboy took out his switchblade to dissect a worm in their class. The girl commented that Ponyboy really was a "hood." Ponyboy says, "That didn't make me feel so hot." (Hinton 15) Ponyboy is self-conscious throughout the novel and is aware of the way other people look at him. Ponyboy feels like an "outsider," similar to Pip in the novel Great Expectations.

In the novel The Outsiders, what assignment does Mr. Syme give Ponyboy?

In Chapter 12, Mr. Syme, Ponyboy's English teacher, is concerned with Ponyboy's grades because they have drastically fallen from A's to F's. Ponyboy mentions that Mr. Syme is personable and truly cares about his students. One day after class, Mr. Syme has a conversation with Ponyboy. He tells Ponyboy that he is failing his class, but he understands Pony's difficult circumstances. Mr. Syme tells him that if he comes up with a good semester theme, he will pass him with a C in the class. Mr. Syme tells Ponyboy that it is a reference theme, and he wants Pony to write about his own experiences and come up with his own ideas. After Ponyboy reads Johnny's message in the Gone with the Wind book, he begins to think about the countless boys who are filled with anger and have lost hope in the world. Ponyboy becomes motivated to tell Johnny's story and tell the struggling boys throughout the country that there is hope. He also wants others not to judge the youth who live in rough circumstances. Ponyboy eventually writes what becomes the story The Outsiders as his reference theme.