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The Outsiders : A Hero As A Hero

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The Outsiders

Christopher Reeve once said “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to preserve and endure in spite of overwhelming overwhelming obstacles”. In my eyes a hero doesn't need a cape or superpowers to help people. All a hero needs to do is help someone up when they fall down, they don’t need to fight for the galaxy, they don’t need to save the planet from an invasion all they need to do is help others. In Fact, the dictionary definition of a hero is, “a person noted for courageous ability or character” for example, He became a local hero when he saved the drowning child. In the magnificent novel The Outsiders the plotline follows a gang in Oklahoma the “Greasers” a poor group of east siders are at odds with the “Socs” a group of wealthy west siders. The two groups attack each other in violent ways. In this novel I believe that Ponyboy Curtis and Darrel Curtis show heroic attributes.

Darrel Curtis proved in the novel The Outsiders that he has heroic attributes which therefore make him a hero. To be specific, Darry shows a caring parental role towards Ponyboy, Sodapop, and the Greaser gang. Darry stood up when both of his parents died and took their role. Darry took up two jobs to support his family. Darry was very motivated to go to college but, he didn’t due to the fact he knew he couldn’t support his family if he left. So, instead he was saving up to send Ponyboy to college this shows the hardship Darry goes too to help his family. Ponyboy describes Darry as a young man who grew up too fast and as handling things no one his age should have to. If Darry was substantially motivated to go to college and could have left his two younger brothers in a boys home, instead he stood with them together through their hard times. Darry stood up to the plate and took the responsibility of raising his two younger brothers and working two jobs to send one of them to college. As well as he actually shows compassion, and love toward his family which is a rare trait that is shown in someone in his circumstances would do. For example, when Ponyboy ran away with Johnny to the church Darry was on the search for them, he didn’t just move on like many would, he kept looking and looking and finally

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