In the novel ‘The Outsiders’ I think that one important setting was the hospital because it showed the reader that no matter what you’ll always have loyal people in your life, your family will always support you, your friends will always care for you and your best friends will always love you and pray for the best for you. With those four things the hospital made me understand that no matter who you were you’ll always have problems but with a good group of friends you’ll be able to face your problems knowing someone has got your back.
The hospital helped show to the gang that within them all is loyalty Ponyboy, Johnny and Dally had been in a fire. Ponyboy woke up on the way to the hospital, and was asking where Johnny and Dally were. When they had arrived at the hospital and were checked over, Ponyboy was fine but Dally had damaging burns to his arm and Johnny was in a critical state. The boy’s all came to visit each other whenever they could because they put themselves in each other’s shoes and knew that if it had been then in there that everyone would’ve come to see them, regardless of what had happened, knowing that they all were loyal to each other. This showed and helped me understand that the boys were all loyal to each other no matter what. The boys put themselves in danger to save other peoples lives, who could be class as ‘more valuable’ than their lives. S.E Hinton did this to show that having someone’s back in life is a good thing because when you need it someone will have your back. Showing loyalty is good because people will be loyal back. Within the novel loyalty is a key idea, without loyalty the gangs won’t ever be able to trust each other, and without trust then there wouldn’t have been anyone to call your ‘family.’
Not only did the hospital help me understand the loyalty between the Greasers it also made me understand the lover that Darry has for Ponyboy. In the novel ‘The Outsiders’ Ponyboy and his two older brother Darry and Sodapop, have a very hard loving relationship. Ponyboy thinks that his eldest brother Darry hates him, which he doesn’t. When Ponyboy was in the hospital he saw that Darry really did care, he saw this when Darry hugged him and had tears rolling down his cheeks, he realised that him running away didn’t only affect him but it also affected the people around him. This made the reader understand that even if you have differences with your parents and siblings they will care for you no matter what. They’ll always put your needs in front of their own even if you don’t think they know what they are doing or you don’t want them too. Family will always have your back no matter what, even if you don’t appreciate it at the time. This was done to help us understand the importance of family, and how they will be with you through thick and thin, because if they’ve got your back, you more than likely have their back too. Within the world family is the most important thing to have because they have been through the stuff you might be going through, they will support you no matter what and they will always care for you and want you to come to them with your problems so they can be the ones to help you.
As well as Loyalty, and Family the hospital showed that people do care. Whilst Johnny and Dally were still in hospital the gang and the Shepherd Brother came to visit both of the boys. Ponyboy begged Two-Bit to take him to the hospital so he could see Johnny and Dally. Ponyboy had to beg because he was sick and wasn’t looking too good either. Johnny and Ponyboy had been reading a book together; the two boys had a strong friendship. The Shepherd Brothers had came to see Dally because they didn’t believe that Dally was in the papers for something good without mention of his record. Both Johnny and Dally loved seeing the boys. This makes the reader see the importance of putting other people first because putting someone else first will show them you care, prove to people that you have their backs even with your own stuff going on in your life, and if you’ve got into a bad or rough patch you know someone will care for you. The purpose of this was to help us understand that caring for other will help us grow as individuals because it shows us that helping others when they’re in need, they will help us when we’re in need. Within the novel people showed that they cared in different ways, some were hard on others because they wanted to help them see that if they put their mind to something that they could achieve more, and some told them that they cared and showed it by not wanting them to get hurt or wanting to take the blame for something that person did because they don’t want to lose you.
Along with Loyalty, Family and caring about others, the hospital showed the reader love and belonging. Johnny grew up and came from a background where he didn’t know what love and belonging felt like; the gang showed him that he did belong to them and that they loved him deeply. Whilst Johnny was in hospital all of the gang members came to visit him because they knew if they didn’t nobody else would. The gang showed Johnny that by being him he was enough for them. This makes the reader understand that without love and a sense of belonging life is hard and makes you feel lonely and lost. The gang had a major impact on Johnny and his life. The purpose was to show that if you feel like you don’t belong with your family that your friends will take you in and show you that you do belong, and they will show you that they love you unconditionally. Within the novel belonging is shown everywhere. The soc showed that they loved each other and they belong together, and the Soc show that they love and understand each other.
