Family

Picture this, your parents were killed in a car crash and you’re just left with your friends and siblings as family and they are the ones raising you. This summary provides information in the book “The Outsiders” about how when you lose your mom and dad in a car crash and then it’s only you and your siblings having to make a new family with your friends. This narrative shows that life can get pretty hard and you have to learn what to do in those situations. The novel, The Outsiders, shows that you can make family with anyone through friendship and family is not just the people you are born to. In the novel The Outsiders, brotherhood turns into family for everyone Ponyboy knows well when everything goes wrong.

S. E. Hinton writes about how Two-Bit and Ponyboy are like family because they roughhouse.

”I’ll babysit him,” Two-Bit said, ducking as I took a swing at him. “I have nothing better to do.” “Why don’t you get a job?” Steve said. “Ever consider working for a living?” “Work?” Two-Bit was aghast. “And ruin my rep? I wouldn’t be babysittin’ the kid here if I knew of some good day-nursery open on Saturdays.” I pulled his chair backward and jumped on him, but he put me down in a second. I was kind of short on wind. I’ve got to cut out smoking or I won't make track next year. “Holler uncle.” “Nope, '' I said, struggling but I didn’t have my usual strength.”(122)

This evidence shows that Two-Bit and Johnny love to roughhouse because they are basically family. A closer examination of this evidence reveals states that they have a lot of brotherhood between each other and are basically brothers

Hinton also explains that Ponyboy cares for his friends when he and his friends are hurt badly.

 “”Take it easy kid. You’re in an ambulance.” “Where’s Johnny?” I cried frightened at being in this car with strangers. “And where’s Dallas?”(94)

This part tells that Ponyboy cares about Dally and Johnny when he was in the ambulance because he was saving people from a fire. A closer examination reveals that Ponyboy cares about his friends so much the are basically family.

Hinton writes about how Ponyboy comforts Johnny when he was dying and how he realizes that his family would break apart when he dies.

“He lay breathing heavily for a moment. “I’m pretty bad off, ain’t I Pony?” “You’ll be okay,” I said with fake cheerfulness. “You gotta be. We couldn’t get along without you.” The truth of the last statement hit me. We couldn’t get along without him”(121)

Hinton explains how Dally and Ponyboy comfort Johnny when he dies and how Dally is attached to him.

 Dally swallowed and reached over to push Johnny’s hair back/ “Never could keep that hair back . . . that’s what you get tryin’ to help people, you little punk, that’s what you get . . .” Whirling suddenly, he slammed back against the wall. His face contracted in agony, and sweat streamed down his face. “Damnit, Johnny . . .” he begged, slamming one fist against the wall, hammering it to make it obey his will. “ Oh damnit, Johnny, Don’t die, please don’t die . . .” He suddenly bolted through the door and down the hall. (149)

This evidence explains that when Johnny was dying the people who he was with were being nice and lying to him to make him feel good. A closer examination of this evidence reveals that Ponyboy was the nicest to him because he visited him more than Dally but when Dally did he was super nice and it shows that they care about Johnny a lot like family.  The novel, The Outsiders, acknowledges that no matter what you can have family and reflects on how when bad things happen you can make family. While that is true it also could be just brotherhood and not family. S. E. Hinton gives advice about no matter what happens if you have a family. No matter what, you always have someone to help you.