Language and Meaning

Structure

Outliers is presented in two main sections with an introduction and an epilogue. Part One, which includes chapters 1 through 5, is entitled "Opportunity." Part Two, which includes chapters 6 through 9, is entitled "Legacy." The names of the main sections reflect the two main contributors to individual success in Gladwell's theory. A person must have the opportunity to become very good at something and must also be supported by a cultural legacy that rewards what they do.

In the introduction, Gladwell sets out his intentions for the book. He wants to explain the external factors that contribute to individual success. Gladwell names each chapter after one of the concepts he develops within it. He also opens each chapter with a quotation that relates to the chapter's content. In the epilogue to the book, the author tells a personal story of his own family's history, in which he...