Feelings In The Outsiders

One’s surroundings may have an impact that affects perception and behaviors they pursue. In the novel, the outsiders, by S.E. Hinton, Sherri (Cherry) Valance was not the typical upper-class adolescent. She stimulated her friend, Ponyboy Curtis, to see how equally unsettled Socs and Greasers both were. As her character develops, Sherri acts as a spy in service of the Greasers to help them and her class as well. The gang influenced decisions Cherry Valance made by confirming their aspects, feeling sympathetic towards her conflicting posse, and seeing the genuine character in a person.

The nature of her gang made Cherry establish the reason of discrimination her town incorporated. Reckless and wild, Socs were “...always going and going, and never

Although she was commonly enclosed by them due to the rivalry troops, Sherri “...can’t stand fights. . . I can’t stand them . . .’ I pulled her to one side. ‘I couldn’t use this,’ I said, dropping the pop bottle. ‘I could never cut anyone . . . ‘ I had to tell her that, because I had seen her eyes when Two- Bit flicked out his switch. ‘I know,’ she said quietly. Ponyboy . . . I mean . . . If I see you in the hall at school or someplace and don’t say hi, well, it’s not personal or anything, but . . .’ ‘I know,’ I said. ‘We couldn’t let our parents see us with you all . You’re a nice boy and everything . . .’” (Hinton 45). To clarify, association between the Socs and Greasers was forbidden because of stereotypical perceptions. Because of this, she felt resentment in secret, and knew optimism for the future was misplaced. Additionally, Ponyboy Curtis was utterly surprised, for he found that “. . . Cherry Valance, the cheerleader, Bob’s girl, the Soc, was trying to help us. No, it wasn’t Cherry the Soc who was helping us, it was Cherry the dreamer who watched sunsets and couldn’t stand fights. It was hard to believe a Soc was would help us, even a Soc that dug sunsets,” (Hinton 86). The teen decided her next deed in which she would defend Curtis and Johnny Cade, and likewise to help her own gang. To cease violence, Cherry volunteers to balance

When Ponyboy asked Cherry if she wanted to see Johnny, was was recovering from the accident, she declined and merely “‘. . .couldn 't,’ she said, in a quiet, desperate voice. ‘He killed Bob. Oh, maybe Bob asked for it, I know he did. But I couldn 't ever look at the person who killed him. You only knew his bad side. He could be sweet sometimes, and friendly. But when he got drunk, . . . it was that part if him that beat up Johnny,’” (Hinton 128).” Putting his dangerous actions aside, Cherry distinguished him as one with a good nature, but inferior persona as well, that was seen by Curtis. The adolescent viewed people in ways others did not consider, despite mistakes they made along the way. Moreover Valance descried the “. . . same things in Dallas. That was why she was afraid to see him, afraid of loving him, I knew what she meant all right. But she also meant she wouldn’t go see Johnny because he had killed Bob” (Hinton 129). To continue, Sherri was attracted to savage beings like Bob and Darry and kept these traits as a brand of excitement. Although Johnny suspended her boyfriend in self defense, she could not overcome Bob’s absence. Therefore, Sherri’s posse created an impact that showed a possibility of genuine characteristics in