The Exploration Of The Effects Of Violence Through Dallas Winston

Emily McCord
Karr
Composition 1
21 April 2023
The Exploration of the effects of Violence through Dallas Winston
"The Outsiders'' follows the coming-of-age story of Ponyboy Curtis, a 14-year-old member of the Greasers, and his fight to survive in the streets of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Tensions brim between the Greasers, a poor gang struggling in the worst part of town, and the Socs, a wealthy gang from the Southside. Both sides viciously lash out; attacking, stalking, and plotting against the opposing gang. Dallas Winston, more commonly known as Dally, is the toughest Greaser. Dallas had a rough childhood. Originally born in New York, he grew up in poverty. Due to his parents' neglect and abuse, he was sent to a boys' home where he toughened up to

Characters are stabbed, shot, beaten, and killed; none of the characters denounce the violence. Rather, they actively engage in violence by starting rumbles, bar fights, and robberies. When questioned about the excessive violence by a friend, Ponyboy says, "It was the gang life. So much violence, so much hate." (page 34). This quote highlights how the gang views violence as a way of life that is necessary and unavoidable. By accepting the brutality of gang life, which they formed to protect themselves against the Socs, the gang is stuck in an endless cycle of retaliation. The gang fights for protection; violence is necessary for their survival. The characters live, breathe, and die for violence, especially Dally Winston. Dally, who was heavily exposed to violence throughout his childhood, is so desensitized to violence that he is described as, "He liked fights, blondes, and for some unfathomable reason, school." (Page 32) This quote clearly establishes Dally's love for fights but ultimately emphasizes his infatuation with violence. Dally is the most affected by violence, as he is the toughest in the gang and lives for

He could only rely on one person: himself. However, after running to Tulsa, he met Johnny, a Greaser with the same story as him: an abusive family, living on the streets, and trust issues. Despite his trust issue, he slowly befriended Johnny, even giving him his gun, his only form of protection, when Johnny was on the run. Johnny was the only person Dally truly cared for. After the death of Johnny Cade, Dally was unable to process his death. Dallas coped the only way he knew how: violently. He went on a rampage, angrily running out of Johnny's hospital room and robbing the closest store. He quickly garnered the attention of the police and ran away. As the police slowly closed in on his location, Dally called the Greasers in a quiet, desperate last-ditch attempt for help. While he waited, Dally, unable to cope, took the unloaded gun he gave Johnny and rushed the police. The gang arrives just in time to see Dally die, watching the police shoot him and his body fall to the ground. Ponyboy resignedly describes his death as "He was dead before he hit the ground. But I knew that was what he wanted... Dallas Winston wanted to be dead, and he always got what he wanted" (page 152). Ponyboy describes Dally’s death with resignation; he firmly believed that Dally wanted to die. He had a way out; he called for help. He could have left alive but chose to rush the police with