Who Dies In 'The Outsiders' And Why?

Question

Cried so hard reading the character deaths in S.E. Hinton's classic. Why did Dally have to die by suicide after Johnny's death from injuries?

Jazz Campos · Answer

In 'The Outsiders', the character Johnny Cade dies from his severe injuries and burns he received saving kids from a burning church, and his friend Dally Winston also dies after Johnny's death. Dally had been suicidal in the weeks preceding his death, and after Johnny's passing he went into a downward spiral, robbed a store and was shot by police while brandishing an unloaded gun. These types of stories about high-stakes loss can be written with a very gritty and unflinching core. I saw this while reading 'Reaper's Ride: A Dark Biker Romance'. A man with a violent past is trying to survive in a world of very harsh action. The fragile alliance he has formed with a rival faction is constantly put in jeopardy and the fear of possible death at any time is looming large over the main character, in some instances worried that he himself might be the one to die.

Brooke · Answer

In ‘The Outsiders’, the deaths seem to come so suddenly and also in a way that is almost unavoidable. The first death is that of Johnny Cade, one of the kids in the gang. He gets burned in a church fire that he has tried to prevent the kids from entering, but his injuries are too severe to be repaired. His death is especially hard on Ponyboy because it symbolizes the loss of innocence for the two boys. Dally Winston is another major character in the novel. He is known for being a tough guy but also having a sort of death wish. In the final scene of the novel, Dally gets shot by police after he has robbed a convenience store. His fate seemed to be a time bomb waiting to explode.

The tragedy in these deaths is the reflection of failures in society. The gentle Johnny dies a hero but still experiences no escape from his tragic circumstances. Dallas’ self-destructive behavior is a direct result of a society which has abandoned him. In addition to the deaths of the Greasers, even a Soc, Bob Sheldon, dies early in the novel after being stabbed by Johnny in self-defense. The circumstances surrounding his death are a catalyst for the tragic events which unfold in the novel. The root cause of these deaths is a combination of violence, classism, and young people being forced to grow up too quickly and deal with the harsh realities of the world around them.

Uma · Answer

In The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton, two deaths shape the plot. Johnny’s death was unfair because he had finally redeemed himself from his horrible home life. However, his death was also very powerful and showed how valuable his life was. Dally’s death was much darker. Since Johnny had been keeping Dally grounded, Dally self-destructed without him. The deaths of these two characters are not celebrated in the novel, but rather shown as the cost of being loyal in a world that doesn’t care about kids from the wrong side of the tracks.

Noah · Answer

The deaths of Johnny and Dally are related to their unhappy lives. Johnny’s last moments were peaceful. In fact, they were almost poetic. Later, Dally dies in a fire of anger. The way that Johnny’s and Dally’s deaths affect the reader is real. There is no extra description needed to show how we feel. The book is gritty and real. It leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

Rosa · Answer

Johnny's death is slow and agonizing as a quiet kid finds courage to do things he's never done before and then is taken away from us in a tragic fashion. His last words of "Stay gold" for Ponyboy is a haunting reminder of how fragile life and children are. Dally's death is the complete opposite of Johnny's. It's loud, messy, and very defiant. He can't handle the fact that Johnny has died and that Johnny was his last hope for anything good in his life. Dally pulls out a fake gun, waving it in the air, wishing he were really hurting someone.

The only mention of Bob’s death in the rest of the gang is as a catalyst for action. A drunk, rich kid picked a fight with Ponryboy and lost. This is Greaser life. And Hinton is right, kids die sometimes, regardless of how brave or capable they were.

Joanna Gourley · Answer

In addition to Dally and Johnny's deaths, the death of the Soc Bob Sheldon serves as an inciting incident to much of the conflict. He was killed by Johnny in self-defense after the Soc and his friends began to drown Ponyboy. This sets the two brothers on the run to a church where a fire is started accidentally by Johnny. After the fire, many lives are affected including those of Dally and Johnny. The event that triggers off this chain of tragic events is Bob's death, a result of the violence and the very cruel and mindless manner of the Soc's behavior. Even though we do not get to read the Soc's perspective, Bob's death is crucial to the storyline of Johnny and Dally's downfall. It serves as the first domino in a long chain of tragic events.

Patti Mauk-Burk · Answer

While some readers focus exclusively on Johnny’s ‘stay gold’ moment, Dally’s death is also crucial to S.E.Hinton’s exploration of tragedy. While Johnny dies believing in beauty and trying to keep it alive, Dally dies not believing in anything at all after Johnny has died. So while they are on opposite ends of the spectrum of tragedy, both are undermined by the harshness of the world in which they live. The ‘why’ of this is that the world is broken and it breaks two very different boys in two very different ways.

Tammy Cole · Answer

Is this for an assignment? I swear I wrote a paper with this question as the thesis for a paper I wrote in school ages ago. That was a good paper and really explored the cycle of violence.

TheCrow · Answer

The sudden death of Dally after the slow unfolding of tragedy with Johnny is a narrative shock. The long period of expectation before Johnny’s death is sharply contrasted with the rapid and violent shock of Dally’s death. The reason for this is twofold. First, the story is trying to drive home the point that in their world nothing can be expected and that loss can occur at any time. Secondly, the two deaths are of two different types. One was expected by the reader and was therefore agonizing. The other was sudden and traumatic and follows Ponyboy’s anticipation of loss with two huge blows in rapid succession. This is what makes so devastating the end of The Outsiders and the subsequent collapse of Ponyboy in the aftermath of the deaths of his two close friends.

Who Dies In 'The Outsiders' And Why?

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