Hercules of Alcides, Odysseus of Ithaca, and Achilles of Troy, They are the heroes of legend. Each one has their own unique stories. Each one undeniably heros. So what makes them heroes? Can Johnny boy join the ranks of men like Hercules? After one examines the evidence Johnny Cade is certainly a hero. Not only does he follow Joseph Campbell’s “hero’s journey” model, but he acts to serve the greater good. All while consistently helping out for others. So if one follows Johnny’s journey they to will undoubtedly call him hero.
In 1949 Joseph Campbell published his book “The Hero with a Thousand Faces”. Here Campbell establishes that there are recurring themes in all heroic adventures, whether it be Percy Jackson or Homer’s Odyssey.
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Johnny is no exception. Campbell’s model is illustrated in nine main parts: the ordinary world, the call to action, refusal of the call, meeting the mentor, crossing the threshold, tests-allies and enemies, ordeal death and rebirth, reward, return with elixir. In the book we immediately start in a standard mid 60’s America. Gangs are fighting, people are going to the movies, life goes on. Johnny is them spurred into action when Bob, Randy and three other Soc’s corner them in the park. Here Pony and Johnny try to stare them down not wanting a physical altercation, a prime example of “refusal of the call”. After snapping back at Bob, Pony boy is shoved into the fountain in an attempt to drown him. Here Johnny it pushed over the threshold of normality and must act to save his friend. He is tested in the dangerous situation and chooses to stab and kill Bob in order to save pony. Johnny's path takes him on a textbook case of the hero's journey; with his rebirth in the in the abandoned church where he and Ponyboy cut and dye their hair. Or return and reward when Johnny returns to town as a hero after saving the kids from the burning barn. If one can walk the hero’s walk, talk the hero’s talk and take hero’s journey then one must be a hero. This and the fact that Johnny moves the world in a better direction are why it is indisputable that Johnny Cade in indeed a hero. A hero must think about the greater good without prejudice or self preferences.
Throughout the book Johnny makes decisions that shape the future of the better. A prime example of this is when Johnny tells Dallas to bugger off at the drive in theater. In doing this Johnny stops a confrontation that would have hurt not only the people directly involved but also further damage Greaser-Soc’s relations. He does this knowing that there is a great personal risk, whether it be a physical altercation with his fellow gang member or even a more permanent distancing from Dallas and potentially other gang members. Furthermore, when the Socs corner Johnny and Ponyboy in the park, Johnny tells Pony “Wanna run for it?” In doing this Johnny shows that he's willing to flee even though it may damage his Greaser pride. This is Johnny showing us that he's willing to purposely be seen as un-tough in order to not further harm the Greaser-Soc’s relations. After clearly seeing Johnny think of the greater good before he thinks of himself more than just once it is apparent that Johnny is indeed a …show more content…
hero. In the grand scheme of things hero's help people.
Johnny’s part in The Outsiders definitely shows us that he is a hero. As soon as we meet Johnny he’s coming to Ponyboy’s rescue alongside the rest of the gang. That’s not all, again Johnny showcases his heroism when he kills Bob. When his friend Ponyboy's is in need Johnny doesn't give a second thought when he kills someone to save his friend. When one kills another it takes something, and in it’s place a scar is left. So if Johnny is able to make that decision- to be the one to take a life to save another, how is he not a hero. But this hero doesn't stop there. Johnny volunteers himself to get the supplies in town while he and Pony hide in the abandoned church. Johnny knows full well that he is the one police will be looking for murder, yet he chooses to go to town to make sure Pony stays safe. That selflessness is what truly makes Johnny a hero. Again, Johnny shows us another selfless act in the burning inferno that is the church fire. Johnny enters the church right behind Pony. “I hadn't realized Johnny had been right behind me all the way.” Which first shows us that he gives to hesitation to go into a burning building to save others. But not only this but he is the last to leave making sure everyone gets out fine. Johnny is the last one out and all the kids and Dally get out before the building collapses. That means Johnny waits in a burning building to make sure and Dallas as well as multiple complete stranger children
get out safe before he even thinks of leaving. Johnny always looks out for others, whether it be a fellow gang member or someone he’s never met. If that’s not true heroism, what is? Johnny is looking out for others, shouldn't we all return the favor and make sure he is remembered as the hero he is. In the Merriam Webster dictionary a hero is “One who shows great courage”. Johnny Cade has shown a great deal of courage, from walking the hero's journey to serving the greater good. All while helping others selflessly and without bias. That is why we must all accept the fact- Johnny “Boy” Cade is a hero.
Tens of thousands of stories fit into the hero’s journey archetype created by Christopher Volger. Out of these, a large number of them are stories with remakes that share notable resemblances to their heroes’ journeys. However, none of these quite match those very strong similarities found between Homer’s The Odyssey and Joel Coens ’s O
...t like the rest of the Greasers he wouldn’t kill or nothing no matter what. They could of said Johnny not no killer but don’t push him because he will go off but instead they made it seem like he was a kid that lived in a household that didn’t care about him and that he was a punk and never stood up for himself.
..., even by Ponyboy, who is the youngest of the group and two years younger than Johnny. Dally, the toughest and the meanest guy in The Greasers, is Johnny’s idol and seeing how he acts in situations probably influenced Johnny’s choice of action. Watching these bigger guys close in on him and Ponyboy being drowned, he was probably thinking, ‘what would Dally do what would Dally do?’ So he did what he thought Dally would do he pulled out the knife and stabbed Bob Sheldon so he would have extra hands helping him to fight off the rest of the guys, but that did not happen because they ran off in fear of Johnny.
He is smart, and gets good grades in school. This is purposefully mentioned several times within the story, and people tend to be surprised to learn that he is a Greaser. In addition, some Greasers are nicer than people tend to think. When the church burned down, Ponyboy and Johnny run in to save the children without a second thought. They acted with selflessness, putting the safety of the children above their own. In the ambulance on the way to the hospital, Ponyboy is asked if he and Johnny are "professional heroes". He responds by telling the entire story of how they're Greasers and Johnny is wanted for murder, shocking the man in the ambulance. It is difficult for him to believe that a group of Greasers would do something so heroic. Johnny dies as a direct result of their actions, but neither Ponyboy nor Johnny regretted what they
Boom! Johnny drops to the floor. Kids are screaming. This is when Johnny is a hero for the second time in the story, The Outsiders. Johnny is a hero because he saved kids from a fire and Johnny saved Pony from dying.
Out of all of the members of the gang Johnny and Ponyboy were the closest, because they were the youngest and also they were not as tough as the other boys. After Ponyboy got in a fight with Darry about being late at getting home, Ponyboy ran to the lot and told Johnny that they were running away. Without hesitation the two boys took off running. Johnny needed no explanation. He had a rough life at home and without the support from the gang he may have already killed himself. Johnny just wanted to be there and support his friend like they had been supporting him through everything. At many points throughout the novel Ponyboy teaches or shows Johnny something new. “You know Johnny said slowly “I never noticed colors and clouds and stuff until you kept, reminding me about them. It seems like they were never there before” (Hinton,78). When Johnny says that to Ponyboy is gives readers a glimpse of how Johnny having Ponyboy in his life makes it better. Another key point of their friendship in the novel is after Johnny kills the Soc. This is a key point because they run off to Jay Mountain to hide from the police and while they are there they discover more about each other and themselves. The boys are at that church for about a week before Dally came to check in on them and while they were inside that church they read Gone with the Wind. As they read Gone with the Wind they started to make connections
Is there really a hero in The Outsiders. A hero is someone who saved the life of one or many people by risking their own life. Johnny is one of those people. Johnny is a person who is very shy until he starts standing up for himself and does things he never thought he would do. Johnny is the hero because he didn’t just save the life of one but of multiple people,he would do anything for his buddies, and he listens and comprehends people that is a real hero.
The mold of the heroic template is evident throughout various types of media. Within movies, novels, and poems the hero’s journey is present. Of course, not every piece of literature or movie follows the cycle. However, the idea of the monomyth arose from Joseph Campbell. He wrote his own book, The Hero of a Thousand Faces, within his writing he describes that heroes’ follow the same basic procedure throughout their quest(s). This is where the idea of the hero monomyth arose. In Michael Lewis’s novel, The Blind Side, he portrays “The heroic monomyth.” The Blind Side consists of the basic characters and archetypes that accurately reflect the heroic template.
If Johnny would’ve never killed Bob, Ponyboy would’ve died from drowning. Johnny will put others before him. “Johnny shoved me toward the window ‘Get out!’ “ (pg. 93) Johnny could’ve taken that time to get himself out instead of telling Ponyboy to get out. What resulted from this was Johnny got third-degree burns and his back was broken from the piece of timber that fell upon him. He could’ve let Ponyboy get severely hurt and saved himself, but no he didn’t he let himself get hurt which shows he will put others before him. Johnny will risk his life to save friends or people he doesn’t even know. “It was a wonder I didn’t cut myself to death, now that I think about it. ‘Hey Ponyboy.’ I looked around, startled. I hadn’t realized Johnny had been right behind me all the way.” (pg 91) Johnny followed Ponyboy inside the burning church just to save a couple of children. He risked his life to save children he didn’t even know and after the saving the children he got injured which followed up to death. This shows that Johnny will put his life at risk and will save
Heroes. Everyone wants to be a hero, but sometimes, people lose sight of what a true hero really is. It does not have to be someone who flies around and saves innocent people from perilous monsters. A hero is simply someone that inspires others. In Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Junior was a hero because he rose above the expectations the world placed on him through his courage, passionate determination, and sympathetic perception.
In The Outsiders it is given that through faith and devotion to one another Ponyboy and the gang use their close friendship in troublesome situations for instance when Johnny tells Ponyboy “i had to” he does this as an act of loyalty to Ponyboy to show him that he can trust him no matter what situation they are in. Most of the story is told from first person or Ponies perspective which shows us without exception every aspect of the story. When Johnny dies at the end of the book Ponyboy only then realizes the importance of him, and the gangs need for someone like Johnny to give them a sense of purpose after mentioning “we couldn't get along without him . We needed Johnny as much as he needed the gang.” Throughout all of Ponyboys hardships Johnny was always there to support him even when Ponyboy wanted to run away after darry slapped him, he never asked any questions.
As seen throughout The Odyssey, a hero is perceived as a person who achieves great success never before seen and whose legacy lives beyond their years. Since The Odyssey was written around the eighth century BCE, the people that we view as heros in present day tend to embody different traits than the heroes of that time. Even though the word, “hero” does not have one specific definition, a hero is generally categorized as someone who is idolized for their bravery and does anything necessary to defend their people. Although Odysseus embodies the Homeric ideals of heroism in that he accomplishes triumphs that others have not, his successes are the product of divine intervention and his actions were primarily selfish; therefore, he is not a true
Throughout the years, certain writers were able to set off a deep sympathetic resonance within readers by their usage of archetypal patterns. One of those patterns is known as the hero's journey, which Joseph Campbell gave an understandable idea of in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. According to his book, while comparing world's mythology, he found that no matter how far cultures are from each other, they will still have the same structure of hero's journey in their legends (Voytilla vii).
From the beginning of time, mythology has appeared to be one key method of understanding life’s confusions and battles. Within these myths lies a hero. From myth to myth and story to story, heroes experience what may be called a struggle or a journey, which lays down their plot line. Bearing tremendous strength, talent, and significant admiration, a hero holds what is precious to their audience, heroism. Over time however, no matter the hero, the hero’s role remains indistinguishable and identical to the position of every other hero.
After Campbell studied a lot of the great myths and realized this pattern, he published his findings in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Ever since then, authors have used “The Hero’s Journey” as an outline to tell their stories. “It is important to note that not all of these individual steps are present in every hero’s tale, nor is it important that they be in this exact order” (Vogler 20). The Hero with a Thousand Faces gives a sense of significance as it looks into the inner mind and soul. The author, Joseph Campbell, performs two extraordinary accomplishments: compelling his readers that myth and dream, those are the most effective and everlasting forces in life and a unification of mythology and psychoanalysis with a gripping narrative.