A True Hero In The Outsiders By S. E. Hinton

Heroes are often the ones least expected. Most fictional stories portray heroes as cape-wearing eminent people bearing perfect, shining smiles. In reality, most heroes do not live up to this high expectation, and a majority of truly courageous people are not recognized. This idea is demonstrated through the novel The Outsiders by author S.E. Hinton. Ponyboy Curtis, Johnny Cade, and Dallas Winston all experience immense amounts of courage, perseverance, and optimism, traits of a true hero. Ponyboy Curtis is a true hero. In the novel, when Ponyboy witnesses a fire, his immediate reaction is to help the young children in trouble (Hinton 90). Pony’s first instinct was filled with courage and compassion. If he did not jump into action and retrieve

For example, Johnny kills Bob, a Soc, during a rumble in order to save Ponyboy’s life (Hinton 57). Cade risked his future and reputation in order to save Ponyboy’s future. In the moment, Johnny was given a choice, watch his friend die an unfortunate and violent death or wish that upon someone else. Even though this decision was a detrimental one, Johnny chose the option that required more courage. Furthermore, Hinton states, “Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold…” (Hinton 148). Johnny dedicates his final words to Ponyboy. He was constantly making sure that those around him were in good health and spirits that he rarely made time to check up on himself. In the last moments of his life he still shared a vast amount of optimism and compassion with the people he cared about most. Johnny Cade’s heroic traits allow him to be a compassionate and loving friend to

As stated on page 152, “Johnny was the only thing Dally loved. And now Johnny was gone” (Hinton). Dallas spent a majority of time as a greaser acting as a protector of Johnny, as he saw a piece of himself in Cade. Dallas is a character that one would never expect to be considered a hero, though what many fail to recognize is that he maintained a semblance of calm so that Johnny would have someone to fall back onto when he or his parents couldn’t pick himself back up. Dally is a silent hero. In the novel, Dallas follows Ponyboy and Johnny into the church fire, ultimately saving both of their lives (Hinton 93). A hero could not be considered one if they did not display any compassion. This event shows the reader that hidden under Dally's tough exterior is someone who truly cares about his gang. Winston saved the lives of Johnny and Ponyboy. He pushed away his reputation of never helping others and aided the other greasers in the heat of the moment. Without him, no one would have made it out of the fire alive. While Dallas is a not traditional hero, his actions throughout the novel prove his name should represent silent bravery, which is sometimes the most important