Nothing Can Stay Gold, By S. E. Hinton's The Outsider

Nothing can stay gold is a poem written by Robert Frost in 1923, the poem is written about the nature of beauty, youth and life. The Outsiders is a novel written by S.E Hinton in 1967. The novel explores a teenage boy and how he struggles with the right and wrong in society. The novel cleverly manages to make a connection with the poem using the main character development, the novel structure and the friendship in the novel.

What is striking at first glance is that Frost is speaking directly about the beauty of nature. The theme of the poem gives the impression of being removed from the novel. But once the poems have been separated by the layers, it has become clear that the poem is not written about nature but instead there is a hidden message

The poet explains that the common beauty of the first buds of green that is growing after a long winter represents youth and life as both of them are worth as much as gold. “I was wishing I looked like Paul Newman - he looks tough and I don’t” (P. 1 ). Ponyboy has always show how much he didn’t fit in as a Greaser. He time and time again says he wants to be tough so he can fit in with the other Greasers. Ponyboy is like the first buds of green as he is still growing, he still has a life and his youth with him which is worth as much as gold. “ So dawn goes down to day” ( Line - 7 ). Dawn is beautiful and unique, but everything could only happen in a limited time and will be replaced by something else.“ When you’re a kid everything’s new,dawn.” ( PDF P. 152). Johnny has figure out the hidden message behind the poem telling how when being a kid everything

“ Then leaf subsides to leaf” ( Line 5 ) . Nature has a strict pattern, they sprout, bud, grow, wither and die and repeat. They are essentially the same plant from the beginning until the end but they do not stay the same size or shape and instead they give off an aesthetic that is all new, familiar and the same.“ I had only two things on my mind, Paul Newman and a ride home” ( P. 218 ) The circular narrative is when the story ends where it began. The starting point and the ending point are the same but the characters undergo a transformation affected by the story’s events, which means that the characters are the same at the beginning and the end of the novel but because the storyline has affect them they have an aura that is all new, familiar and the same.“ Her hardest hue to hold” ( Line - 2 ) Hue represents the colour green as it is a colour that represents both youth and nature. The poem is describing how hard it is to hold on to your youth as people get older. “ I didn’t feel anything - scared, mad, or anything” ( p . 206 ). This quote has described how Ponyboy is not afraid of the Socs anymore. He is not scare of them anymore and instead he has become emotionless. Ponyboy has stop being his younger self and instead he grows more mature and has fit in as a Greaser easily. Furthermore, Ponyboy is still the same person from the start to the end