There are many attributes that could define heroism. Attributes such as protecting those closest to them, selfless acts of courage and kindness, and even risking their own life for another’s. In S. E. Hinton’s book “The Outsiders,” there are three characters that portray acts of gallantry: Ponyboy Curtis, Darry Curtis, and Johnny Cade. They are all different kinds of heroes, yet they all were able to step-up when they were needed. To begin, Ponyboy is a hero because he always looked out for his…
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What is honor? Honor can mean many things, it can mean to have a high respect from people or to have a specific privilege. But is there truly honor among the lawless? The book The Outsiders by S.E Hinton is about the not so social Greasers and Socs. The Greasers are a gang of brothers that constantly stick together. They protect each other in any way they possibly can... but without following the rules, by breaking the law. The Socs, AKA Socials, are the rich kids that beat up Greasers to…
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Society thinks only good people are expected to do good things. However, in S.E Hinton's The Outsiders this is not the case. One does not have to be "good" to do "good actions". In the book Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally saved little kids from a burning church, they didn't have to do it they just knew it was the right thing to do. On page 79 it says "He looked over his shoulder and saw that the door was blocked by flames, then pushed open the window and tossed out the nearest kid". Just because greasers…
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Channing, the foremost Unitarian preacher in the United States in the early nineteenth century, once said, “Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict.” S.E. Hinton shows this in her novel The Outsiders when the main character Ponyboy Curtis faces three major types of conflicts. He deals with conflicts with other people, skirmishes with society, and struggles within himself. These challenges shape Ponyboy into the man he will be for the rest of…
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In The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton highlights the conflicts of both Greasers and Socs to show that life is difficult for rich and poor kids alike. The Socs live on the west side while the Greasers live on the east side of town. The story emphasises about the Socs whom are the rich kids and the Greasers, who are gang members. Greasers are the poor, working class kids who put a lot of grease in their hair and act tough. They are seen as undesirables, but are more emotional and care about each other…
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The Outsiders (S. E. Hinton) shows a variety of different characters, all that have different backgrounds of where they come from. Several of the characters have poor leaders in their life, and this book shows a great example of what happens when you don't have a strong leader in your life experiences. Ultimately, an individual is influenced by the authority figures in their life, and without the strong guidance of another there…
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deep affection. S.E. Hinton shows readers the way this deep affection should be shown through The Outsiders. Although the setting and circumstances of The Outsiders are different than most readers lives, people are still able to connect to the characters through the examples of family bonds, putting others first, and the idea that people are all the same underneath. The ties of family in The Outsiders go beyond just being related, they extend to the whole group of close knit friends that were always…
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S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders started out as a high school girl’s imagination with a broad point of view and a rough plot. In 1967, it transformed into a book with heroic characters and a variety of strong events. Ponyboy and his gang live in the minds of children and their heroic actions inspire our lives. One of the most fearless characters is Johnny. He is there for everyone in the gang; from being selfless to just someone they can depend on. A hero possesses loyalty, courage, and the willingness…
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S.E. Hinton’s story, The Outsiders, takes place in Tulsa Oklahoma in 1965, a town with two different social groups. Ponyboy is the youngest of all the greasers. One lesson I got from this story was that you shouldn’t take everything for granted because you could loss it all in one second. Although other readers may believe that the theme of the story is to not argue with your family, I argue that the central theme is you shouldn’t take anything for granted as indicated by Hilton’s use of…
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lessons and themes to the reader. An event that occurs quite often in works of literature is a character making a decision. The aforementioned decision has negative consequences for said character and others in the story. The coming-of-age novel The Outsiders, by S.E Hinton, is quite familiar with this concept of character decision making. During the novel's plot, which involves a conflict between two rival gangs, The Socs and The Greasers, Johnny Cade, in a moment of exceptional turmoil, makes the decision…
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