Theme Of Grief In The Outsiders

As stated by José N. Harris, “Tears shed for another person are not a sign of weakness. They are a sign of a pure heart.” This can be related to the Outsiders because in the story, Dally is seen as someone who does not love, and when Johnny died it showed that he cared deeply for Johnny. When this happened, he went through grief. Grief is when there is an ultimate combination of sorrow, strong emotion, and the resulting confusion that comes from losing someone that is very important to oneself. Not only is time lost mourning for the loss of that person, but mourning for yourself. Grief has five different stages. The five stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance, these stages relate to Ponyboy and Dally in the
With a death, this is when they become angry at fate, at God, at the doctors, at yourself for not doing enough. During this phase of grief It is normal and natural to feel guilty for things, both for things they did, and for things that they didn't even do, and that others may have done instead. With death, they may feel guilty that they didn't do as much as they could have for that person, or that it was wished they had died instead of that person. They may feel guilty for things they said in anger, or for things that they could have said, but didn't. According to Death, Loss, and Grief, “When anger is turned inward (not felt or expressed), one becomes depressed. Anger should be acknowledged, expressed properly and dealt with. It is important not to be destructive in your anger, but it's equally important to express your anger” (5). This means that it is completely normal to be angry when going through grief. When it dealt with properly, it becomes easier to manage. According to the Outsiders, “Whirling suddenly, he slammed back against the wall. His face contracted in agony, and sweat streamed down his face. "Damnit, Johnny..." he begged, slamming one fist against the wall, hammering it to make it obey his will” (Hinton 127). This proves that Dally was extremely angry when Johnny died, and that he was so mad he punched a wall. Overall, Anger is when they get mad at themselves, or someone else for something that has happened, and Dally
During the depression phase, they will cry a lot. Crying is a normal instinct, and tears mean that they are healing. It may last longer in certain people than in others. Emotionally healthy people will not typically be depressed nearly as long as emotionally unhealthy people or people who came from dysfunctional homes who haven’t dealt with childhood issues on their own. According to Death, Loss, and Grief, “According to the Article, “It comes during the anger stage, and the bargaining stage, and in the letting go stage. It is characterized by many of the symptoms listed in the Symptoms of Grief Depression is normal. It may last longer in some people than in others. Emotionally healthy people will not be depressed as long as emotionally unhealthy people or people who came from dysfunctional homes who haven’t dealt with childhood issues” (5). This means that people who are emotionally healthy will be depressed significantly shorter than people who are not. According to the Outsiders, "Yeah, sure," he said, looking at me strangely. "You asked for him and me both. Sometimes Mom and Dad. And for Johnny." (Hinton 136). This proves that when Ponyboy was sick and recovering, that he still wished that Johnny hadn’t died and was still there. Overall, during depression they will cry and grieve a lot, but it is completely natural, and that once they reach this stage they have finally started to realize that they can get through their loss, and