The Outsiders: friendship

An inseparable bond between two people can be magical. That one person who will stick by your side through anything, you trust them completely and call them your best friend. This is almost an essential relationship to have in your life. In the novel The Outsiders, by S.E Hinton a special connection occurs between two greasers, Ponyboy Curtis and Johnny Cade. PonyBoy Curtis is the youngest greaser at age fourteen and the narrator of the story. He has an interest in literary works and received academic accomplishments, setting him apart from the majority of the greasers. Johnny Cade is a sixteen year old greaser; he comes from an abusive, alcoholic family which makes him very nervous and aware of his surroundings. He considers the greasers his true family and is with them most of the time. Johnny and Ponyboy share a special bond because of how much time they spend together, secrets they share and everything they go through together by the end of the novel. Johnny always defends Ponyboy, being the youngest, he his picked on by his older brothers. Johnny tells Ponyboy about his family and how scared he really is, he understands and promises to never leave his side. Their journey together has many obstacles. It consisted of killing a soc, hiding for weeks, saving little children and sadly Johnny dying in the end. Throughout this entire journey they learned more about each other and the bond they shared grew stronger. All the things they did for one another proved that their friendship was genuine and they truly did care. They struggled and fought together to stay alive in a cruel world with multiple challenges a day. All these examples justify that they are brothers not by blood but by heart. It is one of the strongest relationships described in the novel and touches the readers in a specific away because it can compare to friendships today. Johnny and Ponyboy are outsiders constantly looking in. Ponyboy is an outsider because he is the youngest and wishes he was as tough and strong as everyone else. Johnny is an outsider because he is jealous of the family bond between Pony and his brothers, he wishes his family was like that and he had a place he could call home. Over all Ponyboy and Johnny are the two outsiders that believe as long as they stick together they can make it through anything. This relationship S.E Hinton presented can relate to many readers and help them understand the struggles that are being portrayed in the novel.