Examples Of Sacrifice In The Outsiders

All family relationships revolve around sacrifice. This idea is shown in S.E. Hinton’s novel The Outsiders when the Curtis boys must make ends meet after their parents die. Darry, being the oldest, takes over the parental role of the family, receiving frustration and hostility from Pony. He is hard on the boys, especially Pony, and struggles with the responsibility and pressure of raising two teenagers. In S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders, Darry Curtis is a greaser who grows into the fatherly figure for Soda and Pony, and in doing so becomes strict, determined, and loyal. When he first appears, Darry Curtis is strict and shows tough love toward Pony. He is hard on Pony because he loves him and wants him to be successful. Pony does not understand this, and gets frustrated when Darry expects so

Darry has to give up his dream of going to college to support his family. He “worked on two jobs at once,” showing how dedicated he is to his family (Hinton 91). Darry is determined to raise Soda and Pony the best he can, even if he has to make sacrifices for the good of the family. However, Pony has high grades and has the talent to “get a scholarship,” and Darry believes that he could help Pony financially get through college (Hinton 148). Darry believes that with hard work, Pony can do anything. Likewise, Darry is new to parenting. He was thrown into the situation when his parents died, and he does not want to fail and let them down. Darry has no experience, and feels responsible if anything bad happens to Pony. For example, when Pony does not use his head, it “drives Darry nuts” (Hinton 4). He knows the potential Pony has, but it frustrates him when he doesn’t use his head. Pony is smart in school, but does not have much common sense. Darry’s determination to sacrifice his needs for Pony and Soda allow him to understand his role as a