Outsiders 'Integrity In The Outsider'

Honor. Honesty, fairness, or integrity in one’s belief or actions. The Greasers, outlaws in The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, are mean, disrespectful, and lawless. But can they still be good people and have honor? Despite the fact that they are hoodlums, they are nevertheless honorable because they are loyal, defend one another, and are kindhearted. To begin with, the Greasers always stick together. For example, when Ponyboy, the main character, gets jumped, his friends are by his side in no time. “The Socs jumped up and left me there, gasping. I lay there and wondered what in the world was happening. Then someone had my under the armpits and was heaving me to my feet. It was Darry” (6). This shows honor because it proves that they value one another and sticking together. Ponyboy’s friends risked themselves by saving him.

For instance when Johnny killed Bob, there was no reason to take such action and easily could’ve been avoided. This shows that there was no reason to murder and that it was a major crime. However, Johnny only killed Bob to save Ponyboy. Ponyboy was being drowned and couldn’t defend himself. Therefore, Johnny took the actions that were necessary. This proves that Johnny was sticking up and trying to save somebody’s life, not committing a crime.
In conclusion, even though they may make some bad decisions, there is honor among the lawless. First, they are good natured and are willing to save other people. Second, they are loyal and will always help each other if one of the members is in trouble. Last, they are defensive of one another and will go through drastic measures to save them. So the next time people think that criminals are honorless, think about all the good they might have done, and that maybe all the crimes they have comitted and all of the wrongs they have done may have been for for a honorable