S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders

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When you think of superheroes, you may think of a muscular being with powers and a suit saving a town from a villain. Nevertheless, this definition of heroes isn’t the only one. Heroes are people who forge their own paths, display courage, and work towards what is morally right - even when difficult obstacles are in their way. S.E. Hinton’s novel The Outsiders has many exemplary “heroes” living somewhat normal lives in Oklahoma in the 1960s. Johnny, Dally, and Ponyboy are high school boys with a tough reputation, being the lower-class “Greasers” of their community. Their rivals - the Socs - view them as easy targets, and incapable of doing anything heroic. However, throughout the novel, Johnny, Dally and Ponyboy - despite being from the same gang - each …show more content…
He yells at them to “Get out!” (Hinton 93) until all the children are safe and back with their families. This action ultimately led to his death, but it exemplified his heroism through sacrifice. Johnny is not limited to courageous actions, however, as he also uses his voice to stand up for others. At the drive-in movie, he firmly tells Dally to stop messing with Cherry and Marcia, and to “Leave [the girls] alone” (Hinton 24). Johnny cares a lot about how Dally perceives him, and this small action goes to show the lengths he would go to protect others - even if it means going against an idol. Likewise, he also stands up to Bob and a group of Socs. Ponyboy could have been seriously injured if the harassment in the pond ensued, and Johnny could have easily chosen to avoid the situation. Instead, he put himself in danger of saving a close friend. He explained “I needed to, they were drowning you Pony” (Hinton 57), demonstrating his love towards the gang. The following examples show that Johnny is a courageous and thoughtful hero that will push for justice, even if it means facing risky situations, violence, or
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