The Outsiders: Loyalty Vs. Justice

“Blood is thicker than water.” Loyalty is helping someone you care about. Justice is obeying the law and not helping someone. The Outsiders, Mama Went To Jail For The Vote, and When Family Loyalty Becomes Crime all show the theme loyalty vs. justice. Loyalty is more important than justice because helping family and friends are important, going above and beyond can help save someone, and obeying the law could get someone you’re close to in trouble.

First off, loyalty is more important than justice because helping family and friends is important. In The Outsiders, The Curtis brothers lost their parents. They now raise themselves. They are members of The Greasers, a gang, who will do anything for one another The text states “We’re almost as

close as brothers.” This foreshadows an event later when Johnny and Pony run away after Johnny kills Bob, a Soc. Pony then does whatever it takes to keep Johnny out of trouble. He hides with him at an abandoned church and cut and bleached his hair. The text says “If Johnny got caught, they’d give him the electric chair...” Pony didn’t stop being loyal to Johnny. Plus, after Johnny died, Pony and Two-Bit were talking about how special Johnny was. The passage says “Johnny was something more than a buddy to all of us. I guess he had listened to more beefs and more problems from more people than any of us.” Johnny was so dedicated to the gang, he barely talked about himself, he always listened to others. In Mama Went to Jail For the Vote, Susan Elizabeth’s mom, went to jail fighting for Women’s rights. Susan Elizabeth continued to fight for her mom, even after her mom got arrested. This proves loyalty is more important than justice because the gang always helps one another and Elizabeth stays true to her mom. Being loyal to your family is so important because you spend so much time with them, they’re your everything, therefore being loyal is better than justice. Whether that means to run away from home, help start someone’s car, or listen to others problems, the gang will do anything to help each other. Also, Susan Elizabeth continued to fight for her mom because she’s family, and it’s important to do things for friends and family. In addition, going above and beyond proves loyalty is more important than justice.

Furthermore, loyalty is more important than justice because going above and beyond can help save someone.

In The Outsiders, Socs, the Greasers enemy, were drowning Pony in a fountain. Johnny was being so true to his best friend, he stabbed a Soc who was drowning him. The passage states “I had to. They were drowning you Ponyboy. They might have killed you.” Johnny committed a murder for his friend because he was so caring to him. When Dally comes and gets them food in Windrixville, Pony and Johnny talk to him about the crime. The book states “They was gettin him for breakin’ out of the windows in the school building, and it was Two-Bit who did that. And Dally knew it. But he just took the sentence without battin’ an eye or denying it. That’s gallant.” Gallant means being heroic or brave. Dally took the blame for Two-Bit, and he was willing take the blame for Johnny too. After running into a burning church to save some kids, Johnny gets severely injured and dies. Pony then writes an English paper about the story of Johnny. His first sentence of his paper was the first sentence of the book. The text is "When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home.” In When Family Loyalty Becomes Crime, the Godmother of a criminal is sending the criminal lots of money. She continues to send money because she is loyal. This is going above and beyond. The thief is getting saved, since he doesn’t

have money. This proves loyalty is more important than justice because if you go above and beyond to help save someone, you are extremely loyal. Pony was so faithful to Johnny, he wrote his paper on the story of him to keep his memory alive. Johnny was so loyal to Pony because he knows helping people is the right thing to do, and Pony returns the favor by helping himself figuratively. Dally was willing to take the blame for a murder to save Johnny. Dally, Pony, and Johnny all were so dedicated to someone, they went above and beyond for one another. Also, the Godmother gives a lot of money to a criminal, which is extremely loyal.

Additionally, loyalty is more important than justice because obeying the law could get someone you’re close to in trouble.

In The Outsiders, Pony and Johnny run away. Dally finds them and takes them to get food. Johnny says “We’re goin’ back and turn ourselves in.” Johnny wanted to do the right thing and obey the law, but is risking a lot. He could get himself in trouble and Pony could end up getting split up from his brothers. Instead, people are loyal so they aren’t risking getting someone they are close to in trouble. For example, when Dally was in the hospital, he asks for Two-Bit’s switchblade for the rumble. If he didn’t get the switchblade, he wouldn’t have come and helped beat the Soc’s in the rumble. This was risking one of his friends lives. He was doing what’s best for his friends and being loyal, not obeying the law. In Mama Went To Jail For The Vote, Mama was fighting for women’s rights. She wasn’t obeying the law. She was being true to women all around the world. Had she obeyed the law, women may still not be able to vote. She was loyal over obeying the law. This proves loyalty is more important than justice because if you obey the law, you are risking someone getting in trouble. Obeying the law could get someone you don’t want to get in trouble get in trouble. Johnny risked getting him and Pony in trouble by obeying the law. He should’ve been loyal and not turn himself in. Mama was loyal to Women all around the world. If she obeyed the law, women may not be

able to vote. Justice is more important than loyalty because following the law could risk a lot. Telling the truth about something could lead to trouble for a friend, family member, or someone you just met.

In conclusion, loyalty is more important than justice. “Blood is thicker than water” means family is more important than doing what’s right. Loyalty always comes before justice because helping family and friends are important, going above and beyond can help save someone, and obeying the law could get someone you’re close to in trouble. Ponyboy and Johnny in The Outsiders, Susan Elizabeth and Mama in Mama Went To Jail For The Vote, and the Godmother in When Family Loyalty Becomes Crime all chose loyalty over justice. Is blood thicker than water for you?