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Opposites Attract In The Outsiders By S. E. Hinton

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What does the phrase “opposites attract” really mean? The two characters, Johnny Cade and Dallas Winston demonstrate the true meaning in The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton. Johnny and Dally are opposites because Johnny is law abiding while Dally deliberately breaks laws. Also when Johnny dies, he dies a hero while Dally dies a hoodlum. They do have similarities though. Johnny and Dally’s parents do not care for them. Also, Johnny and Dally care for one another. Johnny and Dally may seem very different, but they do have attributes in common. Johnny and Dally are very different people for many reasons, but one main reason is that Johnny does not get in trouble with the police, while Dally tries to break laws. For example, when Dally, Johnny, and Ponyboy go to the Nightly Double drive-in. Since Dally does not like doing things legally, they climb over the back fence of the drive-in to watch the movie. Ponyboy states, “. . . Dally hated to do things the legal way. He liked to show that he didn’t care whether there was a law or not” (20). …show more content…

For instance, when Dally comes to visit Johnny and Ponyboy in the church and Johnny asks Dally if his parents are wondering about him. Dally responds sharply, “‘. . .what do they matter? Shoot, my old man don’t give a hang whether I’m in jail or dead in a car wreck or drunk in the gutter”’ (88). This is the one time Dally talks about his father. It shows that his dad does not care for him. Similarly, Johnny’s parents ignore him most of the time, but when they do acknowledge him they are beating him. Johnny even says, “‘ I think I like it better when the old man is hittin’ me.” Johnny sighed. “At least I know he knows who I am”’ (51). Johnny’s parents abuse him and neglect him most of the time. Therefore, Johnny and Dally both have parents who do not care about their well

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S.E Hinton, the author uses hyperbole and exaggeration to describe Johnny as a dark little puppy and Dally as strong. Have you ever heard the quote “the good ones die young”?. In the book called The Outsiders characters show they aren't who people think they are. In the book named the outsiders written by S.E Hinton two characters named Johnny and dally decide to go into a burning church to save children from a school. As Johnny and dally were leaving there was huge turn of events.

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In the story The Outsiders written by S.E Hinton, there are two rival groups/ gangs, the greasers and the Socs. A young boy named Ponyboy explained his journey being a greaser and the sacrifices, consequences, and decisions he had to manage with. This story reminds me of William Shakespeare's story Romeo and Juliet of their similarities which are they gangs, fights, and loyalty and differences that are the wealthiness, behaviors, and between the two books. One of the similarities of the two books is the groups/ gangs, because in Romeo and Juliet there are the Montague and Capulets and in The Outsiders there are the greasers and the Socs. They are both enemies and try to sabotage and fight each other when every they have the chance to.

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On the other side, Dally held a knife to a nurse’s throat when Johnny was in the hospital, along with suicide after he died, from his guilt, we can assume. In summary, both unfortunately were defined by their situations: peer pressure, single-parent households, racism, low incomes, getting shunted around the education system, precarious housing. In the words of Segun “We were all just living up to our own stereotypes.

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Johnny’s parents don’t really like him. He gets no love or sense of having a family at home. He gets the family feeling from the members in his group they are like him family. Dally is like a big brother almost dad to Pony boy and Johnny.

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( Hinton 98) Darry was worried for Ponyboy when he came home late from the lot with Johnny Cade. Then, Ponyboy found out that Darry was telling him that he thought he was going to loose him like he lost his parents again. "Darry," i said " I'm sorry..." i could hear him sob racking him as he fought to keep back the tears. " Oh, Pon, thought we'd lost you.. like we did Mom and Dad..."

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“Running away won 't help.” Johnny was right. Ponyboy had people that loved and cared for him... they just didn 't know how to show it!” In the book The Outsiders by S.E Hinton, proves that no matter what type of Social class you are; Greaser or Socs, family is most important and will help you get through the difficult parts in life.

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They both had family issues; when Johnny’s parents aren’t physically or verbally abusing him they are just ignoring him, and for Dally the gang (The Greasers) were as close to family as he got. They both care about each other. They are both extremely loyal both of them would do anything to help out a friend; although Johnny seemed very quite he saved his friend (Ponyboy) from getting killed by the socs, and when the kids were in the church fire he put his life in risk to save them and with Dally helped Johnny and Ponyboy get out of town when they were in trouble. They both hated the social group called the ‘Socs’ and lastly they both

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Love - an intense feeling of deep affection. Love is an emotion shown in many romantic or family relationships as well as friendships. Love is shown frequently throughout the entirety of the book The Outsiders. For example, Dally is an extremely aggressive and audacious person, but he also shows immense love towards Johnny. Sodapop is a fun-loving, carefree high-school dropout, but he is understanding and shows love to both of his brothers by seeing both sides of an argument.

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I had never seen Dally like this, it was like I was watching him break. “Your buddy, Johnny.” I finished, then looked backed up at Dally. He was staring that Johnny’s grave. “This ain’t right, Pony” Dally said, tears filling in his eyes.

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When you think of family you might think of adults and their children, or kids who lost their parents but are still related to each other. The Outsiders by S.E Hinton tells otherwise. It shows that even if you are not related, you can still be family; you can still have love and affection for each other. In the book, there is a contradiction between the gang’s biological family and their “family”. There is connection shown between the greasers from the Socs in the blue Mustang to Johnny dying in the hospital not wanting to see his mother.

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Many people have used violence to solve problems that they have at some point in their life, but as you look back at what you accomplished, you realized that violence doesn’t help you in a good way. Ponyboy learned that the hard way. In The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton presents the idea that using violence against your rival(s) isn’t the solution, it is the problem. One scene that reveals the idea that violence isn’t the answer and that it can only hurt others, was in Chapter 3 when ponyboy talks about what happened to Johnny. He said, “Johnny was lying face down on the ground.

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Dally is not strong mentally (when he couldn’t let Johnny go), he really does not do good deeds, and he does not care about any other people than only Johnny, and he’s rude to others and bad at using words. A quotation that supports my statement is, “What for? Get back in here before I beat your head in.” (p.90) This quotation supports my statement because Dally said this to Ponyboy when he hopped off the car and said to see what the deal is when he saw the old church on fire, it proves that Dally does not care about other stuff that does not involve him and that he’s rude to others and using

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This shows how he gained back his self-confidence and his ability to stand up for himself. Johnny finally found his acceptance from Dally when Dally said, “We’re all so proud of you” (148). When Dally said that Ponyboy noticed Johnny’s eyes glowing, “Dally was proud of him... That was all he ever wanted” (148). In the letter he wrote to Ponyboy, “It’s worth saving those kids...

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Ch 10 Pg 154 “ Dally didn’t die a hero.” The quote is significant by connecting to an Essential question because he said that Johnny died like a hero in the fire saving the children, and Dally died like a hoodlum robbing a bank.

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Throughout the novel, characters serve and give of themselves for each other in order to protect the ones they love. Darry makes these kind of sacrifices for his brothers. Later, Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally risk their lives trying to save each other. The

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