Heroism In The Outsiders

In S.E Hinton's novel The Outsiders, heroism is portrayed as both doing big and ambitious actions, but also small interactions shaping a bigger decision later on. Dally, Ponyboy and Johnny can all be seen as heroes. They all have heroic, courageous and admirable qualities that they demonstrate in different ways. They are also seen as heroes to each other; looking after one-another even if it puts them in a worse position.

Ponyboy is a hero because he isn’t afraid to speak his mind and act on something that affects him or someone close to him. He shows bravery by going into the fire and saying “i’ll get them, don’t worry i’ll get them”. By saving the kids, Johnny is then deemed a hero by everyone around him. It shows how he didn’t think twice

Johnny always wanted love and support. Which, he didn’t get when he was growing up. Because of that Johnny was shaped into a person that didn’t really fit with himself. Johnny always was a follower because he didn’t think it was socially acceptable to be his own person. Killing Bob took a toll on Johnny. He risked his future and may have been put in the electric chair, “I had to. They were drowning you Pony.” In saying this, it shows that Johnny was willing to put Ponyboy's life before himself. While he and Ponyboy are in the fire, Ponyboy says Johnny said this to him, “Johnny shoved me backwards (and screamed) get out”. This once again shows how Johnny would have saved Ponyboy's life before his own. Johnny was always known for not being the bravest out of the greasers so when he stood up for himself and said “Leave them alone, Dally” it was a big shock to everyone because he “worships the ground that Dally stands on”. He saw Dally as a mentor yet to everyone else he was a

In the outsiders, Ponyboy, Johnny and Dally are all heroes. Setting the example that even doing things that are against the law, you can still do good later on without reason to. Being a hero doesn’t just mean saving people in big events, but it can also be the simplest interaction like making peace with someone. In my eyes, Dally is a real hero. Despite being a criminal, he doesn't let his past actions define him and continues to do good things later on in the book. He never once thought twice about going in to save the kids and Johnny. He also didn’t hesitate to help Johnny and Ponyboy run away. So, even though the socs had more money, power and social dominance, it didn’t stop Dally from fighting from what he believed