The Outsiders By S.E. Hinton: The Gang Is Like Family
No matter your decisions in life, the group will always support you. In the book the outsiders by S.E Hinton, she shows that grouping is good because it provides protection, they are like a family, and you always have a place to go if you need to Groups are good because they provide protection In the book there are times when Ponyboy or Johnny get into trouble and the gang is always there and ready to help. When Johnny stabs Bob he goes to Dally for help and gets his help “here take this sweater it’s Bucks it will keep you warm while not having to carry a blanket”(Hinton 61) The quote supports my argument by showing the fact that if you need something the gang is always right there. Although they can provide protection they can also act like a family and be supportive.
In the book there are some points where someone in the gang needs help or guidance and the gang is there to provide that. Ponyboy says the is comforting Johnny and says this “I had seen Johnny take a whipping with a two-by-four from his old man and never let out a whimper.”(Hinton 33) That made it worse to see him break down now. Soda just held him and made him feel better. ‘It’s okay, Johnnycake, they’re gone now. It’s okay’ (Hinton, 33). After the Socs beat up Johnny, Soda comforts him and holds him like a baby. Johnny receives the love he doesn’t get from his family thats why its a good thing johnny has his “gang” to help
The final piece of evidence is that in the gang you always have a place to go or support if you need it This paragraph will show how you always have a place to go and sleep for the night In the book dally talks about how he is always willing to help Ponyboy is talking with Dally about having their house open for the gang to stay and he says this
‘We always just stick our heads into each other’s houses and holler ‘Hey’ and walk in. Our front door is always unlocked in case one of the boys is hacked off at his parents and needs a place to lay over and cool off. We never could tell who we’d find stretched out on the sofa in the morning we’d risk a robbery if it meant keeping one of the boys from blowing up and robbing a gas station or something. So the door was never locked'(Hinton 105).It supports my argument by showing a sense of family and how you always have a place to go so when johnny stabbed bob and went to seek help from the gang he got it because they are like a family they always have your back and you always have a place to stay.
