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The Outsiders Stay Gold Essay

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Staying Gold “Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold,” are Johnny Cade’s final words to Ponyboy Curtis before he passes away. What did Johnny mean by this? Surely, he doesn’t literally mean stay gold. The Outsiders, written by S. E. Hinton has many themes, including this hidden one. Throughout the book, the readers will learn more about the deeper meaning of this quote and the reason why Johnny only told this to Ponyboy- he is an innocent youth and is very unique. The first time, the term staying gold was mentioned in The Outsiders, was during Ponyboy’s explanation of a poem called Nothing Gold Can Stay written by Robert Frost. His poem goes like this, “Nature’s first green is gold / Her hardest hue to hold / Her early leaf’s a flower / But only so …show more content…

That is a fact that no one can deny. He’s not like his brothers, Two-Bit, Dally, Steve, or anyone else. He is Ponyboy. The boy who likes reading, watching movies, and admires sunsets. Johnny told Ponyboy, in a letter, on page 178 that he should continue to watch sunsets because it was gold. The only other character mentioned in The Outsiders who admires watching sunsets is Cherry Valance, therefore he really stands out. Ponyboy’s explanation of what most Greasers do is, “Greasers are almost like hoods; we steal things and drive old souped-up cars and hold up gas stations and have a gang fight once in awhile.” Despite his explanation, he doesn’t act like this at all. Ponyboy is unique because he wants to do something good in the world. In fact, he did- he wrote about something that was important to him. He wanted everyone to know that there was still good in the world. In conclusion, the book The Outsiders explain a hidden message through Johnny that is said to only Ponyboy because he is innocent and unique. Johnny’s final wish before he passes away is that Ponyboy will stay gold because it was truly an important theme in S. E. Hinton’s story. Therefore, S. E. Hinton wanted Johnny’s powerful and final message to the readers of The Outsiders to be stay gold, hoping you will,

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Before Johnny was going he gave Ponyboy his book and left a note that was too late to be discovered. The note said “Stay Gold Ponyboy, Stay Gold!” Meaning stay pure and live life to the fullest, Dally is more of the opposite. The note also said to show Dally the sunset to make him not as mean and to care more about the world and to be more kind. Johnny didn’t know Dally would suicide because of him.

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“Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold…” That quote is from The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton set in mid 1960s Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is about Ponyboy’s struggle to grow up among the fighting of the Greasers and the Socs. One character that stands out in the story is Johnny because he is a supportive character to Ponyboy.

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The element called gold can almost stay forever. Elements are what most things in the universe are made of. But what does the meaning "Nothing Gold can Stay"? And how do The Outsiders somehow relate to it? It could honestly have more meanings than one if you really, really thought about it.

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In the book The Outsiders there is a part in the book where a character named Johnny says “stay gold” to another character named Ponyboy. In my perspective I see the quote “stay gold” as Johnny telling Ponyboy to stay innocent and beautiful on the inside, and to not end up like he did. Most importantly, he was also telling Ponyboy to keep being himself which I believe is the best thing you can do. So, the aspects of my personality that I am confident make me who I am are my sense of humor, my attitude, and my mentality. One of the aspects of my life and personality that I think make me golden is my sense of humor.

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Stay Gold “Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold.” Were Johnny's last words and some of the most important message throughout the novel The Outsiders. The significance of “Stay gold” throughout the novel is showing how one should stay young and and innocent and that a golden moment never lasts. In order for the author of The Outsiders S.E. Hinton to really portray how important “Stay gold” is throughout the novel she uses the motif of “Stay gold” over and over again.

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One setting that’s significant in The Outsiders is the church in Windrixville. When Johnny Cade and Ponyboy Curtis flee to escape getting caught, they are instructed to go to an empty church. Curtis and Cade hid there for about five days waiting till Johnnys’ crime dies down. Johnny and Ponyboy talk about how “Nothing Gold Can Stay” and reflect on each other’s lives. When Winston comes to talk to both of them, and go to a drive-in, they go back to the church, and the church is on fire.

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He meant you’re gold when you’re a kid, like grass... When you’re a kid, everything is new, dawn,” Johnny said,“It’s just when you get used to everything that it’s day… Like the way you dig sunsets, that’s gold” (178). This shows how Johnny grasped the concept of life and how his life was fulfilled when he found his true reason to live; to save those children.

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Ch 9 Pg 148 “Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold…” The quote is significant by connecting to an Essential question because in Johnny’s last words he refrences the same Robert Frost poem that Ponyboy repeated outloud when they were sitting on the back porch of the church.

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He also says that he shouldn’t “…be so bugged over being a greaser. You still have a lot of time to make yourself be what you want.” Johnny is refereeing to how Ponyboy has a bright future and he can make with his life whatever he pleases. Pony finally understood what Johnny meant when he said, “stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold…”

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He want Ponyboy to stay his good self. In conclusion, The Outsiders novel has many symbols that can teach about life. Through hair, sunrises, and ‘gold’, we can learn about life. We should always know who we are, what are life is, and what we need to

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Johnny shows Ponyboy that the world isn’t corrupt with mean people and that it is still full of good. Johnny stated in the note Ponyboy found in the book Gone With The Wild that it is was worth saving the kids even if it meant his life. He also stated that the poem in the book meant “He meant you’re gold when you’re a kid,like green… and don’t get bugged over being a greaser. You still have a lot of time to make yourself be what you want. There’s still lots of good in the world” (Hinton 178-9).

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Clearly in this quote, Ponyboy is showing that he hopes that a moment in the day he, a greaser, wouldn’t be discriminated against because of his social class. In The Outsiders, everyone seems to have a different dream, not all having to do solely with equality, but nevertheless equality is a consistent theme in each

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