As Writer Mark Waid once said “Heroism is Heroism, regardless of the timeframe or backdrop.” Heroism is a thing that can be associated with the book The Outsiders by S.E Hinton where a lot of characters do things that would be called heroic by most. Three heroes in the book are Darry, Dally, and Johnny. Darry is a hero is because he gave up his future for his brothers. A place where this is apparent is in chapter one where it says that he was the captain of the football team and had gotten an athletic scholarship however he couldn't accept it and now works to keep his brothers living. Another reason why he gave up his education for his brothers is that it is a lot of work for his age, it says this in chapter one in the same paragraph as the one where they talk about him giving up his education for his brothers, it says that Darry didn't deserve to work like an old man when he was twenty and that he works hard just to keep his brothers afloat. Another place where it shows that he has a lot of responsibility is in chapter 3 when Ponyboy returns home and Darry is still up reading the newspaper, staying up and waiting for Ponyboy when he still has work tomorrow. Another reason why he is giving up his education in order to keep his brothers safe was he has to work 2 jobs …show more content…
The main point is that in chapter 5, Johnny goes inside the church in order to save the kids inside it. Johnny manages to survive the fire at first, however he has gotten the worst injuries out of the fire and is forced to stay in the hospital, this starts in chapter 7 and when they visit Johnny, they tell them that he is in critical condition and that he was suffering from third degree burns, however Dally is fine, but injured. They keep on visiting Johnny in the hospital and they see that he is getting worse and worse. And finally, in chapter 10, Johnny dies after being in critical condition for a long
The word "hero" is so often used to describe people who overcome great difficulties and rise to the challenge that is set before them without even considering the overwhelming odds they are up against. In our culture, heroes are glorified in literature and in the media in various shapes and forms. However, I believe that many of the greatest heroes in our society never receive the credit that they deserve, much less fame or publicity. I believe that a hero is simply someone who stands up for what he/she believes in. A person does not have to rush into a burning building and save someone's life to be a hero. Someone who is a true friend can be a hero. A hero is someone who makes a difference in the lives of others simply by his/her presence. In Tim O'Brien's novel, The Things They Carried, the true heroes stand out in my mind as those who were true friends and fought for what they believed in. These men and women faced the atrocities of war on a daily basis, as explained by critic David R. Jarraway's essay, "'Excremental Assault' in Tim O'Brien: Trauma and Recovery in Vietnam War Literature" and by Vietnam Veteran Jim Carter. Yet these characters became heroes not by going to drastic measures to do something that would draw attention to themselves, but by being true to their own beliefs and by making a difference to the people around them.
Can some people so different be so a like? Can some people so alike be so different? Dally and Johnny are those two who are so different, but yet they are similar. In the book S.E. Hinton writes The Outsiders, Johnny Cade and Dally Winston come from two completely different backgrounds, and have completely different scruples. Yet, at the same time they are alike. Dally and Johnny’s parents both repudiate them, making Johnny and Dally mentally tough, and the boys do not value their lives. At the same time though they are different, Dally is stronger than Johnny. Though, Johnny has a soft heart and Dally would not even pay any attention if someone is dying right next to him.
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 .
“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” Being a hero doesn’t mean your invincible. It just means you’re brave enough to stand up and do what’s needed. In the historical fiction novel, “Crispin: The Cross of Lead” by Avi, 13 year old Crispin who is now an orphan after the death of his mother is forced to flee his village after being accused of stealing and is to be killed. He comes across a man who helps him along his quest and faces many overwhelming challenges. Its not until he made the decision to risk his own life to benefit the life of another that he then shows an act of true heroism.
Everyone pictured Darry as a strong and tough but seeing him cry at the hospital showed Ponyboy that he had feelings; that all this time when Darry shouts at Ponyboy, he actually just wants him to be careful. Ponyboy realizes this and his perspective on Darry changes instantly; from the cold hearted big brother, to the loving and caring big brother.
When do you officially grow up? Some people grow up faster than others. In The Outsiders, the greasers learn a lot about growing by their circumstances and how they deal with them.
All in all, heroism is a vague word that could be defined as many of things. Such as bravery, courage, honesty, morality, trusts...etc. If Beowulf was defined as a hero then the knight should be defined as one also seeing as he gave the old women the choice to be old and good or pretty and bad. Or if the Author of The Art of Courtly love cannot be heroic and then write in a way of being heroic how can one decide what heroism is. All three of these studies show different forms and fashions of heroic people, feelings, and attitudes. Overall heroism is and always will be based on personal opinion, what one person defines as a hero can be completely different from what another person sees it as.
Heros are usually thought of as people who do the right thing and the heroic thing all the time. Heroism is an uncommon thing to see all the time in everyone. Many people who someone would think is very heroic is not. It it can sometimes be seen in unlikely suspects, though. S. E. Hinton highlights heroism on a low socioeconomic status through Ponyboy, Johnny, and Darry on her novel The Outsiders.
Darry is very caring for his family and works for them too.“If we don't have each other, we don't have anything. If you don't have anything, you end up like Dallas...and I don't mean dead, either.” (pg 154) Hinton This shows that he cares for everyone and wants them all to have each others backs so nothing bad ever happens to them."And I can't even call the cops because you two would be put in a boys' home so fast it would make your heads spin." (pg 49) Hinton This shows he won't call the police because he doesn't want the social workers to take them away. All of this shows that he is more than qualified to take care of Ponyboy.
A character that shows Heroism is Alyss. Near the end of the book when Alyss is in the Looking Glass Maze she messes up and is told she failed. (310) she then says “Failure’s not an option. She would rather have been anywhere else, but she couldn’t leave yet. Not as a failure.”(310).
One of the most obvious examples of a hero is someone in the military. On a daily basis, those men and women put themselves in danger for the good of their country. They are the epitome of selfless because these soldiers haven’t met even close to half of the people they’re fighting for and yet they’re willing to die for them. People like these deserve the utmost respect for their willingness to be sacrifices for the lives of other people. Additionally, Dick Hoyt is another true example of selflessness. His son Rick Hoyt who was diagnosed as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy when he was a baby, loved the feeling of running because it made him feel as if he was not disabled. His father, willing to do anything for his son, pushed and pulled him through every race in order to make him feel that way again and again. While this team may not seem like an immediate example of selflessness, Dick Hoyt definitely values his son’s life more than his own. He goes through an entire physically exhausting race just for those minutes of happiness for Rick. Those few minutes of normalcy must mean the world for Rick, and Dick being the loving father that he is, is happy to be his arms and legs. Heroes that are selfless never think about their own problems before they think of others. Thoughts of selfishness doesn’t even cross their
The rule that animals follow in wild life is to beat others and avoid the enemies who are stronger than them, which makes violence happen everywhere. The same situation took place in S.E Hinton “The Outsiders” too, the condition that greasers face in their life makes them use fighting to solve their problems. The theme of violence in the story impacts Johnny the most. Due to Johnny is the one who experiences the most violence, all of his friends are from a gang, he became quiet and timid, and he died.
Life is a force that constantly comes at you, and it won’t cease to do so. S.E Hinton, the author of The Outsiders is aware of this and demonstrates this throughout the book. Ponyboy Curtis, the narrator of this story, has indeed gone through many challenges. By the end, he has learned that assumptions about people just by their appearance isn’t a correct thing to do. That is shown time and time again, which is why it is the theme of the book.
What does it mean to be a hero? A common theme in the book " The Outsiders" is giving everyone the title of a "hero." There is a lot of disagreement on whether the characters could be considered heroes. For example, are Johnny’s actions on the night of Bob’s death justified by Ponyboy being in danger? Were Johnny and Ponyboy driven by pure heroism when seeing the burning church? Or was it just damage control for their previous actions in the park?
When I think of a hero I immediately think of someone who is strong, intelligent, handsome, and daring. Upon closer examination, many different qualities than these become apparent. Courage, honesty, bravery, selflessness, and the will to try are just a few of the overlooked qualities of a hero. The definition of heroism changes with the context and time. Heroes of the past are not necessarily heroes of present time and vise versa.