The Loyalty of the Greasers With loyalty comes trust, when you may trust trust many people. If you trust a person, you can trust them with their loyalty. Loyalty is one of the most important qualities of the Greasers in The Outsiders. The Greasers are very loyal to each and every member, but the Socs, not so much. In The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton communicates that loyalty is one of the most important qualities of the Greasers. In the novel, The Outsiders, Ponyboy didn’t run away when he found out that Johnny killed Bob, a Soc, he ran away with him. Johnny, a member of the Greasers, is usually the nice, caring guy who wouldn’t hurt a fly. Until, he killed Bob, a member of the Socs, because he was going to hurt his best friend Ponyboy. After Ponyboy …show more content…
Dally helped Johnny and Ponyboy run away by giving them supplies and directions on where to hide. Dally said, “The gun’s loaded. For Pete’s sake, Johnny don’t point the thing at me. Here’s fifty bucks. That’s all I could get. Dally is willing to give Johnny and Ponyboy everything he has to help them from getting caught. Loyalty is shown throughout each member of the Greasers. Darry is checking up on Ponyboy, to make sure his okay after Johnny died. “Are you all right, Ponyboy” (6)? The are always there for each other no matter what. Throughout the Outsiders, the Greasers shows that loyalty is always within them. While some may say the Greasers are never there for each other. The truth is that, they are in every part of the …show more content…
Hinton communicates that loyalty is one of the most important qualities of the Greasers, through the characters Johnny, Ponyboy, and Dally. Johnny proves that loyalty is one of the most important qualities of the Greasers, by killing Bob to protect Pony for getting hurt. Dally proves that loyalty is one of the most important qualities of the Greasers, by helping Pony and Johnny run away, so that Johnny wouldn’t get caught. Ponyboy proves that loyalty is one of the most important qualities of the Greasers, by not leaving Johnny side,after he killed Bob, knowing that there would be consequences. Loyalty is one of the biggest traits shown throughout the
The Greasers win, but when Dally and Pony go to tell Johnny that they won, he dies during their visit. Dally is destroyed by this and later he calls Pony to tell him that he robbed a store and is being chased by the cops. They hurry to meet him, and see him shot down after he pulls a gun on the police. Pony is scared by what has happened, and convinces himself that he, not Johnny, killed the Soc. He is also afraid that Social Services will take him and Soda away from Darry and into a foster home.
On example of this is on page 60, “...He handed us a gun and a roll of bills…” this shows that he is loyal because even though if he gets caught he would probably go to jail he gives Pony and Johnny money and a gun so that they can run away from the police after they killed Bob. Dally gave Pony a dry shirt and told them where to hide. My next example is on page 81, “I told him I didn't know, but he didn't believe me,” this shows that he is loyal because he kept where they are a secret because they did not want anyone to know where they are. He kept it from even his best friends. My last example is on page 154, “But I knew that is what he wanted...Dallas Winston wanted to be dead and he always got what he wanted,” this shows that he is loyal because the only thing that he ever loved was Johnny so when he died there was nothing left for Dally so he got himself killed by the police. Dally was very loyal to his
He is smart, and gets good grades in school. This is purposefully mentioned several times within the story, and people tend to be surprised to learn that he is a Greaser. In addition, some Greasers are nicer than people tend to think. When the church burned down, Ponyboy and Johnny run in to save the children without a second thought. They acted with selflessness, putting the safety of the children above their own. In the ambulance on the way to the hospital, Ponyboy is asked if he and Johnny are "professional heroes". He responds by telling the entire story of how they're Greasers and Johnny is wanted for murder, shocking the man in the ambulance. It is difficult for him to believe that a group of Greasers would do something so heroic. Johnny dies as a direct result of their actions, but neither Ponyboy nor Johnny regretted what they
A juvenile delinquent, Dally was put in jail when he was only ten years old. This probably is the outcome of him having a lack of a guardian when he was a youth. In addition, while on Jay Mountain, Johnny asks Dally whether his parents wanted to know about him. Dally replies saying “‘... They didn’t. Blast it Johnny, what do they matter? Shoot my old man don’t give a hang whether I’m in jail or dead in a car wreck or drunk in the gutter. That don’t bother me none’”(88). This is the only time Dally mentions his father in the novel and his tone suggests his disdain. Dally’s insolent behavior has to be because of his inadequate parents. Likewise, Johnny is also a victim of bad parenting due to his abusive mother and father. In The Outsiders the narrator, Ponyboy, describes Johnny’s personality and family atmosphere in the exposition. Ponyboy states about Johnny: “His father was always beating him up, and his mother ignored him, except when she was hacked off at something, and then you could hear her yelling at him clear down at our house”(12). Pony’s statement shows how Johnny Cade has a difficult life at him and so he relies on the Greasers for family. This evidence leads to the conclusion that Johnny and Dally both have neglectful parents causing them to rely on their gang for family
Dally was a very reliable person to the greasers. When Ponyboy and Johnny were running away, it was Dally who gave them the supplies they needed. Page 61 is where Dally helps them.
Out of all of the members of the gang Johnny and Ponyboy were the closest, because they were the youngest and also they were not as tough as the other boys. After Ponyboy got in a fight with Darry about being late at getting home, Ponyboy ran to the lot and told Johnny that they were running away. Without hesitation the two boys took off running. Johnny needed no explanation. He had a rough life at home and without the support from the gang he may have already killed himself. Johnny just wanted to be there and support his friend like they had been supporting him through everything. At many points throughout the novel Ponyboy teaches or shows Johnny something new. “You know Johnny said slowly “I never noticed colors and clouds and stuff until you kept, reminding me about them. It seems like they were never there before” (Hinton,78). When Johnny says that to Ponyboy is gives readers a glimpse of how Johnny having Ponyboy in his life makes it better. Another key point of their friendship in the novel is after Johnny kills the Soc. This is a key point because they run off to Jay Mountain to hide from the police and while they are there they discover more about each other and themselves. The boys are at that church for about a week before Dally came to check in on them and while they were inside that church they read Gone with the Wind. As they read Gone with the Wind they started to make connections
Ponyboy was described as sensitive and emotional for many reasons. One example is when Ponyboy, Darry, and Soda find out that Johnny may die. On page 102, Ponyboy says, “I was trembling. A pain was growing in my throat, and I wanted to cry, but greasers don’t cry in front of strangers.” Clearly, this shows that Ponyboy is emotional when it comes to losing people close to him. Another example is when he picks up the pieces of glass from the bottle he broke, to threaten the Socs. On page 171, Two-Bit tells Ponyboy that he is not like the rest of the Greasers, he isn’t hard or tough. Therefore, it shows that Ponyboy is caring and not as mean and hard as the rest of the Greasers. From these examples, it is clear that Pony is sensitive and softer than the rest of the gang.
The Outsiders, an enthralling novel by S.E Hinton, is an excellent story about the hardships and triumphs experienced by the Greasers and the Socs two rival gangs. S.E Hinton tells a thrilling tale about the Socs and the Greasers that are two gangs and she characterize how they live. Ponyboy, his brother and his friends have to deal with the challenges relating to their environment. The three most important topics of The Outsiders are survival, social class and family support.
He knows that Ponyboy has a chance because he is very smart. How they both reacted to not having parents shaped and effected who they are. “Johnny was high-strung anyway, a nervous wreck from getting belted every time he turned around and from hearing his parents fight all the time(2).” This explains how Johnny was effected by his parents. His parents constantly fighting and beating him made him who he was. A part of him was effected by all the chaos and pain he had to go through every day. “We're poorer than the Socs and the middle class. I reckon we're wilder, too. Not like the Socs, who jump greasers and wreck houses and throw beer blasts for kicks, and get editorials in the paper for being a public disgrace one day and an asset to society the next. Greasers are almost like hoods; we steal things and drive old souped-up cars and hold up gas stations and have a gang fight once in a while. I don't mean I do things like that. Darry would kill me if I got into trouble with the police.” Social roles are a part of self-image that makes a person who they are. In the novel Ponyboy explains the groups that the Greasers and Sochs were split into. This
Loyalty is one of the strongest elements that make up the Greaser’s characters; love is shown throughout the book whether it be helping the children out of the burning church or yelling because they are worried about one another, and perseverance is displayed through the burning desire to be better than the stereotypes into which they are forced. Love, loyalty, and perseverance are all traits one needs in life: love instead of loneliness, loyalty so one knows where others stand, and perseverance to get through tough times against all odds.Which value is most important to
I feel as though the novel The outsiders has many themes, but the most important one is belonging. The greasers are a group of poor, low class youth that don’t have much and live on the wrong side of town. They are always held accountable for their actions. On the other hand, the Socs are a bunch of high class youth that are very privileged and aren’t held accountable for their immature actions.
For one, we do not see much child-to-parent action in the book, but we know that the Curtis family is broken. Before the book takes place, both of Ponyboy's parents died in an auto wreck. After that, Darry took care of Ponyboy and Sodapop, but was always strict with Ponyboy. Darry did not show much love either, and was always cold-hearted and hurt people without realizing it. Johnny's parents would always fight; while his father was abusive and hit Johnny every single day he was home, his mother completely ignored Johnny unless she was yelling at him, which, according to Ponyboy, you could hear all the way to the Curtis house. Although the book does not specify, I infer that Two-Bit, Steve, and especially Dally have family problems additionally. According to another article, Two-Bit's father left his family without notice and left Two-bit to take care of his mother. Dally, I believe, particularly had past family issues. We do not hear about Dally's family at all in the book, and that might be for a specific purpose. Ponyboy says that Dally used to live in New York when he was jailed at only ten years old. Ponyboy also says that Dally is the toughest and the meanest. Before Dally was ten years old, he, most likely, was a juvenile delinquent. This might of been caused by peers, family troubles, or even past traumas. Ponyboy also says that Dally has seen much worse in New York than Johnny after he was beaten up by four Socials. Past trauma and family issues are great factors in why the Greasers are juvenile delinquents. Peer influence is unquestionably a key factor in the character's behavior. Greasers surround themselves with greasers, and socials surround themselves with socials. Almost everyone in these two groups remains juvenile delinquents, and will continue to
The legendary quote “Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold” from the renowned novel “The Outsiders” is something that I hope my children and grandchildren will have the privilege to know and understand. The Outsiders has a strong value of family and friendship. Throughout the book there are many satellite themes and issues. The book is known as a coming of age for adolescence. When I first read this book it was in my 8th grade Language Arts class. The first thing that came to my mind was “hey, isn’t that the movie with that Cruise guy”. I had no clue that the story of Ponyboy Curtis would touch my heart in such a way. I had been going through so much that year, I felt as if I was Ponyboy. Middle school starts were kids finally come to a realization of
Typically, greasers are depicted as people similar to hoods, as Ponyboy states, "Greasers are almost like hoods; we steal things and drive old souped-up cars and hold up gas stations and have a gang fight once in a while" (Hinton 4). Yet, even though Ponyboy is a greaser, he avoids getting into trouble for the sake of staying together with his family. He explains that, "I don't mean I do things like that... Since Mom and Dad were killed in an auto wreck, the three of us get to stay together only as long as we behave. So Soda and I stay out of trouble as much as we can, and we're careful not to get caught when we can't" (Hinton 4). Alternatively, Pony also enjoys activities such as reading and watching movies. Even simpler things, such as sunsets and clouds, are something he found beauty and enjoyment in. This sets him apart from the greasers because according to Pony, he states that, "And nobody in our gang digs movies and books the way I do" (Hinton 3). Since nobody other than Ponyboy himself shares the enjoyment of these particular pastimes, which is drastically different from pursuits such as shoplifting and fighting in rumbles, Ponyboy is divergent from the standard attributes of the greasers. Therefore, Ponyboy is a thoughtful and dreamy individual who holds different interests and aspirations than the
After the church fire Ponyboy comes to the realization of many things. Two-Bit and Ponyboy are eating at a restaurant known as Tasty Freeze when Randy asks to speak with him. Ponyboy tells Randy, ¨Maybe you would have done the same thing, maybe a friend of yours wouldn’t have. It’s the individual¨(115). He finds out that you cannot define someone based on of they are part of the Socs or the greasers. Furthermore, he finds out that every one is a individual and that means that just because he is a part of a certain group it does not mean that they are all going to react or perceive a situation in the same exact way. In addition, he say this to Randy because when there was a fire in the church Dally was not willing to risk his life to save someone else's when Johnny and Ponyboy were more than willing to help the kids. This shows event shows how all Greasers and Socs are not the same. In the beginning of the novel Ponyboy believed Darry disliked him and thought he was a nuisance. However, later on at the hospital Ponyboy tells Darry, “I’m sorry” (98). Ponyboy’s words expose how he feels bad for thinking Darry disliked him all along when in truth he loved him more than words could describe. He realizes that Darry fears losing another family member that is why he is so overprotective of Ponyboy. Hence, proving Ponyboy is clearly a dynamic character.