The Outsiders By S. Hinton: A Modern Day Hero

Decent Essays
“Look! it's a bird!” “No! it's a plane!” “No! It's Superman!” A great representation of what we call a “hero”. Spiderman, Superman, Batman, and Captain America are all modern day “heros” but what makes someone, or even something a hero? In the story The Outsiders by S.E Hinton, about two groups of social classes who had a dispute which send two boys, Johnny and Ponyboy, on the run. There are many characters who can’t fly, can’t spin webs, or even float! yet they are still heros. So, what gives?
A “hero” is described in an surplus of ways, by a immense amount of people. One person may describe a hero as a noble soldier returning or deploying to duty while another person says a hero is their pet dog. As put best by musician Ricky Martin, “Heroes

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Todd Beamer: Heroic Hero

    • 346 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Todd Beamer A hero is an individual who is admired for his or her qualities and accomplishments. Someone who is a hero is a selfless leader, and has a positive impact on society. Heros leave a legacy and are respected by others. The courageous achievements of Todd Beamer are heroic in many ways.…

    • 346 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    S. E. Hinton wrote the novel The Outsiders to present a complex theme that her characters have to deal with. She portrays an environment where characters created happiness for themselves but then have it destroyed by an action of grief. Throughout the book when one of the characters experienced joy there would also come pain. For example there was a character named Bob in The Outsiders that brought Cherry Valance comfort but when Bob died a great distress came over her which causes her to learn how to let go. In summary, one will understand that the author is trying to cast the theme that the main characters in the novel will experience delight, but it will get interrupted by agony.…

    • 876 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Billie Jean King: A Hero

    • 498 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Heroes are people who stand up for what they believe in. A hero is someone who makes a significant impact in history. Most heroes believe that the world can always be changed for the better. Billie Jean King was considered a hero who proved to the world that women could compete just as well as men.…

    • 498 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    What is a true hero? What is a hero? There are many different ways to describe a hero. A hero could be like Beowulf, an Anglo-Saxon hero, who was: strong, ready to fight battles and die for his country, and does everything for fame and fortune.…

    • 412 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Albert Einstein once said, “Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.” This quote perfectly describes the alter in Ponyboy’s demeanor towards the Socs. In S.E Hinton’s book, The Outsiders, the main character’s attitude towards the higher class socials changes over the course of the novel, transitioning from feelings of fear and avoidance, to feelings of openness and acceptance. Ponyboy is labeled a Greaser, which is the opposite of a Soc, therefore pronouncing them rivals. Unlike the others, Pony doesn’t have a “tough guy” “ready-to-fight” approach towards the Socs, but more of a scared, intimidated mindset.…

    • 406 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Am I a Hero? A hero is someone who does selfless, courageous acts. This statement refers to a great amount of people in the world. There are many heroes in the world and they come in all different shapes and sizes. For some there is no badge or reward for what they do and they still do it.…

    • 909 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Hero. Everyone hears that title tossed around… but what does it mean? What purpose does the word Hero have? What hold does it have over the hearts, that make us believe what we want to know... to not understand a true meaning of a Hero.…

    • 358 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Title A man named Joseph Campbell said, “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” Someone who helps others dedicates their life to bigger causes or does not fear to do things others would is considered heroic. Through selflessness, determination, and courage, heroes help others without getting any benefits in return. Courage is the ability to have strength in the face of pain or grief. For example, Frederick Douglass experienced terrible pain in his life but still advocated what he believed in.…

    • 466 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A hero is like the sun on a rainy day. They might not be seen, but when they are seen people’s day get brighter and a rainbow may form. Most heroes have at least one thing in common, they want to help and better other people’s life or the way they view life. Heroes are respectful and impact others, but they are never arrogant.…

    • 608 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    According to Tom Hanks, “ A hero is somebody that voluntarily walks into the unknown.” In 1000 A.D. when the epic of Beowulf was written, heroes were brave people that would fight for the people and save their lives. Today, there is the same concept of back then. Soldiers and other life saving heroes will never go away. Save lives isn’t always easy to do.…

    • 424 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Michael's Hero Definition

    • 627 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In poetry and song, literature, and action movies, the hero embodies the qualities of bravery, strength, and honor. According to Merriam-Webster, a hero is a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability: a warrior: a person admired for achievements and noble qualities: one who shows great courage. While others define this concept as an actual cause a selfish or unselfish act, on the other hand, a hero is someone who stands for integrity and justice for all humanity and willingly put his life in peril for that belief. As noted there will always be different definitions of a hero as of the diverse perspective on the issue. Let’s look at the different perspective of a hero, for example, Michael, the character in the poem “Crazy Courage” was his actions courageous enough to consider a hero or was his act self-centered and selfish.…

    • 627 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “Heroes represent the best of ourselves, respecting that we are human beings. A hero can be anyone from Gandhi to your classroom teacher, anyone who can show courage when faced with a problem. A hero is someone who is willing to help others in his or her best capacity.” -Ricky Martin-…

    • 984 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The majority of people have their own definition of a hero, my definition is, a hero is someone that fights for what they believe in, no matter the consequences. Like Beowulf for example, stood up for the people of Heorot when Grendel started to attack, and he also went after the dragon to protect his people. Another hero to me would be Boo Radley. Both Boo, and Beowulf fought for what they thought was right, and also changed how people thought of them.…

    • 720 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Cesar Chavez Heroism

    • 560 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A hero is someone who can save someone's life, society, or even the country. In addition,…

    • 560 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The novel ‘The Outsiders’ by S.E. Hinton is an enthralling story about the hardships and triumphs experienced by two socially different rival gangs, the Greasers and the Socs. The novel’s title advocates the main storyline, the Greasers, a gang of social outcasts and misfits. A theme of “The Outsiders” is people - despite their social and financial differences - striving for the same things, enjoying the same things, sharing many similarities and not having to be enemies. Hinton expresses the connection of characters from the rival gangs through the use of literary devices as well as a detailed story line. While associating only with people of one’s own social and financial background can be balancing and allow some to be more open, social…

    • 1565 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays