Stay Gold
Stay Gold
By: Julie Pratt
In the end of the novel “The Outsiders” by S.E Hinton, Johnny Cade’s last words to Ponyboy were “Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold…” (pg 148). One way to interpret Johnny’s words would be that he meant for Ponyboy to keep his innocence. Another way would be to say that Johnny meant for Ponyboy to stay true to who he was. It is also possible that he meant for Ponyboy to continue to be a generally good person, pure of heart and mind. Johnny’s last words to Ponyboy had a triple meaning: he wanted Ponyboy to keep his purity, to not change who he was, and for him to not turn hard like other members of the gang.
When Johnny tells Ponyboy to stay gold he is referring to the poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost. The poem is saying that all good must come to an end eventually, including childhood innocence. Ponyboy sets himself apart from the other Greasers by looking at everything with a different perspective. He viewed fighting as being completely futile. “I’m sick of it because it doesn’t do any good” (pg 117). Ponyboy also realizes that despite what many may think things are rough all over. Nobody’s life is perfect, no matter their social class. Finally, Ponyboy realizes that Darry does not hate him, but is trying to do what is best for him. Throughout the novel we see a gradual change in Ponyboy. If you really think about it though, Ponyboy doesn’t really change as a person- he just begins to grow up. Life is beginning to harden him. Johnny is trying to tell Ponyboy to try to hold on to his child-like innocence as much as he can, even if it may be difficult.
One thing that Johnny meant by “stay gold” was that he didn’t want Ponyboy to change who he was. When Ponyboy, Johnny, and Two-Bit are confronted by a group of Socials, the first reaction the others had was to grab a weapon. Ponyboy gets handed one, but he says “I couldn’t use this…I couldn’t ever cut anyone” (Pg 45). Johnny’s words were shadowed most obviously when Ponyboy was
By: Julie Pratt
In the end of the novel “The Outsiders” by S.E Hinton, Johnny Cade’s last words to Ponyboy were “Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold…” (pg 148). One way to interpret Johnny’s words would be that he meant for Ponyboy to keep his innocence. Another way would be to say that Johnny meant for Ponyboy to stay true to who he was. It is also possible that he meant for Ponyboy to continue to be a generally good person, pure of heart and mind. Johnny’s last words to Ponyboy had a triple meaning: he wanted Ponyboy to keep his purity, to not change who he was, and for him to not turn hard like other members of the gang.
When Johnny tells Ponyboy to stay gold he is referring to the poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost. The poem is saying that all good must come to an end eventually, including childhood innocence. Ponyboy sets himself apart from the other Greasers by looking at everything with a different perspective. He viewed fighting as being completely futile. “I’m sick of it because it doesn’t do any good” (pg 117). Ponyboy also realizes that despite what many may think things are rough all over. Nobody’s life is perfect, no matter their social class. Finally, Ponyboy realizes that Darry does not hate him, but is trying to do what is best for him. Throughout the novel we see a gradual change in Ponyboy. If you really think about it though, Ponyboy doesn’t really change as a person- he just begins to grow up. Life is beginning to harden him. Johnny is trying to tell Ponyboy to try to hold on to his child-like innocence as much as he can, even if it may be difficult.
One thing that Johnny meant by “stay gold” was that he didn’t want Ponyboy to change who he was. When Ponyboy, Johnny, and Two-Bit are confronted by a group of Socials, the first reaction the others had was to grab a weapon. Ponyboy gets handed one, but he says “I couldn’t use this…I couldn’t ever cut anyone” (Pg 45). Johnny’s words were shadowed most obviously when Ponyboy was