Conformity In The Outsiders

Whenever we need to break unsatisfactory habits, change our ways of thinking, or even do something differently, no matter how hard we try, many of us go back to our old habits/selves. It is important to use all our will and realize when we are referring back to our old ideology and try as much as we can to build a new way of thinking. Through many classic stories, main characters look as if they are on their road to change by starting to build the new, but it is just too hard for them and they want conformity, so they go back to their old selves. According to the article, “Teen Gangstas”, by Raychelle Cassada Lohmann, the plight of Ponyboy Curtis, the protagonist from S.E. Hinton’s classic young adult novel, The Outsiders, will end tragically unless he adopts a pet in which he grows and bond and cares for. Ponyboy has a very tragic plight, filled with violence and confusion. Ponyboy is mixed up at the church and cries to Johnny, “I’m just mixed up” (73). When Ponyboy is at the church, he is in a difficult situation because he is accused of murder and is there. Ponyboy is mixed up because of all of this. He tries to change on the outside by cutting and bleaching his hair. This is a good sign because it shows us that he is thinking deeply about his life. This symbolizes that he is finally letting go of his past and changing not mentally, but physically. In a time of need when Ponyboy attempts to save some

Hinton’s famous young adult novel, The Outsiders, will end tragically unless he adopts a dog/cat in which he grows and bond and cares for. In order to change, we must, realize the situation, and grow a new mindset, not try to fixing the old one. Most people cannot change in the good way, and enter in a downward spiral, never being able to turn back. We must use all our will to change and start new, and only then, we can