Heroes_of__The_Outsiders_

S.E. Hinton’s novel, The Outsiders, tells of the social clashes that occur in a small Oklahoma town, and the heroic boys that have to endure them. Through all of the struggles the boys face, they are forced to make plenty of difficult decisions. Johnny Cade and Darrel Curtis are two of the most altruistic and brave characters in the novel. They are constantly watching out for others and protecting the people around them to the best of their ability. These qualities label them heroes. Johnny Cade and Darrel Curtis are constantly proving their heroism by their courageous actions. Throughout the novel, Johnny is described as “a puppy that has been kicked too many times”. Even though Johnny is only 16 years old, he has already been beaten down by the cruelty of the world. When he isn’t being physically beaten by his father, he is being ignored by his mother. His parents seem to have no concern for him at all. In addition to this, he suffered a brutal beating from his rival group, the socs, and now lives in constant fear. Johnny has always been a hero, simply for living through every obstacle that he’s faced with, but his heroic qualities are first magnified at the park. One night as Johnny and Ponyboy are alone at the park, a group of socs drives up in their blue mustang. When the drunken socs take it too far and begin to drown Pony, Johnny pulls out his switchblade and kills Bob, the soc who had been drowning Pony. Though his actions are violent, they portray his love for Pony. He commits murder to save the life of his innocent friend. Ultimately, this accident ends with the boys hiding out in an old church in Windrixville. When Johnny and Pony return to the church they discover a group of kids trapped in the burning church. Johnny jumps into the building immediately, and rushes to save the kids. With help from Pony, he lifts each kid safely out the church window. Once all the kids are safely out, he tells Pony to get out. The building caves in while Johnny is still inside, and he has to be pulled out by Dally. This accident causes Johnny to be hospitalized with severe burns and paralysis from the neck down. Before he passes, he states in a letter to Pony, “I don’t mind dying now. It’s worth it. It’s worth saving those kids.” This statement says everything about who Johnny is. Although a gentle boy, he has a profound impact with his unrelenting demand for peace. Johnny Cade, the ultimate hero, is completely selfless; he gives everything he has to help the people around him. Another significant hero in the novel is Darrel Curtis, or Darry. Darry, twenty years old, is a father to his two younger brothers. When the Curtis brothers’ parents pass away in a tragic car accident, the three boys are left to battle through life alone. Darry has plenty of opportunity; he is smart and an amazing athlete. In fact, he is offered a college scholarship to play football. He ignores this offer, knowing that he has a responsibility to take care of his family. He easily could have left Soda and Pony in a boy’s home, and went off to college. Instead, Darry stays with his brothers and even works two jobs to support his family. He worries about his brothers, just like a father. When Pony comes home at two in the morning, Darry is still awake, waiting anxiously for his little brother to return home safely. He does everything he can to protect his brothers; before the rumble, Darry is anxious to let Pony participate. He knows that Pony hasn’t been feeling well and that it is risky to let Pony fight. This undoubtedly proves that Darry is a responsible and caring guardian. Though Pony tends to take Darry’s hard work for granted, Darry continues to work hard without complaint. He rarely shows any emotion because he knows that the boys look up to him, and he couldn’t ever let them down. Because of his hard work and lack of conveyed emotion, he is nicknamed “Superman” by the gang. With his bulging muscles and tough personality, the boys see Darry as a superhero figure that can do anything. A hero is a rare individual to come across. Selflessness is a difficult quality to attain. Sometimes it’s the unsuspected character that encompasses the golden values present in the everyday superhero. Even the stereotypical “thugs” like Johnny and Darry can match up to the definition of hero.