Similarities And Differences In The Outsiders, By S. E. Hinton

Is it possible for two friends that admire each other to have similar and different characteristics? In S.E. Hinton’s story The Outsiders there are two such characters that have similarities and differences. Johnny Cade and Dallas Winston are similar because they have abusive parents, and they both have very little values on their life. Additionally, they have differences that involve the law and the way they want to die. Therefore, Dally Winston and Johnny Cade have huge differences in their lives, but also notable similarities. Johnny and Dally both have abusive parents that affect their lives in a crucial way. For example, Johnny’s parents drink alcohol, and they hit him and abuse him. Johnny is very weak and shy, so he runs away for the day or night, and comes back the next day. Ponyboy states “His father was always beating him up, and his mother ignored him, except when she was hacked off at something, and then you could hear her yelling at him clear down at our house” (12). His parents do not pay attention to Johnny, but when they do, they beat Johnny up. Likewise, Dally’s parents do not care about anything he does. For instance,

First, Johnny is with Ponyboy telling him that he might commit suicide if there is more fights. Johnny cries out, “I’ll kill myself or something” (47). Johnny knows that greasers and the socs will still clash, and he tells Ponyboy in a different way not to fight or else he might kill himself. In a like manner, Dally wants to die after Johnny dies because Johnny is the only thing he loved, and he is gone forever. Ponyboy utters, “I knew he would be dead because Dallas Winston wanted to be dead and he always got what he wanted” (154). Dally has no point in his life because Johnny is dead, so he puts up his gun, and the police shoot Dally multiple times. With no meaning in somebody 's life, it can lead to risking lives, or even