Theme Essay

Ravini
This year I read the novel The Outsiders by S.E Hinton. Three ideas that I thought made the novel worth reading was how it is important to maintain your childhood innocence, how one simple act of violence can impact many people’s lives and how within gangs they show loyalty and devotion towards each other.
One idea that made The Outsiders by S.E Hinton worthwhile novel to read was how one act of violence can have many disasterous consequences. This is demonstrated when one day the physical violence between the Greasers and Socs escalates when Johnny kills a Soc called Bob. Since Johnny was defending Ponyboy both of them have to run away because of Johnny’s actions. In the novel, Ponyboy and Johnny saves kids from a burning church which leaves Johnny with serious burns. These burns are eventually the cause of his death. This example from the novel shows how indirectly Johnny’s act of violence was the cause of his death and Dally also affected from it. This theme is worthwhile to think about because it shows that violence always leads to suffering and tragedy no matter where in the world you live.
Another idea from the novel The Outsiders written by S.E Hinton was the loyalty that was displayed towards your friends. This is shown how even though Ponyboy may dislike certain members in his gang but he would still go out of his way to help and defend them. They all been through thick and thin together, and consider themselves a family. In the novel, towards the end Ponyboy and Darry start losing their loyalty towards each other but the problem is eventually resolved. This example from the novel shows that their loyalty towards each other as brothers will always be present no matter how difficult things may be. This idea is worthwhile to think about because it shows the support and loyalty people have for one another as friends, and how loyalty is a principle for members of the gang.
A third idea from the novel that is worthwhile to think about was how even when you have to face tough hardships it is important to stay true to who you are. Ponyboy lives in a world full of gang violence and hatred but still manages to live like a normal kid. He daydreams about the country, watches the sunset and always has his head buried in a book. In the book, Johnny’s last words to Ponyboy are “stay gold.” This is a reference to saying that he shouldn’t ever change. Greasers growing up only have a few number of values and this is the reason why many of them go astray and lose their innocence. This example from the novel shows how throughout the book Ponyboy struggles to fit in with Greasers while self-preserving himself, but through Cherry helps him see through the hatred between the Socs and Greasers. This idea was worthwhile to think about because it is something that many people struggle with in their daily lives. Many people are desperate to “fit in” but end up losing themselves along the way.
In conclusion, I thought that there were many things that you can take away from reading The Outsiders. S.E Hinton thoughtfully showed the cost of violence and how the outcome will never be positive.