Johnny's Character In The Outsiders By S. E. Hinton

“If you are given a chance to be a role model, I think you should always take it because you can influence a person's life in a positive light, and that's what I want to do” (Tiger Woods). Humans have a massive amount of power to influence each other both positively and negatively and that is clearly shown in The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Johnny is a character living with neglectful parents and is part of a gang consisting of a few other boys around his age. Without parents to go to when he has troubles, Johnny looks to the gang, who consistently comes to the rescue of the poor boy. In the novel, the character Johnny Cade was unquestionably most influenced by the gang because they show him what it feels like to be loved, he looks up to them,

More specifically, Johnny’s relies on his friends to show him ". . . what love and affection are" (Hinton 12). Further, Johnny was a very sweet character even though he had not much going for him. The author shows the readers that the reason Johnny is kind when making choices is because the gang takes it easy on him. Likewise, Johnny’s melancholy life could have led him to “. . . run away a million times if we hadn’t been there” (Hinton 12). To continue, Johnny often has difficulties at home with his parents; thus, he needs friends to support him when he is at his worst. The fact that the greasers love Johnny so much has shown him that he has something good at home so therefore they have assisted in his choice to stay. Overall, without the gang’s love, Johnny would not have made many of the choices that formed his

After all, the Curtis’ “. . . front door is always unlocked in case one of the boys is hacked off at his parents and needs a place to lay over and cool off” (Hinton 105). As much as people might want families to be perfect, there are still countless issues that hinder the flawless family life one might wish for. Of course, parents can be difficult on their children at times, and having a family that is willing to take Johnny in when his own parents pay no attention to him can certainly affect how he makes his decisions. Additionally, while Johnny is in the hospital, dying, his mother recognizes the greasers and says to the nurse, “‘He’d rather see those no-count hoodlums than his own folks” (Hinton 123). In this case, Johnny’s mother does not realize that she is the problem for Johnny, and the greasers are the ones who have been there for him. Consequently, his desire to refuse to see his mother can only be explained by the fact that she has only made his life harder, unlike the greasers. For the most part, Johnny is most influenced by the gang because they are perpetually ready to comfort him during the aftermath of each and every