Johnny Cade In The Outsiders, By S. E. Hinton

Everyone is different. In fact, there are no two people who are exactly alike in the entire world; even twins have some slight differences, like their fingerprints. However, there is one person who has such a diverse personality that it is almost hard to tell what he’ll be like from one person to the next. His name is Johnny Cade, and he is one of the main characters in the novel, The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton. Johnny, a seemingly simple-minded boy, is actually very brave, extremely good at reassuring his friends, yet also particularly scared.
Bravery is not something that comes naturally to most people--a majority of the population will just attempt to get themselves out of a bad situation as fast as possible, instead of facing the issue.

Johnny, however, is not a part of this majority. In the book, when Johnny and his friend, Ponyboy, realized that children were trapped inside a flaming church, they immediately ran in to save them.

On pages 91 and 92 of the aforementioned novel, Pony says, “Johnny had been right behind me all the way.” This shows that even though there was imminent danger ahead, Johnny did not hesitate to step in, a clear act of bravery. Additionally, while inside the church, Ponyboy, once again narrating, says, “I caught one quick look at his face; it was red-marked from falling embers and sweat-streaked, but he grinned at me” (Hinton 92). This shows that Johnny is not someone to run and cower, and he manages to smile at his friend, even though there are flames raging around him. Other people, in such a situation, may have run or cried, but Johnny makes a pretense of having a good time, giving his friend more confidence. This act of helping another in a tough time also

shows how brave he is. Furthermore, earlier in the story, Johnny makes a very hard decision. He and Pony are on the run from the police after Johnny commited murder, and Johnny knows that he has two options--hiding out for the rest of his life or going back to face the consequences. Eventually, Johnny says, “‘We’re goin’ back and turn ourselves in’” (Hinton 87). This shows that Johnny is not a coward, and he is not afraid to do what’s right. Due to these pieces of evidence, Johnny is undoubtedly very brave, however, this is not his only valued trait.
Not everyone can easily reassure the people around them.

To Johnny, though, it seems to come naturally. Multiple times throughout the novel, this boy effortlessly helps his friend to feel better. On page 51, Johnny is talking to Pony, and the text states, “‘Easy Ponyboy,’ he said softly, ‘we’ll be okay.’” These heartening words would obviously reassure anyone, but Johnny seems to have a particular talent for knowing exactly what his comrade needs to hear. Likewise, in a later conversation between the same two boys, the text states, “‘Johnny, I’m scared.’ ‘Well don’t be... What happened?’” (Hinton 51). This quote clearly shows how Johnny is willing to listen and try to reassure Pony when the latter has troubles. Johnny seems to have a talent for helping his friend. Accordingly, on page 57, Johnny once more puts his friend at ease, stating.“‘Calm down, Ponyboy. Get ahold of yourself’” (Hinton 57). This quote undeniably shows Johnny’s inspiriting nature. He keeps Pony on his feet and holds him together. All this evidence clearly shows how reassuring Johnny Cade can be, however, he does have some other

qualities.
Fear is not uncommon among people, nor has it ever been. In fact, just about everybody is afraid of something. Johnny has many fears, especially since he was beaten up while walking home one day. This is evident in quite a few ways. Firstly, his looks. On page 88, this character’s appearance is being described, and the text states, “that lost-puppy look and those big scared eyes.” If Johnny has such an aura about him that his appearance would be stated as a “lost-puppy look” (Hinton 88), then he must appear vulnerable and frightened, as most would imagine a lost dog to be. And if the look in his eyes is so obviously portraying this emotion, it is clear that Johnny must be very frightened. To further this point, on page 41, the text states, “he was trembling...Johnny was a nervous wreck.” This shows how Johnny’s body language leads to the very true belief that Johnny is intimidated and afraid. Lastly, on page 89, when Johnny himself is speaking, the text states, “‘I was scared,’ Johnny said with conviction. ‘I still am.’” There isn’t much more proof than that. Johnny knows and believes that he is scared, so he obviously must be. In a nutshell, these points of evidence clearly show that Johnny is fearful, as well as the aforementioned other traits.
In conclusion, Johnny Cade has three main personality traits--brave, reassuring, and scared. Johnny portrays these traits on multiple occasions throughout the novel, and overall, he is a very diverse character.