Theme Of Loyalty In The Outsiders

Loyalty. The word itself brings to mind heroes and knights in shining armor who fight out of loyalty for others, like kings or commanders. However, in the novel, The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton, loyalty comes in a different form. In a town of greasers and Socs, poor hoodlums and privileged rich kids, the loyalty of the different groups is tested in struggles between right and wrong as discriminatory attacks on greasers lead up to the murder of a popular Soc. The conflict between the groups was always present, but when the reality of the crime strikes, two of the greasers, Ponyboy and Johnny, flee in an attempt to not only escape their crime, but the social constructs of their town as well. However, when they discover their hideout is on fire,
Though he would often shy away from daunting social situations or tasks, Johnny performed several rather momentous acts of loyalty in his short life. When Ponyboy was being drowned in the park by the group of drunk Socs (Bob and his friends), Johnny acted out of deep concern for himself and his friend by stabbing Bob. This loyalty to Ponyboy cost him a fairly untarnished criminal record, and later, in the succession of events, his life. Johnny’s life was lost in both this act of loyalty, and another- saving the children from the burning church. After Johnny killed Bob, he and Ponyboy fled to an abandoned church on Jay Mountain. When they came back from a short excursion for food and found the church on fire, Johnny used his loyalty to his own belief of the existence of good in the world, and dove into the fire to save the children. Ponyboy described Johnny’s expression while inside the church, capturing a vague idea of how Johnny may have felt to have been doing something wonderful with his life. “I caught on quick look at his face; it was red-marked from falling embers and sweat-streaked, but he grinned at me… That was the only time I can think of when I saw him without that defeated, suspicious look in his eyes. He looked like he was having the time of his life” (Hinton 92). Finally, Johnny was loyal to one person on a regular basis- Dally. Perhaps not as drastic as sacrificing himself or another, but loyalty all the same. Johnny admired Dally, so much so, that when he was on his own deathbed and Dally told him the one thing he had always wanted to hear -that Dally was proud of him- he was so extremely happy, and he had a bit of peace to keep with him when he