Without a doubt in both The Odyssey and The Outsiders, loyalty, and impulsivity are both key characteristics in the novels. Penelope, Odysseus’ compassionate wife, and Dally, The Outsiders' tough bad boy share more characteristics than you may think of, but yet they are very different. Both characters are incredibly loyal to their friends and family, but Dally's sense of impulse is off the charts whereas Penelope carefully can think things through.
For instance, we can perceive that during the time Penelope was waiting for Odysseus to come home... She was starting to create a tapestry and told the suitors that once she was finished weaving that she would find a new hand in marriage and remarry, which would also keep her loyal to Odysseus’
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We can see towards the end of the novel that Dally begins to blow after Johnny's death, as stated by Ponyboy "Dallas is gone, " I said. "He ran out like the devil was after him. He's gonna blow up. He couldn't take it." (Hinton, 130.). Dally acted on impulse after Johnny had been pronounced dead and he went wild and couldn't think straight. After he craved death, Ponyboy quoted “I knew he would be dead, because Dally Winston wanted to be dead and he always got what he wanted.” (Hinton, 131.) On the other hand, Penelope thinks things through before she proceeds with her actions. It took her a while to think about remarriage as she loved Odysseus dearly but she knew it would be a greater impact on Ithaca if she chose a new man to rule. We can see Penelope deciding on an idea after her suitors figured out what she was doing to her tapestry. "I must. Tomorrow I make my announcement." (The Odyssey, 157.) It took Penelope quite some time to think of a contest for her hand, she knew nobody would be able to win it as Odysseus could only win. Despite the fact that both characters are key factors, their sense of impulsivity will never be