Outsiders: S. E. Hinton and Hero
A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. Anyone can become a hero through perseverance from any point in society. Ponyboy is part of a crowd who are like criminals known as the Greasers, who are poor and live on the east side of town. The Greasers are a gang that have Ponyboy, Soda, Steve, Johnny, Dally, Darry, and Two-bit Matthews. The Greasers are hated by the Socs, the Socials, who are the west side rich kids in the town.
In the novel The Outsiders, by S. E. Hinton, Ponyboy, the main character, and his family of Greasers rise above a life of poverty, stealing, and criminal action to help others, proving that anyone, no matter the obstacle, can become a hero. There are many heroes in the greaser gang and they didn’t start out this way. The greasers were known for robbing, gang fights, stealing, and driving old souped-up cars, your basic hoods. It all starts when Ponyboy gets jumped by the Socs, who are intent on beating Ponyboy to a pulp, when Darry, Ponyboy’s brother, intervenes and saves him.
This is a very noble act by Darry, who could have easily been beaten up badly himself, because he stood up for Ponyboy when no one else would. Darry shows a sense of responsiblity and sympathy for others, especially for family, that a hero characterizes. This is also true when he takes care of his brothers after their parents died so they wouldn’t end up in a home for boys. Moreover, Ponyboy, Dally, and the other greasers become heroes when they all run into the burning building to save the children from the fire.
The reasons why they became heroes is because they chose to save the kids no matter the cost, even if it put their lives in danger. The selflessness that all of the Greasers display when they ran into that building show that they value the well being of others over themselves. This is a key quality of all heroes, making the Greasers more than just a small time criminal gang. Johnny is a hero because the incredible selflessness he displayed saving the children from the burning building.
Johnny sacrificed, got burned, and died just to save the kids and Ponyboy. Everything that Johnny did was very selfless and had good value behind each of his actions. These heroic qualities are embodied by Johnny, showing that anyone can become a hero, even if your a basic hood rat. Additionally, Johnny was very brave when he was forced to kill Bob before Bob could drown Ponyboy. Johnny heroically killed Bob to save his friend from being murdered because it was the only way to ensure Ponyboy’s safety.
It takes a special kind of person to be able to act at the right moment in the defense of others, and Johnny is that valiant person. It is important to be a hero when you can, the world can use more heroes and society always needs a good role model. A hero is someone who has devoted his or her life to something more than their individual wellbeing. Anyone can become a hero through perseverance from any point in society. In the novel The Outsiders, by S. E. Hinton, Ponyboy, the main character, and his family of Greasers rise above a life of poverty, stealing, and criminal action to help others, proving that anyone, no matter the obstacle, can become a hero.
To be a hero in Ponyboy’s life is astonishing, because he is part of a gang that steals and is poor. When he ran into the church to save the kids, he demonstrated how brave one can be, and he might have died from it. Ponyboy evolved from a life as a criminal to a life as a hero. This means that , no matter the life they used to lead.
