The Outsiders: Literary Analysis - Johnny Cade

Literary Analysis: Johnny Cade SE Hinton’s novel, The Outsiders conveys the true dilemmas and struggles that all teenage kids go through. One of the inevitable struggles that teenagers go through is dealing with change. From weak and afraid to courageous and bold, Johnny Cade’s personality evolves throughout the novel. His changes separate him from the rest of the characters who remained constant throughout. Johnny undergoes many struggles that made him emotionally and physically unstable. But with the gang by his side, he learns a lot and rapidly changes the way he thinks. Johnny is depicted as a vulnerable teen, filled with fear. In the beginning of the novel, Johnny is jumped by the Socs, leaving him traumatized. That caused Johnny to carry a just-in-case pocketknife at all times. Johnny feared that where ever he went there always was a chance of getting jumped again. Ponyboy mentions, “He had a nervous, suspicious look in his eyes, and that beating he got from the Socs didn’t help matters,” and even the gang knew that he is a very troubled kid. Also his family issues didn’t help at all. His dad was abusive and his mom didn’t have a care in the world for Johnny. But as the story progresses the different scenarios changes Johnny. Later in the story, the death of Robert Sheldon constructed a big contribution to the chage of Johnny. “You really killed him, huh, Johnny?” (57). He unwillingly killed Bob in order to save Ponyboy from drowning. Johnny takes immediate action by leading the way for Ponyboy. He went to Dally, asked for help, and got most things semi-taken care of. While they were at the church, Johnny took control by taking care of everything, buying food, supplies, and things like cards to kill time. Johnny acting this way was the start of him realizing that there were more important things in life. As the novel draws to a close Johnny chooses to risk his own life to save the kids in the fire. He realized that saving the kids would be better for everyone including himself and he shows his realization by saying, “Listen, I don’t mind dying now. It’s worth it. It’s worth saving those kids,” reassuring Ponyboy that nothing was Ponyboy’s fault almost. Johnny knew saving those kids was a great choice that he does not have to regret because he knew is he died, he would die gallant. In The Outsiders, the author portrays the rue dilemmas and struggles that all teenagers go through. The dilemmas you go through makes you who you are. Johnny’s change in personality only happened because of the events he experienced. Everyone goes through hard times, and the best thing is to learn from them. Johnny Cade realized the good of life, learning from his past, and just accepting the things that have occurred to him.