Change In S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders

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Could a person live in a world without people who love and care for them? Could people survive in a world where they were judged by how they were presented on the outside? S.E. Hinton, the author of The Outsiders, discusses many universal themes, such as friendship, stereotyping, and change. In The Outsiders, two rival groups, the socs and the greasers, are separated by social class. The friendship between the greasers will be tested when an unexpected event changes everything. The greasers must learn that people experience many tragic events, no matter who the person is. Based on the universal themes, the readers will begin to understand how the characters in the novel grow and change, and how friendship and family help along the way. One …show more content…

Throughout a person’s life, he will go through many experiences that may change him from the person he used to be. Johnny has been abused and mistreated throughout his life. After the beating he got from the socs, Johnny was more anxious and frightened than ever. He would never get over that horrible experience. When describing Johnny, Ponyboy says, “If you can picture a little dark puppy that has been kicked too many times and is lost in a crowd of strangers, you’ll have Johnny” (page 11). Nobody would ever expect a shy and nervous greasers to become a hero. Nevertheless, Johnny proved that to be wrong. When the church caught fire, Johnny and Ponyboy abruptly ran inside to rescue the little kids who were trapped. As Johnny was helping a kid to get out, a piece of timber fell on him. As a result, Johnny was in critical condition. At the hospital he told Ponyboy he didn’t want to die because he hadn’t lived yet. Johnny was terrified of dying. After the rumble, Ponyboy and Dally came back to the hospital, and Johnny died. A few weeks later, Ponyboy reads a letter that Johnny wrote him. In the letter Johnny explains how it was worth dying because the little kids were saved. They could live their lives. Johnny wrote, “Listen, I don’t mind dying now. It’s worth it. It’s worth saving those kids. Their lives are worth more than mine, they have more to live for” (page 178). Johnny was known as a hero. He went from being a shy, quiet boy who was mistreated to a hero who risked his life to save others. Although Johnny died, he was okay with the way he did. The theme of change is certainly shown in

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