Johnny vs Dallas

Johnny and Dallas had many actions that were both good and bad. Johnny was a courageous 16 year old boy. His parents did not care for him but he still held hope in his arms. Proving his courage, he saved 5 children from a burning church. Before saving the children Johnny had killed someone from the opposite gang. That was a boy named Bob. He died after being stabbed in the back by Johnny. "You really killed him, didn't you? (Hinton, 52)" Dallas (Dally) Winston was a boy 3 to 4 years older than Johnny that had lived in New York. He had learned the ways of thievery then he moved to Oklahoma and he continued his criminal acts by shoplifting and many other acts of thievery. Johnny shows more characteristics of being a hero then Dallas.

A hero is a person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life. Johnny was noted in the newspaper for saving the children form the burning church. Dallas was also noted to the side because he helped in the whole action. Johnny was most known in the novel for saving the children. When he saved the children he unfortunately injured his back. He went to the hospital but dying 1 day later. He was a courageous young boy and I doubt that anyone else would have helped him other than 2 people. Dallas had helped Johnny carry out the children safely out of the burning church. He had gotten 2nd degree burns but was fine the next day. Both Johnny and Dallas made a courageous action. The controversy starts at the question of who is a hoodlum.

A hoodlum is someone who commits many crimes and bad deeds. Dallas Winston had many of these actions. He stole from stores, jumped little kids and hurt many people. After Johnny had died, he went and shoplifted from a store. He was then chased after by the police and later shot in a parking lot. Before his death and after he robbed that store he called Ponyboy. He told Ponyboy's brother, Darry. It was the first time that he had come in contact with Ponyboy's family after running away when Johnny had died. The only thing really important to Dally was Johnny. Johnny only did one thing. He killed someone, but in self-defense. I believe that Dallas is the hoodlum and Johnny is the hero.

As you have read, both Johnny and Dallas made courageous actions. Dallas had made some poor actions for example stealing from stores and jumping children. Johnny showed more characteristics of being a hero and Dallas showed more characteristics of being a hoodlum. I believe that both of them deserve to be heroes, but 1 was more of a hero than the other.

Works Cited

Hinton, S. E. The outsiders,. New York: Viking P, 1967.