Value Of Family Relationships In The Book 'The Outsiders'

1108 Words3 Pages

The legendary quote “Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold” from the renowned novel “The Outsiders” is something that I hope my children and grandchildren will have the privilege to know and understand. The Outsiders has a strong value of family and friendship. Throughout the book there are many satellite themes and issues. The book is known as a coming of age for adolescence. When I first read this book it was in my 8th grade Language Arts class. The first thing that came to my mind was “hey, isn’t that the movie with that Cruise guy”. I had no clue that the story of Ponyboy Curtis would touch my heart in such a way. I had been going through so much that year, I felt as if I was Ponyboy. Middle school starts were kids finally come to a realization of …show more content…

They had little money to afford fancy things so they were left with hair wax. Society though tends to have a way to try and strip youths from their identity. From Sparknotes.com: “When the Socs jump Ponyboy at the beginning of the novel, they ask him if he wants a haircut and threaten to cut off his hair. By doing so, they would rob him of his identity.” As reported by cliffnotes.com: “The evolution of the family relationships is a recurrent theme in the novel. Family relationships are strained during the teen years…” Ponboy and his brothers, Darry and Sodapop, were orphans. Darry worked two jobs to try and provide for them. Ponyboy didn’t realize that Darry was so hard on him because he wanted him to become something and not always be a “Greasers”. Johnny’s parents were both very physically and emotionally abusive. Throughout the book it was quite evident Johnny did not know what family love was. The only love he receives is from the gang. In our culture today family dynamics play a large role. With that said we are in a time were things genuinely are not always black and white. You can come from a struggling background but still have excellent morals and excel in

Show More
Related

  • Loyalty In The Outsiders

    595 Words  | 2 Pages

    Everybody, at one point or another, has done something for a friend or a group of friends that might have been inconsistent to their values. They might have lied to one friend for another, making them feel uncomfortable, or help them cheat on a test, which they wouldn’t ever have imagined him/herself doing. People in the book, The Outsiders, by S. E. Hinton, struggle in the theme that loyalty to friends can prevent individuals from showing their truest self.

    Read More

  • Chapter 7 The Outsiders

    377 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the book The Outsiders, written by S.E. Hinton, is about two separate groups. One group is called the socs, and the other one is called the greasers. They have some difficulties getting along. The poem is called, “Nothing Gold Can Stay”, written by Robert Frost. The poem is about that sometimes we have had a long, busy day and then the next day will be a brand new day. These are some ideas between the book and the book.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On The Outsiders

    738 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the book The Outsiders, written by S.E. Hinton, Ponyboy, along with his brothers and friends, has to face the daily struggles of being a greaser among the Socs. This fiction book focused on Ponyboy’s life and the problems he ran into with the Socs. He and his gang of friends had fights with the Socs that happened often, and had to deal with a Soc being killed by one of the Greasers, though it was an act of self defense. The three topics addressed in this intriguing novel are the fight between rich and poor, the power of friendship, and what it means to be a hero.

    Read More

  • Family Support In The Outsiders

    610 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Outsiders, an enthralling novel by S.E Hinton, is an excellent story about the hardships and triumphs experienced by the Greasers and the Socs two rival gangs. S.E Hinton tells a thrilling tale about the Socs and the Greasers that are two gangs and she characterize how they live. Ponyboy, his brother and his friends have to deal with the challenges relating to their environment. The three most important topics of The Outsiders are survival, social class and family support.

    Read More

  • Broken Families In The Outsiders By S. E. Hinton

    426 Words  | 1 Pages

    Greasers are expected to be bad people that are rude because of Greaser reputations. The Greasers are always being watched to see if they do anything wrong. Greasers are expected to do wrong by the the public. “On the front page of the second section was the headline: Juvenile Delinquents Turn Heroes.”(107). This shows that even though Ponyboy and Johnny saved those kids, they were expected to be Juvenile delinquents because they are Greasers, even though the only thing Johnny ever did to be a juvenile delinquent is kill Bob and that was in self defence.

    Read More

  • Self-Concept In The Outsiders

    1490 Words  | 3 Pages

    He knows that Ponyboy has a chance because he is very smart. How they both reacted to not having parents shaped and effected who they are. “Johnny was high-strung anyway, a nervous wreck from getting belted every time he turned around and from hearing his parents fight all the time(2).” This explains how Johnny was effected by his parents. His parents constantly fighting and beating him made him who he was. A part of him was effected by all the chaos and pain he had to go through every day. “We're poorer than the Socs and the middle class. I reckon we're wilder, too. Not like the Socs, who jump greasers and wreck houses and throw beer blasts for kicks, and get editorials in the paper for being a public disgrace one day and an asset to society the next. Greasers are almost like hoods; we steal things and drive old souped-up cars and hold up gas stations and have a gang fight once in a while. I don't mean I do things like that. Darry would kill me if I got into trouble with the police.” Social roles are a part of self-image that makes a person who they are. In the novel Ponyboy explains the groups that the Greasers and Sochs were split into. This

    Read More

  • The Outsiders Character Analysis Essay

    658 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Outsiders S.E. Hinton is about two gangs, the Socs and Greasers, who do not get along and are fighting each other as well as society. Both of the gangs are judged by their appearance, social status, and where they are from. One character that stands out in the story is Ponyboy because he is dynamic with many sides to his personality, and he is the protagonist of the story. Ponyboy can be described as sensitive, smart, and brave.

    Read More

  • Perseverance And Consequences In The Outsiders By S. E. Hinton

    840 Words  | 2 Pages

    The book The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, follows a horrific part of the life of a boy named Ponyboy Curtis. He is what you might call a Greaser, and has had a rough go at it in his life compared to others. It is difficult, but Ponyboy somehow manages to be himself and has the tenacity to stick through it all. He is in a gang with his friends and family and they are loyal to one another no matter what. A rival gang from the Socs crowd, a richer, more refined group, send him and his pals into a whirlwind of trouble and hurt. This book shows on multiple occasions that perseverance is necessary to get through life .

    Read More

  • Family Sticks Together In The Outsiders, By S. E. Hinton

    759 Words  | 2 Pages

    Have you ever stopped and thought about what everybody in the world has in common? Family is a very common thing. It could just be a group of people that you care about and love or it could just be a person. Family is always together and family never falls apart. Family is that one group that you love and worry about and it can be that one person. In the book The Outsiders by S.E Hinton family is a very important thing. Family is the best blessing to have. The theme S.E Hinton talks about is family always sticks together.

    Read More

  • Nothing Gold Can Stay Essay

    473 Words  | 1 Pages

    The poem "Nothing Gold can Stay" deals with a real world problem that can't be solved. Things that are good and make people happy, don't always last very long. Of course everyone can remember when times were good, but change is a natural part of life. Some changes can be nice, but some can also lead to disappointment. It's all normal and happens no matter what. For example, The Outsiders and The Teacher Who Changed my Life both have proof of this occurrence. On one case, Ponyboy didn't have a perfect life to begin with, but things just go worse. For Nicholas Gage, he lived in a harsh environment, and when his wonderful mother tried to make it better, things fell. It always happens.

    Read More

  • Personal Decisions In The Outsiders

    858 Words  | 2 Pages

    All in all, the permeating theme of S. E. Hinton’s The Outsiders is Your personal decisions can always affect the people closest to you. I Picked this Theme because I think i fits the best with the book Many people Kill and get killed because of one dumb decision/

    Read More

  • Walter Mitty Allusion

    1439 Words  | 3 Pages

    Stiller and Thurber utilize allusion to help convey their message that humans cannot shy away from the journey to find the meaning of life. In Ben Stiller’s 2013 film, Walter Mitty works to develop film negatives for the final print cover of Life Magazine but did not receive the specific negative that Sean O’Connell, the famed photographer of these photos, requested for the cover. He embarks on a journey to escape his dreary life and find the film negative, on the way, he boards a ship to Iceland with many other men. When arriving, there was only one bicycle available as transportation and Mitty runs to take it, while running a friendly ship worker says, “stay gold Ponyboy” (Stiller). This alludes to an infamous quote from The Outsiders, a popular 1967 novel, and references the dynamic character Ponyboy who, being forced into growing up very fast, has to adapt to his surroundings. Similarly, Walter’s father’s death forced him to work and support his family from a young age, causing him to abandon his dreams while his little sister got to chase after her aspirations in life. Instead, Walter daydreams to escape the

    Read More

  • The Outsiders Identity Analysis

    704 Words  | 2 Pages

    He is told “you’re too young” to be smoking by Jerry. Ponyboy doesn’t realise that he’s too young because he’s use to seeing all of his peers smoking, provoking him to think that it’s normal. Another example would be that all his mates had a reason to fight in the rumble, this caused him to wonde why he fought in the first place if it wasn’t for self defense. Sometimes the problem with having a peer group, can be that those around the individual can start to cause peer pressure.

    Read More

  • Symbolism In The Outsiders

    903 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Nothing Gold Can Stay” was about remaining young, keeping your innocence, and keeping your childhood while it's there. This ties into the book because the greasers were forced to grow up faster, learn from their mistakes, survive on their own, and be proud of who why are, even if they are not. In midst of this, they can get hardened and lose themselves in the ups-and for the greasers-downs of life. When after a turn of events, Johnny ends up in the hospital, he knows he lost his spark and his innocence. On his deathbed, Pony awaits him with a forced smile, wanting to reassure him, and is greeted with the words, “ Stay gold Ponyboy. Stay gold…,” before laying down on his pillow and closing his eyes forever(148). After Johnny dies, Pony realizes he meant for him to keep his qualities, for they were rare like gold, and to remain the same person, choosing his own path, away from hoods and

    Read More

  • The Outsiders Book Review Essay

    854 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Outsiders is about the life of a 14-year-old boy. The book tells the story of Ponyboy “Curtis” and his struggles with right and wrong in a society in which he believes that he is an outsider. Ponyboy and his two brothers, Darrel (Darry), who is 20, and Sodapop, who is 16, have recently lost their parents in an automobile accident. Pony and Soda are allowed to stay under Darry's guardianship as long as they all behave themselves. The boys are greasers, a class term that refers to the young men on the East Side, the poor side of town. The greasers' rivals are the Socs, short for Socials, who are the "West-side rich kids."

    Read More

More about Value Of Family Relationships In The Book 'The Outsiders'

Open Document