The Importance Of Friendship In The Outsiders

Friendship is one of the most important things in life, as S.E. Hinton says, “If you have two friends in your lifetime, you're lucky. If you have one good friend, you're more than lucky.” In The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, Ponyboy and Johnny are good friends who help each other and have a lifetime friendship until Johnny dies.
Friendships can be developed in a short period of time or over a long period of time. In The Outsiders, friendship is a value that is explored. There are two social groups: the Greasers who are poor and are always in conflict and the Socs who are rich westside boys. However, both groups share one thing in common--friendship, and that friendship is very important in their groups. Johnny and Ponyboy are inseparable. Both

of them understand each other’s feelings, dreams and opinions. As Johnny is dying, Johnny tells Ponyboy, “Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold” (page 148). “Stay gold” is quoted from Robert Frost’s poem that Ponyboy reads to Johnny in the church when they are hiding. One line the poem writes, “Nothing gold can stay” which means that everything good comes to an end. Johnny tells Ponyboy to be innocent and realizes that fighting is useless. He knows Ponyboy very well and knows that Ponyboy is different from others, and he wants Ponyboy to have the golden quality he has. Another example of their close friendship in the book is “I had to. They were drowning you, Pony. They might have killed you.” (page 57) Johnny knows he is not going to make it, so he gets a nurse to write a letter to Ponyboy. Johnny’s letter turns Ponyboy’s life around: Ponyboy realizes that fighting is not fun and it is useless. Fighting gets one nowhere, so then there is no point.
The connection between Ponyboy and Johnny is very special. Johnny and Ponyboy have a strong friendship because they support each other unconditionally. Lifetime friends are hard to come by. It is important to enjoy every moment with best friends.