Who Is The Outsiders: Helpful Or Harmful In The Outsiders?

In the novel entitled The Outsiders, written by S.E. Hinton, fourteen year old Ponyboy Curtis is faced with the deaths of his beloved parents. Now under the care of his oldest brother Darry, Ponyboy and his other brother, Sodapop, are forced to stay out of trouble to avoid being taken away to a boys’ home. However, these brothers are members of a gang referred to as “greasers”, which poses a threat to their good reputation. Throughout the novel, Ponyboy struggles to determine whether or not it would benefit his brothers if he were to be taken away to a home. Though it is difficult for the family to live a somewhat normal life, Ponyboy deserves the opportunity to stay with his brothers. It is understandable that sending Ponyboy and Sodapop to a Boys Home might be beneficial. Everyday is a struggle for the brothers, and the world is, indeed, dangerous. But, on the other hand, Darry is perfectly capable of providing a

In fact, Soda tells Pony “‘you don't realize all Darry's giving up just to give you a chance he missed out on. He could have stuck you in a home somewhere and worked his way through college’” (150). Darry gives up his chance at a bright future so that Ponyboy can live his own successful life. As the captain of the school football team with an athletic scholarship, Darry has his whole life ahead of him, but he gives it all up for his brothers. Even Sodapop sacrifices his future for his Pony- he becomes “a dropout so he [can] get a job and keep [Ponyboy] in school” (38). It is important to Darry and Sodapop that Ponyboy receives a good education, unlike the ones that they gave up to take care of the family. They also want Ponyboy to live an ordinary life without having to carry the burden of his brothers’ responsibilities. Darry and Sodapop are willing to do anything to give Ponyboy the possibilities of a future that they never