Character Analysis Of Dally In The Outsiders By S. E. Hinton

“If I had to pick the real character of the gang, it would be Dallas Winston - Dally.” (Hinton, 1995, 10). We all know someone who is unforgettable, and in the book, The Outsiders by S.E Hinton, it’s Dallas Winston, or Dally. Dally is a complex character who is not who he seems to be. When we first hear about him, we see how tough he is from Ponyboy, but when Johnny talks about him, we see that he acts differently than the gangster Pony sees. Dally appears tough on the outside, but he is really gallant and compassionate.

To begin, Dally seems tough on the outside, as described by Ponyboy. At the beginning of the book, Ponyboy describes each of the members of the gang. When Pony gets to Dally he talks about how Dally is more wild and more like hoods. Ponyboy says,“Dally had spent three years on the wild side of New York, and had been arrested at the age of ten. He was tougher than the rest of us - tougher, colder, meaner.” (Hinton, 1995, pg. 10). This shows what would make Dally appear tough at first.

When Dally, Johnny, and Ponyboy are in the car going back home, Dally tells Johnny that he should have turned himself in earlier because it would have saved a lot of trouble. Johnny tells him he was scared, before staring down sadly. Dally, realizing he lost control of his temper tries to undo the damage. Dally says, “Johnny, I ain’t mad at you. I just don’t want you to get hurt. You don’t know what a few months in jail can do to you. Oh, blast it, Johnny” (Hinton, 1995, 89-90). This shows that Dally, realizing that he said something that hurt Johnny. He tells him that he doesn’t want Johnny to go to jail and become cold and mean like he is. This is because he cares about Johnny. Not only that, but Dally, who fought all the time in New York, breaks at the sight of Johnny after he was jumped. These events show that beneath Dally’s tough exterior, he is actually a caring, compassionate