Misunderstandings In The Outsiders

In “The Outsiders”, a novel written by S.E Hinton, the main protagonist, Ponyboy Curtis, is caught in the midst of an act of homicide, an event where Pony’s friend and fellow greaser, Johnny, kills a Soc. Worried about having the police on their trail, and a possible news headline on the night of the murder, Ponyboy and Johnny abandon the safety of their homes to take refuge in an abandoned church, hoping to escape a potential prison sentence, or, in Pony’s case, separation from his brothers. Ponyboy’s gang relations and criminal activities threaten to cut the tether which connects Pony to his only remaining family, Soda and Darry. Although some may argue that Ponyboy would be in better hands within the system of shelters such as orphanages …show more content…
It is stated in the novel that, “Darry and I would probably still have misunderstandings – we were too different not to – but no more fights. We couldn 't do anything to hurt Soda” (149). This common will to put aside their quarrels in order to maintain the wellbeing of their sibling, and to keep him from hurt, is what really shows just how much good the greasers have in their hearts. Without question, Darry and Pony take action and settle their disputes as an effort to not harm Soda in any way, which alone shows the level of maturity that the greasers can display. Correspondingly, even after Pony ran away from home, that did not stop Soda and Darry from worrying about Pony’s safety while he was away from home, as displayed in the story when it says, “‘I 'm sure. It ain 't fair for Ponyboy to have to stay up in that church with Soda and Darry worryin ' about him all the time.’" (74). The fact that Pony’s brothers still worried for him despite everything that had happened after he had ran away gives insight on their strong family bonds, even if they are greasers. Pony may not have parents, but he does have two brothers who care about him, and that’s all the family that he has left. In short, there is no obstacle that the greasers cannot overcome through setting away their differences, or through their strong bond which motivates them …show more content…
Despite the danger of being in a gang, that is outweighed by the love and support that Pony receives from his brothers, something that would be lost forever if Pony is ever to be send to a foster home. In addition, Pony already has created a bond with his gang, a deep caring and understanding for one another that could never be recreated within an orphanage. Furthermore, Ponyboy may be surrounded by “delinquents” or “criminals”, but at heart Pony’s greaser family is very loving and knows very well the importance of sticking together. The novel states that, “‘You take up for your buddies no matter what they do. When you 're in a gang, you stick up for the members. If you don 't […] it isn 't aging any more. It 's a snarling, distrustful, bickering pack’” (23). The past of the greasers does not define them as people, and it does not explicitly state their morals. Ponyboy’s gang may not be an entirely safe influence on him, but they do offer the genuine feeling of family. Ultimately, the greasers are Pony’s only true family left, and that is something too precious to be