You open your eyes and see blood. You rest against the fountain while catching your breath. You see your friend pale as a ghost, and one of the “cool kids” lying in a pool of blood. This is a similar situation to many people because of violence. About 60% of deaths per year are caused by gun violence in the United States. Though guns weren’t used for violence in The Outsiders violence plays a big role in the book. Ponyboy’s opinion on violence changes throughout the book. Ponyboy’s opinion on violence changes so that we can see the reality of violence and not just his opinion. At first Ponyboy avoided violence. He didn’t want to hurt anybody, but he didn’t really think violence was bad. After the movies, Ponyboy, Johnny, Two Bit, Cherry, and Marcia see the socs, and they get into a small fight, “He snatched up an empty bottle, busted off the end, and gave it to me … ‘I couldn’t use this,’ I said dropping the pop bottle. ‘I couldn’t ever cut anyone…’” (Hinton 45). This shows that in the beginning of the book, Ponyboy doesn’t like violence. He wasn’t a violent person, he wouldn’t harm anybody, but he also didn’t disagree with violence when it was occurring. Violence wasn’t a bad thing unless he was the person that was doing it. …show more content…
He didn’t have a problem with it, and he wouldn’t resist violence. We are shown this when Ponyboy is with Two Bit and Steve and they are approached by some socs, “... a car drove up and three Socs got out … Big deal. I busted off the end of my bottle and held on to the neck and tossed away my cigarette ‘You get back into your car or you'll get split’” (Hinton 171). This quote shows us that Ponyboy is fine with violence. If somebody was to get hurt, or he was to hurt somebody, it wouldn’t bother him. This proves that the events in the book have changed Ponyboy to think that it is okay for people to suffer or be harmed because of
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
People should have a conversation with someone and get to know them before judging them. Ponyboy changed the way he thought of the Socs. At first he thought of the Socs as thugs who enjoy jumping Greasers. He later learned that Socs have problems that Greasers don’t know of and not all Socs hate Greasers.
This started to happen when he was in the church trying to hide away from the police because of the murder of one of the Soc’s. “I was trembling, and it wasn’t all from cold” (Hilton p.57). This shows that Ponyboy was scared, starting to break, and noticed that maybe this “hard bad boy” life isn't for him. Ponyboy put more and more thought about what it takes to be a greaser, which made him realize that maybe the gang life wasn’t good for him. “We were good fighters and could play cool, but we were sensitive and that isn’t a good way to be when you’re a greaser” (Hinton, p.88). Ponyboy is expressing that it is hard to be as strong as the other boys and sometimes he just couldn't or he couldn't be ok with what they were doing. “It drives my brother Darry nuts when I do stuff like that, ‘cause I’m supposed to be smart’ I make good grades and have a high IQ and everything, but I don't use my head” (Hinton, p.4). Ponyboy knows he has the potential to be something else and while being in hiding in the church it helps him realize that if he really wanted to he could be whatever he puts his mind
A choice made by Darry affects Ponyboy by making Pony do bad things.”You don’t yell at him!” Darry wheeled around and slapped me so hard that it knocked me against the door”(Hinton 50). This choice was made because Ponyboy was being disrespectful to Darry, and that's why he slapped Ponyboy across the face.
Ponyboy was a bad kid, he fought against Socs and he even smoked a weed, which is a cigarette. Later on he got into worse trouble and had to hide. He wanted to change and be a different person. While he hid he was scared and frightened and was beginning to think of how he was doing in life, and his thoughts were not very well. After the church incident, he began to change a little.
His parents died when he was young. He was nurtured by his older brothers. Pony has to struggle at the bottom of the social ladder. Like the people around him, he has to fight, steal and scare little kids. However, Pony remained a pure heart, a golden heart. He only fights when he has to defend himself. He kept his heart of sympathy, understanding of others and think for the others. Like in when the church was burned, he understands the situation of the teacher and children. So he risked his life to safe the kids. The most straight forward example and conclusion of Pony’s good heart is the word of Johnny, “Stay gold, Ponyboy, stay gold…” Moreover, Ponyboy is a thinker. He can think for the opposite side of his gang, the Socs. Although the Socs almost drowned him, he can still understand the Socs and didn’t be blinded by the hate. He in the chaos and impulsive world can see through the surface of the conflict and see the core of the world that people are the same. That is really amazing and Ponyboy does have the board mind of a hero.
Have you ever wondered if what you did,was the right thing to do?In the story “The Outsiders”by S.E. Hinton there is a young 16 year-old boy named Johnny who kills someone but does that mean he should be locked up ? After a thorough investigation on this subject ,I can confidently say that i believe he is innocent.The reasons why I believe he is innocent are that,he was protecting his friend,it was self-defense and he’s nice kid,that wouldn't just kill for the fun of it .
This situation occurs when Darry states,“ ‘I don’t know if you ought to be in this rumble, Pony,’ ”(134). Although what Darry says is in concern of his little brother, for PonyBoy, the fight is more important than his health at the moment. When Ponyboy ends up passing out for three days from the fight with the Socs, it may show that this risk did not go well(157). But, in a sense, it helped Ponyboy get his anger out and free his mind for some time. Overall, it did not hurt Ponyboy to get knocked out. Johnny says this after he killed someone instinctively, “ ‘I killed him,’ he said slowly. ‘I killed that boy’ ”(56). Shortly after Johnny kills Bob the Soc to protect Ponyboy, he realizes what he has done. Whether or not this was a good decision, in the end he saved his friend from dying. In any case, this was self defense. To add on to events that were risks, these two were great
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.
Ponyboy is attacked by stereotype threat several times throughout the book. One example is the beginning when he is jumped by four Socs“I about decided I didn’t like it so much ,though, when I spotted that red Corvair trailing me.” Hinton 4. Ponyboy was cornered by four Socs who proceeded to punch and beat up Ponyboy. The four kids only beat up Ponyboy because he is a Greaser and he is the enemy of their gang, the Socs. Beating up Ponyboy is what is expected of them. This shows that these Socs are trapped by stereotype because they embraced that stereotype and made it a part of their identity. Ponyboy does show signs of
He is smart, a good friend, a good fighter and member. For his symbols I chose a Pepsi bottle, Gone With the Wind, a pencil, the country, a Dairy Queen sign, eggs, chocolate cake, a cigarette, and hair grease. Ponyboy is a Pepsi addict. Ponyboy and Johnny would read Gone With the Wind when they were hiding. He loves to draw in his free time. Ponyboy wishes his family could live in the country. Dally takes Ponyboy and Johnny to Dairy Queen to have a meal. He likes chocolate cake and eggs for breakfast. He smokes a cigarette because everyone smokes cigarettes. He wears hair grease because he is a greaser. Ponyboy has two main conflicts. Darry slapping him and Johnny killing the Soc. When Ponyboy is talking to Johnny and falls asleep. He comes back to the house later than curfew and Darry gets mad. Darry yells at him, he yells back, and darry slaps him. He runs away to Johnny and the run to the park. The Socs pull up and attack them. Then Johnny kills the Soc with a switchblade. The settings are the lot,a poor-looking house, a park, and a church. The lot is where Ponyboy falls asleep talking to Johnny. The poor-looking house is where the Curtis’s live and is where Darry hits Pony. The park is where Johnny and Ponyboy were attacked by the Socs. It also is where Johnny kills the Soc. Finally the church is where Pony and Johnny hide when the run away after killing the
the beginning of the book chapter 1 Ponyboy went to the movies alone on the way home some greasers jump him and in the right moment his group members save him from getting beat.
He is told “you’re too young” to be smoking by Jerry. Ponyboy doesn’t realise that he’s too young because he’s use to seeing all of his peers smoking, provoking him to think that it’s normal. Another example would be that all his mates had a reason to fight in the rumble, this caused him to wonde why he fought in the first place if it wasn’t for self defense. Sometimes the problem with having a peer group, can be that those around the individual can start to cause peer pressure.
Ponyboy doesn’t act like any regular greaser who is tough and likes to pick fights. Ponyboy cares about other people and will do things to benefit others. “I didn’t know what he was talking about, so I just went on picking up the glass from the bottle end and put it in the trash can. I didn’t want anyone to get a flat tire.” (pg. 172) Instead of leaving the
Determination and a strong connection with the natural world can uphold a person's sense of hope. Throughout the book The Outsiders it is demonstrated that through being confronted with arduous situations Ponyboy and the gang using determination and courage establish a sense of hope through each other. As shown in “no rival gangs only socs and you can't win against them no matter how hard you try” it displays that Ponyboy at the opening of the story does not believe anything can change therefore he has disbelief in hope. However after encountering two socials Cherry and Marcia they