Finding Oneself Is Never Easy In Life
Intro: Par 1
“When I stepped out into the bright sunlight, from the darkness of the movie house, I
had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home...” Ponyboy experienced many
trials and tribulations in his life on his path to self-identity. On his journey Jerry Wood, Cherry
Valance and Johnny showed him that he needed to be himself and look beyond what is on the
outside and to reach within to find himself and understand his purpose in life. In The Outsiders
S.E. Hinton unravels a host of characters that tells us a story of Ponyboy and his journey to
becoming an individual.
Par. 2: Ponyboy struggled with how society perceived Greasers. They were seen as
troublemakers and a threat to their community. They were often judged upon their looks, how
much grease they had in their hair and the record they have built up due to their often violent
backgrounds. Jerry Wood however saw Ponyboy in a different light. On the way to the hospital
after rescuing several children from a burning church, Ponyboy was expecting Jerry to once
again judge him based upon his looks. He was wrong. Jerry Wood considered Ponyboy a hero for
his actions. In life it is our actions that can speak louder than words. Jerry didn’t judge by “the
amount of grease oil in our hair”. We need to do the same in life. Getting to know someone
beneath their outer appearance should be our goal. We need to back up our words, our rhetoric,
with actions. Letting others see the inside will give them a picture of who we really are.
Par. 3: Cherry Valance as well looked at others in a different way. As a reader we come to
realize through the conversations she had with Ponyboy that she didn’t categorize all Socs and
Greasers the same. Not all Socs are mean and cold, and not all Greasers are hoods like Dallas
Winston. Pony and Cherry shared a sunset and Pony comes to realize that even though they are
different they can share the same sunset. In life we are all different but still share many of the
same dreams and aspirations. When bad things are said to us it hurts. When others treat us
unfairly it can be painful. We should seek to find common ground with others. It is about seeing
that we can be different and celebrate, but also know that we can walk common ground.
Par. 4: Finally, Johnny’s experiences and tragic end teaches Pony some of the biggest lessons in
his journey in life. Johnny comes to realize that fighting is no good, and that taking time to enjoy
a sunset is a good thing. Saving the lives of the kids in the church was the right thing to do even
though he lost his life. In a letter that Johnny writes to Pony, he tells Pony to “Stay gold.” Johnny
wanted Ponyboy to know that staying true to himself is golden. Succeeding in school, life and his
relationships with his family are important. We need to tap into our own potential. If you are
secure with who you are, strive to live up to your potential and look out for the needs of others,
life will be golden.
The Outsiders teaches many things about life. Self-identity and realizing who you are
Con:
takes time, testing and sometimes pain along the way. In the end, a beautiful sunset will occur.
Jerry Wood, Cherry Valance and Johnny illustrated this to Ponyboy. Ponyboy discovered how we
can stay true to who we are and find ourselves in the process. Along the way, look beyond just
the outside of others, tap into what is in the inside and be confident about who you are.