How Old Is Two Bit Mathews From The Outsiders

So, I was at this garage sale the other day, flipping through a stack of old vinyl records, when I stumbled upon a worn-out copy of The Outsiders. You know the one, right? The classic novel that's been giving us all those 'Stay gold, Ponyboy' feels since the '60s. Anyway, it got me thinking about the author, S.E. Hinton, and how she was just a teenager herself when she wrote it. Isn't that something?

Now, you might be wondering why I'm going on about Hinton when you asked about Two-Bit Matthews, one of the greasers from the book. Well, stick with me, I'm getting there. See, Hinton's story is a great reminder that sometimes, the people who create the characters we love aren't always who we expect them to be. And that brings us to our main question: how old is Two-Bit Matthews?

Two-Bit's Timeline: A Greaser's Journey

First things first, let's set the scene. The Outsiders is set in the mid-1960s, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The story follows a group of greasers, a gang of working-class teenagers, led by the charismatic Darrel Curtis, or 'Darry' to his friends. Among them is our man, Two-Bit Matthews. Now, here's where it gets a bit tricky. Hinton never gives us a straight-up age for Two-Bit. But we can make some educated guesses.

Two-Bit is one of the older greasers, often acting as a mentor to the younger ones. He's got a steady job at a gas station, which suggests he's at least 16, the legal working age at the time. Plus, he's got a car, a '53 Ford, which was a pretty big deal back then. Cars weren't cheap, even used ones, so he's likely old enough to have been working for a few years to afford it.

How Old Is Two Bit Matthews In The Outsiders | The Tube

On the other hand, Two-Bit's still in high school, which means he can't be too much older than 18. He's also one of the greasers who gets into a lot of fights, which might suggest he's not yet old enough to have lost that teenage recklessness. So, based on all that, we're looking at Two-Bit being somewhere between 16 and 18 years old.

But Wait, There's More!

Now, here's where things get a bit meta. While we're trying to figure out Two-Bit's age, let's not forget that Hinton herself was just 15 when she started writing The Outsiders. She was still in high school, just like the characters she was creating. Isn't that wild? It's like she was writing about her peers, but also her future self, in a way.

'The Outsiders' Cast and Characters (And What They're Doing Now)

And speaking of Hinton, she's still around, you know. She's now in her 70s, still writing, and still as cool as ever. She even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. So, the next time you're feeling old, just remember, Two-Bit Matthews is probably older than you, and S.E. Hinton is still kicking ass.

Anyway, folks, that's all I've got for you today. Two-Bit Matthews, the greaser with the '53 Ford and the mysterious age. Who knows, maybe one day we'll find out his exact age. Until then, we'll just have to stay gold and keep guessing.