The Outsiders Hero
Examine the concept of heroism in S.E. Hinton’s ‘The Outsiders’. Focus on how the young protagonists, particularly Ponyboy and Johnny, exhibit heroic qualities in a world marked by class struggles and gang violence. Discuss the novel’s exploration of what it means to be a hero in a society that is quick to judge based on social status and appearance. More free essay examples are accessible at PapersOwl about Hero.
A hero is not just someone like superman, but it can be a ordinary person that is the underdog but then comes out on top. In the book the Outsiders by S.E. Hinton discusses a story about rescue and gangs. It takes place in a time not much different than ours where it is about class and the pursuit of power. Ponyboy and his two brothers were poor and downtrodden. They were involved with the greasers because of their greasy hair.
Ponyboy started out as the person that needed to be saved when he got attacked by the socs. Sometimes the hero needs to be saved by the people they love. This story is one about family, after his parents died he had to rely on his two brothers. Such as soda pop that came to save him. His brothers came to save him along with Johnny who will soon be the rescued along with the school children. But how did ponyboy get to that moment of being a hero, and saving someone from a burning place of worship which then became the cinders of their adversity.
How did ponyboy get to this place of being a hero. He first had to face trials from the people who took care of him. It seems the movies are one of the places that surrounded the drama. The movies are supposed to be a place of entertainment and joy but for ponyboy what comes after is pain and trials. After the movies on the next night when Ponyboy got home late, Darry was furious. He slapped ponyboy across the face, with the sting of the slap and the hurt in fear in ponyboy’s heart. Ponyboy leaves the safety of his home to go out into the frigid unforgiving world. He found Johnny and they headed to the park where they were then attacked by the socs. The icy sting of being held underwater, he awoke on the ground next to his pal Johnny and the dead body of Bob. Ponyboy suspected that Johnny killed Bob. They meet up with Dally and with the fear in their eyes Dally gives them a gun and takes them to an abandoned church. This is ironic that after there was a murder committed they go to a church. They hide out and change their appearance. They read Gone with the wind out loud which is symbolic of the trials and tribulations they have gone through.
The death of Bob increased the tension between Socs and the greasers. Johnny tells Dally that he wants to turn himself in. He must of felt the guilt in his heart and the blood on his hands. When they finally decide to go back home they see the church is in flames. This is the moment, the moment when they decide to go back home in defeat. They noticed that some school children went into the church. They decide to save the school children. When they get the children through the window the roof caves in. Ponyboy now a hero awakes in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. He only have some scratches and bruises and so did Dally. But Johnny broke his back when the roof fell. Ponyboy would be a hero but Johnny would be charged with Manslaughter. Then with the rumble after Johnny died Dally leaves in a friendzy and robs a grocery store. When the police catch up to Dally and he raises a gun PonyBoy passes out. He wakes up in bed and the then he is in court. The judge acquitted him for Bob's death. After that sodapop tells Ponyboy that he is tired of the two fighting and then he found once again the importance of family.
The hero is someone that does great things in the face of adversity. Ponyboy is someone that even in the face of being charged for the murder of Bob they were still able to find the strength to save those school age kids. This made ponyboy, Dally, and Johnny heros. Even through Johnny was going to be charged with Manslaughter he still saved children's lives the Death of one saved many because what if they never went to that church? During the challenging time of his friend Johnny dying he still went out to find Dally who was being chased by the police for robbery. He is also herioric in the act of not killing someone or doing something not smart because of mourning of a friend. Then the most heroic thing of all is finding once again the importance of the sibling relationship and that those are the people that will always be there for you in times of trouble.
The Outsiders Hero. (2021, Jun 12). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/the-outsiders-hero/
