Of Family Life In S. E. Hinton's Book 'The Outsiders'

In S.E Hinton’s book, The Outsiders, many of the characters struggle with a difficult family life. It is very clear that being loved and having a sense of self-worth is important in high schoolers’ lives. Ponyboy Curtis and Johnny Cade showed how it is imperative to have strong ties with family and friends.
For example, one pivotal point in the novel is when Johnny kills the Soc (Bob) that was trying to drown Ponyboy. After Johnny stabs Bob, he says, "I had to. They were drowning you Pony. They might have killed you. And they had a blade… They were gonna beat me up." (The Outsiders, Hinton pg. 28) This exchange shows the incredible strength of the relationship between Pony and Johnny, and demonstrates that family is not defined only by blood relatives; it is a relationship that can extend to people who are not family by blood or law. This scene also shows how family would do anything for each other, as they knew the punishment for murder was the electric chair. …show more content…
"We couldn't get along without him. We needed Johnny as much as he needed the gang. And for the same reason.” (Hinton pg.28) Throughout the book, it is apparent that Johnny needs the greasers; he is smaller, younger, and more passive than the rest of the group, making him not only an easy target for the Socs, but also for his own abusive family, who are often drunk, and hit him. However, the gang’s need for Johnny is less obvious. Having someone like Johnny around to protect gives the gang a sense of purpose. All the gang members had unstable family lives, and they felt they had a responsibility to protect Johnny. The greasers bonded with a shared purpose of looking after him as kind of a younger