Comparing and Contrasting Johnny and Dally

How can a kind, innocent boy have anything in common with a mean, tough hoodlum? How can two greasers in the same gang have so many disparate characteristics? Dallas Winston and Johnny Cade from S. E. Hinton’s novel The Outsiders are very good examples of foils who have many similarities and differences.

Johnny and Dally share compelling similarities. For example, they both have inattentive and vituperative parents. Dally used to live in New York and often got into gang fights. This shows that his parents don’t keep a well watch out for him. He also has a diverse criminal record. Ponyboy states: “he had been arrested, he got drunk, he rode in rodeos, lied, cheated, stole, rolled drunks, jumped small kids - he did everything” (11). If Dally’s parents paid more attention to him, he wouldn’t be capable of getting into so much trouble. Ponyboy also claims that Dally “lived wherever he could” (105). This is because he doesn’t want to live with his parents who abuse him. Dally’s parents clearly aren’t the affectionate parents that other kids have. Similarly, Johnny’s parents are brutal and lackadaisical. Johnny asserts “‘I walk in that house, and nobody says anything. I walk out, and nobody says anything. I stay away all night, and nobody notices’” (51). This confirms that Johnny’s parents pay no attention to him. Johnny hates his parents because of this. Two-Bit says to Johnny’s mother “‘no wonder he hates your guts’” (123). Obviously Johnny has said awful things about his parents because they are abusive. Ponyboy also says about Johnny that “his father was always beating him up, and his mother ignored him” (12). Dally and Johnny both live in toxic home environments. Another way that Dallas and Johnny are similar is that they are both ...

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...ight in the world rather than get tough like Dally suggested. Dally and Johnny’s variant toughness and contrasting philosophies show that they are, in some ways, disparate.

In S. E. Hinton's novel The Outsiders, the two characters Dallas Winston and Johnny Cade are similar and different in significant ways. Dally is angry at the world. He suggests Ponyboy gets tough. Perhaps this is because Dallas tough and only sees hatred and darkness in the world. On the other hand, Johnny is scared of the world. He suggests Ponyboy stays innocent. Johnny thinks Ponyboy should “stay gold” because he sees the light and happiness in the world. Even though they are very different, they share similarities. They both come from abusive households, but are still nobel. In conclusion, Johnny Cade and Dally Winston are two distinctly different characters who are still very much alike.