A Paragraph That Comes and Goes

[Keira]

I don't remember if this has been brought up before, but it's something that has baffled me for a long time and I wanted to know if anyone else noticed it...

I own three copies of the book. The Dell one from 1983 which has the picture of the cast in watercolor (which is literally being held together by tape, I've used it so much), the 2003 Speak/Penguin with the blue cover and the four boys that no one can ever decide who is who, and the newest Platinum Edition one.

That being said, my earliest edition (1983) has a line in the book that doesn't appear in the other two. In chapter ten, Ponyboy is leaving the hospital after Johnny died and Dally runs off. The stranger offers him a ride in his car and drops him off. My two latest copies say this:


"... He drove me to my house, and I got out. "Thanks a lot."

What was left of our gang..."


However, my 1983 copy says this:



"... He drove me to my house, and I got out. "Thanks a lot."

He waved me on. "I'm just naturally a great guy." He vroomed the motor and peeled out.

What was left of the gang..."


I literally noticed this the first time I read my 1983 copy. I had been taught out of the later editions from school, and when I obtained a copy of the other it was something that jumped out at me immediately. Do we know if this was something that was in all of the earlier additions that they chose to edit out later on? I have no memory (which isn't saying much) about whether or not this has ever been mentioned in an interview or anything before.

[Laughing]

Well, I have 5 copies of the book, and I looked through all of them. My 2003 Puffin Modern Classics edition with a sunset and weirdly shaped sillouhettes of the boys on the cover has the extra line, my 2006 Penguin Classics does not, my 2003 Speak does not, my 2006 Speak Platinum does not, and that page is torn out of my 1997 Puffin (I bought a cheap copy from Amazon and tore out random pages to make a collage of sorts as the background for a project I did over the book).

Anyway, I have no idea what happened to the line, and I've never seen anything about it before this.

[Nittanylizard]

My first copy of the book is the one with the actors on the front, and when I bought another printing (maybe 2003, I don't have it in front of me) I realized it was missing those lines after reading a fanfic about that guy that was titled Just Naturally a Great Guy. I remembered the lines from way back when, but as soon as I read that fic I grabbed my book and couldn't find the line. So I called my mom, because the older book was at her house, and told her where about to look in the book. Sure enough, it was in that one, but not in the new one.

[Keira]

I can see why they took it out, though. It's a fun line, but it's too lighthearted/cocky/whatever for the scene. It almost takes me out of the mood. I have no clue if that's the reason behind it, but that's my guess. At the same time, I love that it comes and goes, because it adds character to the different books. It's like those books where they catch typos after they've already been printed, so there are a select few out there that have these "mistakes" and people try and collect them. I think it's neat.

[stereochick]

I only have one addition, an 89 Dell which the brick wall in the back and it has it. That's strange that they took it out. That's always been one of my favorite lines in the book, though I don't know why.

[missmouse]

I noticed it when I borrowed the book from the library. I sent her an email through her website, and got a response.
My email:
Mrs Hinton-
I noticed that there is a line missing from some copies of the book. I'm refering to a line that happens when Ponyboy is walking home and gets picked up.
"He waved me on. "I'm just naturally a great guy." He vroomed the motor and peeled out."
Can you tell me why this line is missing?

Her email:
Sorry, I don't have any idea why this happened. The line was in the original manuscript.
Keep On Reading!
S.E. Hinton

[Nittanylizard]

missmouse - thanks for sharing!

One of the things I actually like about the line is that it is kind of lighthearted. The guy has no idea that this kid he picked up just watched one of his friends die; it leaves this great opening for backstory and character depth - who was he? where was he going? I have a story in my head that involves a different ending to the book, where Ponyboy gets taken away from Darry, and that guy shows up a couple chapters in. As soon as I finish the, er...three that I'm now working on, I'll get moving on that one ;D.

[Keira]

Thank you for sharing that with us! I hope you don't mind that I added that response to our Debated Questions With Answers section. It's kinda nice to know that so far not even SE Hinton knows what happened, lol.

[murderofcrows]

odd, i hadn't noticed that. someone must've goofed up lol

[dramaholic74]

I know that it's not in my edition of the book. It's the edition where a guy's chest(I'm thinking it's Dally's)is on the cover. I know for a fact that that line is not in the book. Ha, it is funny that S.E.Hinton doesn't even know what happened to it!