losing the most important parts of your life

Author’s note: I am writing this for my Language Arts class as a final response to the book the Outsiders.

Throughout the book there are many ways the characters lose their innocence.  Loss of innocence occurs through loss of freedom and knowing what is means to be behind bars. Loss of innocence occurs through loss of childhood happiness due to the loss of parents. Lastly, loss of innocence pairs with loss of life. Yet, throughout all this loss they still stand tall and proud.

Dally was the first of the group to be thrown into jail at the age of 10 when he was in New York. Dally is the one in the group who has the smallest chance of regaining his innocence because of his stony attitude developed during the many times he has been to jail. Yet, Dally is always looking out for the others and will take their place for their crimes, which is why he is respected by the others and also why Johnny came to him for help after the accident.

Darry and Dally have lost basic childhood happiness but because of different reasons. Darry had to give up all the innocence of childhood in his life when his, Soda’s, and Ponyboy’s parents died. He had to take over taking care of his brothers which meant getting two jobs and quitting school. Dally thinks there is no good left in the world and that there is no reason to be happy. Sometimes people chose to give up their basic happiness and lose innocence that way.

The saddest part of the book is when Johnny loses his life, the ultimate loss, but he loses it trying to save another, so it is a noble loss.  Dally also loses his life but for different reasons. They both lose the innocence of child’s life. Johnny loses his life while saving other young kids from a burning building but inhales to much smoke. His innocence is sacrificed. Dally doesn’t want a life without Johnny so he rushes out to get killed. His innocence is given up through his own actions.  Both have died but innocence lost is different.