The Outsiders Johnny And Dally Similarities

While Ponyboy is riding to the hospital after the church fire a man says, “‘I swear, you three are the bravest kids I’ve seen in a long time . . . “‘ (95) Johnny is part of the three that are considered heroes. After Dally died the author states that “Dally didn’t die a hero. He died violent, and young and desperate.”(94) Dally pulled an unloaded gun on the police and it made them draw their guns and shoot him. Dally basically committed suicide because the police did not know that the gun was not loaded, so they had to protect themselves while Dally was hung out to die.

As I stated above, Dally had proven that he cared about Johnny, many times throughout the book. Dally had practically taken Johnny in as his family. He was like a mentor to Johnny, he wanted him to do well and have a better life than him. Johnny was the greasers’ “kid brother,” meaning that everyone cared for him as a younger brother. On page 89, Dally says to Johnny, “Johnny, I ain’t mad at you. I just don’t want you to get hurt,” this tells us that he really cares about his feelings and doesn’t want any harm done to him. He continues with, “You don’t know what a few months in jail can do to you.” He cared about what would happen to Johnny, he didn’t want him to end up like the uncaring side of Dally. Indirectly, he mentioned caring about him, he didn’t want Johnny to end up like him if he turned himself in to the police. This proves that Dally has a caring side to

Dally only said some words to him and ran off. Dally only said a few words to Johnny because he feels bad for Johnny because of his home life getting abused. Dally views Johnny as his long-lost brother. In the quote, Dally says he doesn't want Johnny to get hard in jail. Dally is basically

Johnny is scared of his own shadow and Dally does not fear anything. His own gang thinks that Johnny is the gang’s pet and dally is mean. Johnny has never left the greaser neighborhood, when Dally spent three years on the wild side in New York and gets tougher and harder there.

In the letter that Johnny left for Ponyboy,“‘There's still a lot of good in the world. Tell Dally. I don’t think he knows’” (179). The note Johnny left for Ponyboy to tell Dally, but it was too late for that. Ponyboy says, “Johnny worshipped the ground Dallas walked on”(25). This shows that Johnny is just Dally’s pet. Johnny knows that Dally cares about him but he does not show it because is a tough person. All in all, Both characters care for each other.

The author writes, “Johnny’s eyes glowed. Dally was proud of him. That was all Johnny had ever wanted” (148). Johnny’s reaction is priceless. Out of the entire greaser gang, Johnny and Dally’s relationship is the strongest and most significant. When Johnny needs Dally the most, he is his staunchest supporter. In return, Johnny gives back the same, if not more, amount of affection to Dally. When Dally and Johnny die, Ponyboy makes a list of realizations. Ponyboy thinks, “But I remembered Dally pulling Johnny through the window of the burning church; Dally giving us his gun, although it could mean jail for him; Dally risking his life for us, trying to keep Johnny out of trouble.” (154). It is clearly proven that ‘tough’ Dallas Winston makes a substantial effort to make Johnny’s life better. If Dally would not make the effort for Johnny, then Johnny would have to experience life worse than it already is. Since Dally thinks of Johnny almost like a little brother, it would hurt Dally to see Johnny experience that kind of pain. Dally and Johnny are bonded by these similarities, but they are also bonded through their differences.

Dally and Johnny may be very different, but they have extremely important similarities. For example, both of these characters place very little value on their lives. Dally is first arrested at the age of ten and he loves to break

For instance, Johnny looked up to Dally in a revering way, almost as if Dally ishis brother, respecting him. Ponyboy explains that, “Johnny worshipped the ground Dally walked on” (25). This means that Dally was like an idol to Johnny. Likewise, Dally took care of Johnny like a little brother. When Johnny is running into the church, Dally can be heard screaming “‘Forget those blasted kids!’”(93), meaning that he valued Johnny’s life over a whole class of kids. When Johnny contemplates turning himself in, Darry starts shows his care for Johnny, “‘Johnny” Dally said in a pleading, high voice, using a tone I had never heard from him before, “Johnny, I ain’t mad at you. I just don't want you to get hurt. You don’t know what a few months in jail can do to you”’(20). Dally does not want Johnny to become like him, a hardened criminal. Johnny and Dally both share a sense of comradery, hence the fact that they are

Dally is a criminal who did many bad things, and had gone to jail many times. Dally has been involved in many gang related crimes. He lied, he cheated, and he stole. He also went to rodeos and rumbles. He even jumped people. Dally lived a life of crime and didn’t take any actions to turn his life around, he just kept doing the wrong thing. And after Johnny dies, Dally has the police kill him. He does this by pulling a gun so that the police will shoot at him; and they do. He died before he hit the floor.

Johnny and Dally have many similarities and one of them is how their parents do not care for them. Dallys family does not care for him. “...Shoot my old man don't give a hang…”. (88). Dally is stating how his Dad does not care about him or what is happening to him.

One similarity that Johnny and Dally have is that they both have abusive and neglectful parents. For example, Johnny would not see his mother in the hospital. Johnny says,“She’s probably come to tell me about all the trouble I’m causing her and about how glad her and the old man’ll be when I’m dead”(122). Johnnys parents do not cares a great deal. So when his mom shows up Johnny figures she will not be there to make sure he is ok, but be there to yell at him. Similarly Dally's parents do not care about where he is or what he does. Dally says,“Shoot, my old mad don’t give a hang whether I’m in jail or dead in a car wreck or drunk in the gutter. That don’t bother me”(88). Dally’s parents

Even the younger boys like Soda and Pony are much more sensitive in nature but still eager to prove themselves in the “rumble” towards the end of the novel. Physical combat seems to carry weight similar to ancient rites of passage, you were only considered a man if you could best another in a trial by arms or “lick” someone as the boys of the 1960’s would say. This is an important distinction to notice and deserves further inspection. Even with the loss of their biological parents to death, alcoholism, marital strife or pure apathy, these boys take care of one another with each older generation raising the younger, Dally even comments to Johnny about the nature of their relationship when he inquires about whether his parents cared about his well-being, “’My parents… did they ask about me?’ ‘No,’ snapped Dally, they didn’t. Blast it, Johnny, what do they matter? Shoot, my old man don’t give a hang whether I’m in jail or dead in a car wreck or drunk in the gutter. That don’t bother me none.’” (Outsiders 88). Whether Dally is completely aware of the role he plays in Johnny’s life is unclear but it adds all the more weight to the revelation of Johnny’s death; for Dally, this is losing a son. There is a solid argument to make that, in spite of their personal hardships, these boys are far more adjusted to masculinity than their counterparts the “Socs” who seem to be aimless in their pursuit of

Hinton has demonstrated the relationship between Dally and Johnny as being one of deep brotherly love and protection, as Dally sees Johnny as a broken reflection of himself and tries to protect him from what Dally has become. When Johnny commits a horrific crime, without hesitation hands him protection, money and a place to stay, even if it means going to jail himself. ' Dally risking his life for us, trying to keep Johnny out of trouble' (pg.187) He is so afraid of losing Johnny he will do anything in his power to protect him and keep him out of trouble. Hinton weaves their connection close together through their personal experiences and their hardships of life connecting them on a deeper level and building a stronger relationship. When Johnny dies, Hinton demonstrates the devastating effect it places on Dally, causing him to take his own life. '

Besides his protective attitude, he is also very emphatic when he joined Pony at the hospital. They went to visit Johnny right before he died to say goodbye. Dally had told him that they won the rumble and that he was still a hero. He then told Johnny, “‘We’re all proud of you, buddy.’ Johnny’s eyes glowed. Dally was proud of him. That was all Johnny had ever wanted”(148). This demonstrates his genuine character by how much compassion and sincerity is in his voice. He tells Johnny he’s proud of him, but he truly means it, not just as a way for him to pass happy. In other words, Dally is genuine in many ways, such as when Pony, Johnny, and Dally were on their way back to the church. Johnny had just decided to turn himself in, but Dally disagreed even after Johnny tried to convince him. He knew what would happen to him if he went to jail: “‘Johnny, I ain’t mad at you. I just don’t want you to get hurt. You don’t know what a few months in jail can do to

But once he sees Johnny it gives him something to love and care about. He made sure that Johnny didn’t become violent. He says in the book multiple times he cares about Johnny he said “Johnny…I just don’t want you to get hurt.” A quote also says that “Johnny was the only thing that Dally loved. And now Johnny was gone.” Later in the book Johnny dies and it is too much for Dally and he gets himself killed. Dally was so distraught, he wanted to be dead.