Pivotal Decisions In S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders

Life is like a hallway filled with closed doors. One has many choices and for every door one may choose, a different outcome will occur. S.E. Hinton has written about several characters, in The Outsiders, making pivotal decisions during several scenes. Hinton was born on July 22, 1950, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Hinton went to Will Rogers High School. At her school, she was disturbed by the fight between two gangs, the Greasers and the Socs, leading to the writing of The Outsiders. This book is the best-selling young adult novel and has caused Hinton to become “The Voice of the Youth. Hinton has written The Outsiders, which is about the many conflicts between the Greasers and the Socs. In Ponyboy’s neighbourhood, everybody is divided into two gangs, the rich and the poor, also known as the Socs and the Greasers. These two gangs are on a constant battle, resulting in many conflicts and characters making many pivotal decisions. They battle each other, but they also fight against themselves. Three key scenes of the book are when Ponyboy and Johnny run away, when Johnny kills Bob, and when Dally commits suicide.

Firstly, Ponyboy and Johnny run away. “Darry wheeled around and slapped me . . . I turned and ran out the door and
“He was dead before he hit the ground. But I knew that was what he wanted, . . .” (Hinton, 154). Dally is a very strong person who seems to not feel emotion. When Johnny dies, Dally runs out of the hospital and decides to go steal from a store. Once the cops are chasing him, he pulls out a gun that has no bullets, but the cops think it is armed. Scared that Dally will shoot, the cops shoot him. Dally wanted to die because the only thing he cared about was Johnny. If Dally had not killed himself, he would be very sad because of he missed Johnny. Once Ponyboy reads the note he got from Johnny, he would show Dally. Dally would feel a little comfort from the note and try watching sunsets more to feel connected with