Loss Of Innocence In The Outsiders

In S.E. Hinton's coming-of-age novel, The Outsiders, various characters learn not to repress their feelings but instead express them. Ponyboy, the main character of The Outsiders, witnesses his friend, Johnny, kill an 18-year-old named Bob. Soon after this traumatic experience, Ponyboy watches Johnny slowly die in the hospital. Ponyboy tries to cope with these tragedies by denying their existence for weeks. But after weeks of denial, Ponyboy finally admits, “I knew Johnny was dead. I had known it all the time, even while I was sick and pretending he wasn’t. It was Johnny, not me, who had killed Bob-I knew that too. I had just thought that maybe if I played like Johnny wasn’t dead it wouldn’t hurt so much” (177). Ponyboy was aware of the death of Johnny, the murder of Bob, and his denial of the two. The only thing he wasn't

Randy was the best friend of Bob and is now grieving his death. Weeks after Bob’s death, Randy talks to Ponyboy about how he feels. Randy says, "Randy tried to grin, but I could tell he was close to tears (...) 'If his old man had just belted him--- just once, he might still be alive. I don't know why I'm telling you this. I couldn't tell anyone else. My friends--- they'd think I was off my rocker or turning soft. Maybe I am. I just know that I'm sick of this whole mess” (116). This quote shows that Randy has been suppressing his grief for Bob’s death for a while due to the suppressive feelings surrounding his friend group. His group has drilled the negative stigma around self-expression so deep in Randy that he believes he is crazy or turning soft for wanting to heal. Randy turns to Ponyboy to express himself because the suppression of his feelings had become too overwhelming. This quote supports my claim because Randy had been suppressing his emotions about Bob's death for so long that he couldn’t anymore. Once he turned to Ponyboy to express his feelings, a weight had been lifted off of