Family In The Outsiders

he Unexplored Unknown: Family in “The Outsiders”
Close your eyes for a moment. Imagine a world without family… without Mom, without Dad. Family, without a doubt, is one of the most significant things in this world. Just like it is important in the world, it is also crucial in “The Outsiders,” a novel written S.E Hinton. The novel depicts two weeks in the life of a 14-year-old boy, Ponyboy Curtis. The book tells his story and his struggles with right and wrong in a society in which he is not a part of. Family plays a large role in the developing the personality of each character, affecting the characters’ behavior and actions. The lack of family contributes in a negative way affecting members of both gangs: greasers and Socs. When families

Family evolves throughout the book; mostly shown in the Curtis family. The evolution shows a broken family turn into a reunited one. The lack of parents led the Curtis brothers to struggle to stay together. They managed to overcome their challenges and unite. This reunion of family led the Curtis brothers to change their personalities and their views. There are two major examples showing the evolution of the family. The first quote shows the Curtis’ family relationship at the start of the book. “Me and Darry just don’t dig each other. I could never please him.” (Hinton, 13) This quote shows that Ponyboy dislikes Darry with a feeling of rejection. There is evidence supporting the fact that Ponyboy and Darry dislike each other. This is shown when Darry is too strict and demanding, when Ponyboy runs away, when Darry slaps Ponyboy, and when both brothers yell and argue. Negative family members, such as Darry, influenced the actions of our characters. This is shown when Ponyboy runs away due to the physical violence of his brother, Darrel Curtis. This reaction, sparked by a negative family member, led to many consequences such as the death of Johnny and Dally. The second quote shows their family bringing and joining together. “Instead of me and Darry pulling him apart, he’d be pulling us together.” (177) This quote shows the Curtis family bringing together and realizing their own issues. The reunion of family led to a change in the personality of a character. The “bringing together” of family led Darry to realize his unkindness with Ponyboy. Positive families, therefore, have positive effects on our characters, clearing their