The Outsiders Research Paper

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Class Conflict and Violence Violence shows up in the real world in many forms, and so do friendship and family. When violence occurs, friends and family are present to help. In the book The Outsiders by SE Hinton, society is divided into 2 gangs: the Socs and the Greasers. The protection over Ponyboy, the protagonist, is shown by his gang members and his 2 older brothers, his best friend Johnny, and Darrel, his protective older brother. A theme of The Outsiders is that when faced with class conflict and violence, friends and family are present to help which is shown through the protection over Ponyboy by his brothers and his gang members, Johnny saving Ponyboy, and Darry protecting Ponyboy in the final rumble. In order to show the theme of …show more content…

It was a drool, Darry. “Are you alright Ponyboy?’” (Hinton 6). The gang members are also present to help, which appears in the text, “Steve flicked his ashes at me. “What were you doing walking by your lonesome?’” (Hinton 13). In the first quote, Darry lifts Pony to help him and asks if he’s alright, meaning that he’s concerned about Pony’s well-being right after being jumped by the Socs. Shortly after, Steve, Sodapop’s best friend, “flicked” his cigarette ashes towards Ponyboy. This displays defensive intuition and indirect care from Steve, which is a protective detail of their relationship. In the face of class conflict and violence in this small rumble, the novel shows the gang members, mostly Darry and Steve, in this particular moment, caring for Pony and not wanting him to get hurt. The theme of violence causing the need for defense and loyalty begins to be developed through the protection over Ponyboy by Johnny. First, Ponyboy was struggling, trying to free himself when he was drowned, stating, “‘I had to hold my …show more content…

They were drowning you, Pony. They might have killed you’” (Hinton, 57). This is demonstrated clearly because Ponyboy almost dies from getting drowned, so Johnny thinks he has no choice but to protect him, which is shown when Johnny says he “had” to, meaning that he thought it was necessary to save Ponyboy’s life. This shows that Ponyboy got the help he needed and does not have to continue with this class conflict-violence. The face of violence, murder, and drowning is shown when Ponyboy almost loses his life and Johnny kills another to save him, which certainly points out the protection over Ponyboy by Johnny. Through protection, the theme of violence can be developed near the end of the novel when Ponyboy needs the support of Darry. Before the final rumble, Darry didn’t want Ponyboy to attend or fight in it at all. Darry states, ‘“I don’t know if you ought to be in this rumble, Ponyboy.” Darry said slowly” (Hinton 135). But then, Dally finally lets him go and during this rumble, Darry also physically protects Pony, which is stated, “But Darry was keeping an eye out for me; he caught and half lifted him up before knocking him 3 feet with a sledge-hammer blow” (Hinton

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