Premium Essay

The Outsiders: Johnny As A Hero

Submitted By
Words 623
Pages 3
A Hero
Heroes are generally humble people; they do not brag about their deeds, or show off. When they save others, they show bravery and courage. However, some heroes have flaws that can harm them. For example, being selfish and bragging can lead to a hero’s downfall. Although Ponyboy is usually seen as the hero in The Outsiders, Johnny is the most heroic character in my opinion. He was willing to sacrifice his life in order to save multiple lives in a burning church. As a result, he was nearly killed because of a falling pillar that hit his back. Johnny is selfless, loyal, and daring.
One quality Johnny shows in The Outsiders is selflessness. He displays this trait when he saves the children from the burning church. The children are stuck inside the church while it burns down, and Johnny immediately goes to save them. Ponyboy also saves the children, but he sees something different in Johnny which represents his selflessness: “I blinked myself-- Johnny wasn't behaving at all like his old self... I caught one quick look at his face; it was red marked from falling embers and sweat streaked, but he grinned at …show more content…
Johnny is daring which leads him to stab Bob with a blade. He becomes daring and helps his friend Pony. This conflict leads to more climaxes which cause him to die. Johnny does not know that he will become more heroic and dies. He takes a step away from his true personality and changes. In the hospital, he says his final words to Ponyboy. “‘Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold...’ The pillow seemed to sink a little, and Johnny died” (Hinton, 148). Johnny dies as a hero; he dies as a selflessness, loyal, and daring hero who sticks with his gang.
Johnny is the true hero in The Outsiders. He shows his heroism by sacrificing his life for others in extreme cases. He thinks of others before himself which makes him a hero. At the end, Johnny dies because of his sacrifice. This proves that Johnny is selfless, loyal, and

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Examples Of Heroes In The Outsiders

...ways, in books or real life. For example, in the book “Outsiders“ three specific Greasers are definitely heroes: Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally. Ponyboy is a hero because he ran into a burning building to save a few kids even though he was told not to. In Outsiders, page 79 it says, “ Dally was standing there, and when he saw me he screamed, ‘For Pete's sake, get out of there! That roofs gonna cave in any minute. Forget those blasted kids!’I didn't pay any attention, although pieces of the old roof were crashing down too close for comfort. “ This proves that although Ponyboy could have died, he continued to save the kids and not himself. Therefore, Ponyboy is a hero because he risked his own life to save a couple of young kids from the burning, crumbling church. Dally is a hero because when Johnny passed out before he could escape, Dally went in to drag Johnny out of the burning building even though he might have died. In Outsiders, on page 131 it says, “I...

Words: 536 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Examples Of Heroism In The Outsiders

...“I was a 'young adult' when I wrote 'The Outsiders,' although it was not a genre at the time. It's an interesting time of life to write about, when your ideals get slammed up against reality, and you must compromise.” -S. E. Hinton. The Outsiders was a big deal back in the ‘60s because it started teen-realistic fiction. This book demonstrated heaps of true heroism in many of the characters. A hero, in my opinion, shows responsibility, bravery, and sacrifice. Johnny Cade most suits my definition of a hero. Early in the book, Johnny reveals his heroism, but he shows even stronger heroism during the middle of the book. Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dallas were eating at a Dairy Queen for the first time since Johnny and Ponyboy fled, and then Dally tells the others that Cherry is their spy and that she explained Johnny was innocent. After all, killing Bob, who nearly drowned Ponyboy, was self-defense. “We’re goin’ back and turn ourselves in,” Johnny stated [Hinton 87]. Johnny chose to do the right thing, even though he knows he might have to sacrifice the rest of his life. Johnny’s first act consists of heroism/sacrifice because he longs for what’s right, even at the cost of his future. In the next scene, Johnny further performs his heroism by being incredibly brave. He and Ponyboy ran into a burning church...

Words: 536 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Character Analysis Of Johnny In The Outsiders By S. E. Hinton

...During the reading of “The Outsiders,” written by S.E. Hinton, I automatically felt a connection with Johnny Cade, a greaser who was friends with the main character - Ponyboy. Johnny had a pretty rough life which is made obvious throughout the book. About 4 months before the book begins, Johnny is critically beaten up by a group of Socs which had left him jittery and on edge. That’s not all Johnny has faced with the Socs, however, he has also killed one when the same group tried to drown Ponyboy. Johnny is in a stage of being nervous all the time and carries a blade with him everywhere. A blade that he’ll eventually have to use to protect himself and Ponyboy. However, Johnny is not a wanted criminal, in the eyes of many he is a hero. Most importantly, Johnny is first described as “The gangs pet.” Or “A little dark puppy that has been kicked too many times.” Johnny has had it rough since the beginning. Johnnys parents are viewed as uncaring and unloving. Which is why Johnny basically did anything he wanted because his parents wouldn’t care. He stayed away from home a lot, often sleeping in vacant lots or at Ponyboys house. On top of that, Johnny was severely beaten by a group of Socs last spring. This led to PTSD and fear, and this fear would lead to him potentially killing a Soc....

Words: 582 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Heroes In The Outsiders

...Everyone knows a hero is someone that is willing to sacrifice their life for others, whether they are old or young. In the book the Outsiders there are greasers and socs, and they always claim that the socs are so much better than the greasers and in reality they really are not. Greasers are heroes where as socs are not, because they are cruel and like to jump people. In this essay I will tell you how Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally are all heroes in their own way. Hopefully after you read this you will know why I believe that greasers are heroes just as much as socks are. Too start with, Ponyboy is definitely a hero even though he is greaser, he has saved lives for his. When at the church on Jay mountain there was a fire and there were several...

Words: 478 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Johnny In The Outsiders

...What's a hero? A hero is someone you can look up to and can save someone. In the outsiders, Johnny is a hero. Johnny is considered a hero because he saves ponyboy and helps disguise him so they are not caught. Johnny is a hero because he saves ponyboy's from bob. When bob was drowning ponyboy in the fountain so Johnny stabbed Bob. When Bob was drowning Ponyboy in the fountain, so johnny stabbed Bob. Johnny needed to stab Bob because Bob would have killed his friend. Johnny is a hero because he saved his friend. In addition he saved ponyboy by dying his hair. Cutting his hair to hide him from the police. Also he hid him from the police by taking him to an abandoned church and feeding him. He also was always there for him and...

Words: 253 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Examples Of Sacrifice In The Outsiders

...In the book The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton, it shows that true friends sacrifice for each other and would risk their lives for each other. When The Outsiders first starts, it shows how Ponyboy, Darry, and Soda are brothers. They don’t get along that well, but when something bad happens to one of them, they sacrifice for each other. They are poor and the society calls them “greasers” because they use grease in their hair. Their education and money is really bad. The other group that is wealthy is called the “Socs”. The society thinks that...

Words: 744 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Essay On Johnny In The Outsiders

...The character Johnny from the book, The Outsiders is courageous because he helped his friends out through all the hard times. On top of that, he sacrificed his life for children while saving them in a burning church. The book The Outsiders, written by S.E Hinton, tells the story of 14 year old Ponyboy Curtis. According to him, there are two types of people in the world, the Greasers and the Socials. The story follows Ponyboy and his gang of “Greasers through the conflicts with social separation and conflict by rich kids called “Socs.” “He had big black eyes in a dark tanned face; his hair was jet black and heavily greased and combed to the side.” is a quote that Ponyboy said on page 11, which shows that Johnny was courageous. In the beginning...

Words: 1074 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Wealth In S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders

...In S.E. Hinton's, The Outsiders, people judged each other by family wealth. All they have to do is forget the wealth and focus on qualities, heroic qualities, of everyone, greaser and Soc. Here are the reasons why three greasers, Darry, Ponyboy, and Johnny should be named heroes as a result of their selfless actions. Darry is a thoughtful young man, and though he never acted like a superhero, he has qualities of a real hero. In the book it mentions that the Curtis parents were killed in an Auto Wreck, so Darry was left in charge of his brothers. Darry is father-brother figure to his brothers and honestly not every 20 year old can take care of two high school boys. Since Darry has to provide food for his brothers he works to jobs so that...

Words: 636 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

The Role Of A Hero In S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders

...What is a hero? What does it mean to be one? The Outsiders is written by S.E Hinton published in 1967 by the Viking Press, the most recent edition was published in 2006. One or more Greaser(s) can be considered a hero, there are many examples such as; Johnny and Ponyboy saved children from a burning fire, Ponyboy stopped Two-Bit from telling off Johnny’s mom, and Johnny risked his life to save Ponyboy’s. Firstly, Ponyboy and Johnny were found in a very difficult situation, Ponyboy was being brutally drowned in a fountain by Bob the Soc, and Johnny was about to be beat. This was a very traumatic moment, during this Johnny was trying to figure out how to save Ponyboy, then he had remembered his switchblade and pulled it out. As Ponyboy was nearing death he stabbed Bob and Bob fell to the floor. A quote from that scene is “They might have killed you, and they were gonna beat me up.” Pg 57 Many argue this is self defense and many argue it’s not, but this clearly states Randy was coming after Johnny too, so it does fall under self defense. Not only did Johnny save Ponyboy’s life he risked his. That is the work of a hero....

Words: 661 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

The Outsiders Comparison

...novel The Outsiders, there are two characters. Johnny Cade and Dally Winston are similar because they both have neglectful parents and they both care about each other. Despite their similarities they also have differences, Johnny and Dally have different ways how they died and how Dally tries to break laws and Johnny stays away from breaking laws. Therefore, Dally Winston and Johnny Cade although they have similarities in some significant ways, they also are quite different. Johnny Cade and Dally Winston have one significant similarity and that is they both have neglectful parents. For example, Dally is arrested at the age of ten in New York while beginning in a gang. If Dally’s parents gave him more attention he would have not have gone to jail so young. Dally only mentions his father once to say, “‘ Shoot, my old man don't give a hang whether I’m in jail...

Words: 1023 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Who Changed To Be A Hero?

...them from the area. “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles” by Christopher Reeve. If you were at a shooting what would do, risk your life to save others or save yourself? what is a hero? There are many people in this world and many people are not heroes. A hero is someone who would put their lives in danger to help someone,step out of their normal life to help others and sue their strength for good reasons life saving people. Someone who would step out would help people who are getting shot at and help them to safer areas, knowing they would not get any prizes would be a hero. Life is precious and if you step out into danger you are in danger. There is a possibility that you can die but you can help other people out of danger. If you live, you will know that you would not get a reward, but know that you saved people and have the satisfaction if it. If you die you did the right thing saving people. You would be a person who died a hero. Others would not acknowledge that you were a hero, but you are. Heroes are...

Words: 620 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Ponyboy Is A Hero Essay

...someone who puts other people in front of themselves, and sacrifices many things for the lives of others. In the book “The Outsiders,” by S.E. Hinton, there were many heroes that fit this definition. Ponyboy, an orphan, who is part of a gang, is the type of hero who helps other people without asking for a prize. Ponyboy saved the children in the burning church. Johnny, also part of the same gang as Ponyboy, is someone who puts other people in front of himself. Heroes can be anyone, people all around the world have been heroes to their families to their country, and even to their friends. Ponyboy and Johnny both sacrificed their lives to help save the children in the church. Johnny saved Ponyboy from the burning flames, by pushing him out of the window. Darry sacrificed his education for his family to have a normal life. Jonny, Ponyboy, and Darry are a couple of examples of people who do not help others for fame, but for the love of their family and others. Ponyboy, who is a...

Words: 836 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

The Hero In S. E. Hinton's The Outsider

...“I will destroy my enemy when they become my friend”, this is what Abraham Lincoln said when he was still the president in the 1800’s. This is the same type of thing that S.E. Hinton was trying to write about when she wrote the book The Outsiders. See in the beginning of the book, the socials and the greasers hated each other, the the socials were always jumping and beating the greasers. But at one point of the book PB and Johnny were jumped but Johnny ended up killing a greaser named Bob. And the book transitions from that point on. The reason Darry is a hero is because he gave up a football scholarship, free education, takes care of Soda and PB, works two jobs so he has the money to take care of Soda and PB. The reason I think...

Words: 634 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Why Did Dally Die A Hero?

...I think Dally did die a hero because, yes in the book it says, Dally was different from the set of us he separated, thug from greaser. In many minds Dally did not die a hero, he was a lousy and violent and horrible person. To me, he was mistreated, he was kicked out of his dwelling house, and was technically homeless, even though in the book it does say he would stay over at many people’s houses. Dally was considered an actual thug a gruesome and horrible person, but I conceive he was always a hero, when Johnny had killed Bob in the beginning part of the Outsiders, Dally had helped both Johnny and Ponyboy run away, he had given them $50 and unloaded heater and idea for transportation of getting out of their town. I believe he managed that because he had been to the cooler...

Words: 524 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Examples Of Heros In The Outsiders

...A hero is a person who is extremely admired by many people for helping, saving, and succeeding.They are brave, and show great courage.A hero has a positive mind and a positive spirit.A hero is someone who wants to make the world a better place, also to make it safer.A hero is someone who does something you look up to.A hero is is someone that is brave enough to stand up and do whats needed.In the book called “The Outsiders” there are many ways that the characters Ponyboy Curtis, Johnny Cade, and Dallas Winston also known as Dally are heros. Ponyboy Curtis is a 14 year old boy whose parents died in a car wreck.He has long light brown hair and greenish-gray eyes.He’s Smart, All A’s, a loner, he’s shy, he doesn't use his head, and he likes Football and watching movies alone.He’s also a greaser from the east side....

Words: 605 - Pages: 3