English Draft

Hello today I will be talking about how loyalty is portrayed in the outsiders.

The novel “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton is a story that revolves around the theme of loyalty. The
two characters of, Johnny and Darry, play a significant part in the novel demonstrating to us the
argument, “Nothing is more noble, nothing more venerable, than loyalty” with numerous examples.
Throughout the novel loyalty is portrayed as the foundation of nobility, leadership, and trust. Loyalty
is also shown to be the most noble, venerable quality a human can have through the characters of
Johnny and Darry.

Throughout the novel, Johnny is a significant example of loyalty. Despite his difficult upbringing and
challenging circumstances, Johnny remains extremely devoted to his friends, particularly his best
friend, Ponyboy Curtis. When Ponyboy is getting drowned in a fountain by the socs, Johnny leaps to
his defence, by pulling out his switchblade and stabbing Bob, killing him. Then later, when Johnny
and Ponyboy find themselves in trouble with the law, Johnny insists on turning himself in to protect
his friend. When Johnny does this, he displays loyalty as being the foundation of trust, leadership,
and devotion. As Johnny says, “You get tough like me and you don’t get hurt. You look out for
yourself, and nothin’ can touch you... But it ain’t the way. You still have a lot of time to make
yourself be what you want. There’s still a lot of good in the world.”

In the novel “The Outsiders” the idea of sacrifice is evident in the characters of both Johnny and
Darry. The first reason for this is that Johnny’s loyalty to Ponyboy and his gang leads him to sacrifice
his own life to save the lives of several children from a burning building. This act of sacrifice
demonstrates the ultimate act of nobility and selflessness, putting the safety and well-being of
others before his own. Similarly, Darry Curtis sacrifices his dreams and life aspirations to work two
jobs to support his brothers after the death of their own parents and their low socio-economic
status. Through this act of sacrifice, Darry demonstrates loyalty as being the most noble, venerable,
dedicated quality a human can have. Overall, the idea of sacrifice connects these two characters, by
showcasing how both Johnny and Darry exemplify the importance of loyalty through their acts of
sacrifice we can gage a better understand of how loyalty is not only noble and venerable but is also
having the courage to be able to put the needs and safety of others before our own, thus
highlighting how loyalty is the ultimate act of selflessness, nobility and courage.

When Ponyboy says, “Darry didn’t deserve to work like an old man when he was only twenty. He
had been a real popular guy in school; he was captain of the football team, and he had been voted
Boy of the Year. But we knew that he would be working for the rest of his life... because he was our
brother.” It highlights how loyalty is the most important quality a human can have. Despite Darry’s
successes and popularity in school, he has committed himself to work hard to support his family
because of his loyalty to them. Darry could have pursued other opportunities, but he chooses to
prioritise his family's needs above his own desires. This level of loyalty reveals that being dedicated
to the people we care about is more important than any personal achievement or recognition.
Darry's devotion to his family is admirable and demonstrates how loyalty is a driving force in our
lives. It reminds us that loyalty is an essential quality to have, as it can shape our priorities, actions,
and relationships with others.

In conclusion, ‘The Outsiders’ offers powerful examples of loyalty as the ultimate virtue. From
Johnny’s heroic sacrifices to Darry’s unwavering commitment to his family, these characters reveal
that loyalty is not only noble and venerable but is also the foundation of strong relationships and
communities.