Stay Gold Ponyboy Character Analysis

”Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold”(Hinton 98). Since gold is a very special material that never loses its color, Johnny thinks of Ponyboy as gold. Johnny killed one of the socs, caused fire in church, and taught a lot about friendship and love.

Johnny and Ponyboy are two characters in S.E Hinton’s novel ‘The Outsiders.' They both have contrary lives from each other with a few similarities, as well as being two greasers from a second society. Johnny has had a rough life so far since both his parents never cared for him. His mother would abuse him verbally, and his father would abuse him physically and verbally. As for Ponyboy, both of his parents died, leaving him with his two older brothers Sodapop and Darry. Johnny and Ponyboy both read ‘Nothing Gold Can Stay’ at the ran down church. They didn’t know precisely what the poem meant, but little do they know that the poem would have a significant similarity to them individually. Each line and stanza refer to the experiences that Johnny and Ponyboy have lived through throughout the story.

In chapter 10, Johnny died, this helped Ponyboy learn about love, even though he also learned about death. The last words Johnny said to Ponyboy where “Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold…” (148). Johnny had taken script from one of Ponyboy’s favorite books because he knew it meant a great deal to him. He repeated those words to him to show that he is loved.

As Johnny and Ponyboy watched the sunrise, Johnny says, “To bad it couldn’t stay like that all the time.” (77). Johnny is clearly deep in thought in this scene. As he gazes at the sunrise and compilates the beauty of it, he realizes that nothing lasts. This is probably when Johnny realizes that he would either die young or end up in jail for the rest of his life. While most people live in the moment, Johnny, however, considers the future and realizes that beauty does not last.

Johnny was proven loyal to Ponyboy when he cared for his well being. For example, the following actions of Johnny before killing the Soc, “"Johnny?" I called, and started when he rolled over and jumped up almost under my feet. "Come on, Johnny, we're running away." Johnny asked no questions. We ran for several blocks until we were out of breath.” Running away meant possible risks like death, but Johnny’s loyalty allowed him

Ponyboy said he would be dead if he didn't have the gang members. Johnny is the youngest in the gang. He was jumped by Socs and was seriously injured that he almost died. He had psychology impact on the Socs, he would shiver and be frighten whenever he sees a Soc. On the day he left with Ponyboy, they met a group of Socs. Since the Soc called Bob almost drowned Ponyboy to death, he killed Bob. Johnny admired Dally a lot. He wishes Dally could be proud of him for even just once. He wanted to be as tough and cool as Dally but he never succeeds. Johnny was kicked out of school and that was how Ponyboy thought he wasn't clever. Sometimes Johnny understood things better than Ponyboy in the book which was called Gone with the Wind. Johnny had the interest and talent in reading books but no one in the gang except Ponyboy was good enough to talk about these. He wasn't really close with Ponyboy before they ran away together so they didn't have a talk. Johnny also loved to watch sunsets and sunrises but no one in the gang could have spared time to watch or even talk about this. All Johnny couldn't express mad him alienated from the gang members. The only one he was close to was Dally. Dally cared for his all time and would risk his life for whatever happens on Johnny. Such as lending a gun or killing a Soc. Dally wouldn't hesitate as long as it was for

Johnny is ponyboyś best friend who stays with him and sticks up for him no matter what, this portrays loyalty. We see the true extent of Johnnyś loyalty when the group of socs attack Pony and Johnny in the empty lot, as one the of the the boys is drowning Pony in the well Johnny stabbed Bob (the leader of the socs) to death in order to save Ponyboyś life. Johnny is caring for Pony when he talked to Pony in the empty lot after Darry had hit him, even though at home Johnnyś life is much worse, also Johnny showed his caring when he let Pony sleep on his shoulder after he cried himself to sleep in the abandoned church on Jay mountain. We learn alot from Johnnyś very humble actions, we learn to always stick up for your friends no matter what. Johnny is beaten at home and has a rough life, but he doesnt complain he just is an all around good guy. Johnny is very important in Ponyś life because he sticks with him

While he and Ponyboy were fighting with the socs, the socs started to drown Pony who was gasping for air. After Pony, regained consciousness Johnny blankly explained, “ I killed that boy. I had to. They were drowning you, Pony. They might have killed you. They had a blade… they were gonna beat me up, like they did last time” (Hinton 57). In other words Johnny saved Ponyboy.This showed heroism in loyalty because he could have just run away and forgotten all about it instead he stepped up to his friend and saved

While Johnny lay on his deathbed he writes his final act of heroism. In Johnny’s last breaths, he writes a letter to Pony. Pony read the letter from Johnny, “It’s worth saving those kids. There lives are worth more than mine, they have more to live for” (Hinton 178). Basically, he said saving the kids was worth the pain, and that he feels that their lives are worth more than his. This act of heroism shows that Johnny is not afraid of dying and he is willing to save others even if he doesn’t personally know

“He announced: we’re going’ back and turn ourselves in.” (p.87) This showed that he cared about Ponyboy. (STEWE-2) Johnny also showed his care for others when he made a comment about his bleached hair.

In the book Johnny shows he is golden because he is very caring, he was a very helpful and supporting friend and hero to all. Even though he might have killed a soc, he did it to protect those he loves. Johnny reveals that he is selfless when he pushes Ponyboy out of the church risking his own life. When Johnny and Ponyboy go into the burning church to save the kids, the church starts to crumble and Johnny “shoved me towards the window. ‘Get out”’(93) he said.

After Johnny’s death, Ponyboy finds a letter written by Johnny that reads, “When you’re a kid everything’s new, dawn. It’s just when you get used to everything that it’s day. Like the way you dig sunsets, Pony. That’s gold. Keep it that way, it’s a good way to be,” (178). Johnny urges Ponyboy to embrace his youth and innocence by not yielding to the greaser lifestyle. He insists on Ponyboy seeking his full potential. Ponyboy acknowledges that there are different stories beyond one’s appearance like himself because although the society previously consider him a nuisance to the community, they are proved wrong after he transforms into a hero after saving children from a church fire, which contributes to his dynamic change. Even the close-minded public are subject to their own change of mind. Johnny’s letter also leaves a lifelong impact on Ponyboy’s perspective on the importance of family because the absence of family in Johnny’s life makes Ponyboy treasure the atypical family he has, whether it may the greasers as a whole. In all, a number of people influence Pony to change his views on people and his

Through Johnny's eyes he knew that even if he died Ponyboy could help Dally, he knew that Ponyboys sweet personality would help Dally see what he is missing by being tuff. Like the sunsets, Johnny wrote There is still lots of good in the world, tell Dally that. I don’t think he knows it. He knew that Ponyboy would understand. His compassion for his buddies is what separates him from the ‘hoods’.

Ponyboy says, “Not him and Johnny both…”(217). Ponyboy is still in shock/denial that Johnny and Dallas are dead because they were valuable to him. Ponyboy also says “He can’t be dead..”(118). He says this for the same exact reason as the last quote. In conclusion the end of the novel completely changes the theme friends are family to friends are valuable.

This comforted Ponyboy to know that even Johnny, who at that point knew he was going to die, thought that it was all worth it to save the kids. . Ponyboy also was sad after he read it because the note said to tell Dally to watch a sunset, since that’s “gold” (178). The note and copy of Gone with the Wind was hidden symbolism. It symbolized Ponyboy and Johnny’s friendship. Ponyboy resolved with himself after he read it. He had been denying everything about Johnny dying ever since he was gone. If he hadn’t done that then those sad feelings wouldn’t have lasted as long. Even after everything he had been through, Ponyboy now knew that Johnny was fine with dying since it was worth it, and wanted Ponyboy to be okay. If the situation had been reverse, and Johnny had lost him, he wouldn’t have wanted Johnny to sit alone in his room, depressed, and crying all the time. Ponyboy would’ve wanted him to know that Johnny had a lot to live for. “I hunted for a book to read, but I’d read everything in the house about fifty million times….Finally I picked up Gone with the Wind and looked at it for a long time. I knew Johnny was dead. I had known it all the time, even while I was sick and pretending he wasn’t. It was Johnny, not me, who had killed Bob--I knew that too. I had just thought that maybe if I played like Johnny wasn’t dead it wouldn’t hurt so much.”