The Outsiders by S.E Hinton
The book tells the story of Ponyboy, a 14 year old and his two older brothers Darrel AKA Darry who is 20, and Sodapop, who is 16 years old. In The Outsiders by S.E Hinton, the brothers lose theirs parents recently in an automobile accident. Darry agreed to become their guardian as long as they behaved themselves.Staying out of trouble is hard to do in their neighborhood. Ponyboy makes every attempt not to participate in typical gang activities because his brother Darry will kill him if he gets in trouble.Gangs are every where and he finds it difficult to avoid gang life.Being a member of a gang can cause emotionally and physically pain. This is exactly what happened to Ponyboy.
Ponyboy almost lost his life one night while walking home alone from the movies. He notices a Red Covair following him and as it pulled up next to him five Socs jump out and surround him. One of them asks, "Need a haircut, Greaser?" and pulls out a blade and starts to beat him up. Ponyboy screams for help and suddenly his brothers and a few Greasers appeared on the scene and run the Socs away. The three brothers lived on the East Side of town, the poorer side of town while the Socs lived on the West Side of town the richer part. "We're poorer than the Socks and middle class.", says Ponyboy. The two gangs were arch enemies, they were rivals. The Socs felt they had an advantage because they were richer than The Greasers, The East Side vs West Side. Gang life almost lead to Ponyboy's death and almost caused Darry to stop letting him live at home.
The following night, Ponyboy, Dallas and Johnny headed to a movie. At the movies they Sherri and Valance who had ditched their boyfriends,Socs at the movies. The gentlemen, Ponyboy and Jonny offered to walk the young ladies home,even though it could cause them to miss their curfew. As everyone was strolling along they ran into The Socs, their rival who wanted to fight The Greasers. Valance stopped The Socs from fighting Ponyboy and Jonny. Ponyboy and his friends were trying to be gentleman but they were being gentleman to the wrong people. Violence always follows gangs. Ponyboy has to live his life everyday not knowing when a violent act will occur. I don't think he knew they were the Socs girlfriends. If Valance was not there the situation could've been worse.
Ponyboy and Jonny didn't have the opportunity to end their night in the company of two pretty girls so they headed to a parking lot to hang out in. They fell asleep there and at 2 a.m. they woke up and realized instantly that they had missed curfew. The boys made a mad dash home. Ponyboy stumbled in late for curfew. Darry was so furious he slapped him. Ponyboy had never been hit by a family member and he storms out of the house and was determined to run away. Jonny and Ponyboy head back to the park to hangout. The Socks found the boys there and they were determined to payback Ponyboy and Johnny for picking up their girls earlier. A Socks grabs Ponyboy and holds his head under the water of a fountain. Ponyboy feels himself drowning and he blacksout.He wakes up to the Socks running away and Bob"s bloody body on the pavement laying near him. Johnny yells "I killed him" and he see Johnny's switchblade covered in blood. Gang life has forced Ponyboy and Johnny into hiding. Ponyboy isn't dead and Jonny isn't in jail for the stabbing but it doesn't mean it can't happen. Now Johnny has to live in constant fear for his life because of Bob's murder and a prison sentence is waiting for him if he is every found by the police.
Trouble followed Ponyboy down every path he traveled during the story. Gang activities leads to a life filled with pain, time in jail and possibly death. PonyBoy felt physical pain in three altercations and emotional pain while he was on the run. What will be next for him? I hope it is not death. Many gang members die from being in a gang while they are in jail because they have a life sentences or someone from another gang kills them.The cycle of violence never ends.
Khalia Parris - 812
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