What Is A Real Family?

                                      What Is A Real Family?

Authors Note: This essay is about a theme in The Outsiders and this essay explains what it means and how it relates to The Outsiders.

Family is one of the best things a person can have, family is super important to me and lots of other people around the world… The Outsiders is a book that explains lots of themes such as; Defying Stereotypes, Loss of Innocence, and the true definition of a Family.

No doubt, that family is the people that are blood related to you; but family can also be friends and neighbors.  The definition of family in the Webster’s dictionary states: family is a group that consists of a father, a mother, and children. But I looked a little further into the definition in the dictionary and it said, “A group of individuals living under one roof.” This is very true, but sometimes they don’t live with each other. For example: my best friend, Emma lives in Iowa and I live in Wisconsin, she is like my sister, and my other half. My whole family considers her part of ours, and her family considers me to be their family. And we are not blood related at all! That's what I would consider a family to be.

In The Outsiders, the Greaser’s family would be all of the Greasers.  And I guess the Socs. Are sort of like a family too, but they are not as close to each other, and most Socs probably have blood-related family and are living with their real parents. The Greasers are a family because they care about each other, stand up for each other, and love each other for who they are… Most Greasers don’t or didn’t have a great family at the beginning. Except for Ponyboy, Darry, and Soda pop, they had a great family right in front of them at the beginning of their lives, and they knew it too.  They loved their parents, and their parents respected everyone, but both parents died, and unfortunately they didn’t have them anymore. 

When you first start the book, it gets kind of confusing, but once you actually think about it, you get it and start to really relate and understand it. It’s confusing to think that they are a family at the beginning of the book because most of them show “tough love.” But once you read till about the 3^rd or 4^th chapter, you would understand how their family works.

A great example of how they show that the Greaser’s are a family is in chapter one, right after Ponyboy got beat up by the Socs. And Darry had carried Pony boy and said, “Are you all right Ponyboy?” And he started shaking Ponyboy just to make sure and Ponyboy says “I’m okay. Quit shaking me, Darry, I’m okay.” And then Darry stopped shaking him instantly and said, “I’m sorry.” To me this little conversation in the book shows brotherly love between the two. Also, about 3 or 4 pages later in the book all of the older guys of the Greasers try to find the Socs who beat up Ponyboy and that shows that they all care about him and they want to protect him.

Obviously, from reading the entire book you could tell that these guys are definitely a family from what they’ve said, and how they have acted upon these situations that have occurred. Like I said before, family is not just the people who are blood related to you, they can be, but most importantly, your family is the people who love you, and actually care about you for who you are.

What Is A Family?

What Is A Family? 

Author’s note: This is my response of a theme from, “The Outsiders.” It explains the theme of ‘the definition of family.’

        To me, a true family is people who respect you, care for you, have your back, and love you for who you are. Family doesn’t have to be the people who are blood-related to you, it can be, or it can be friends.

        The people that I would consider my family would be; my blood-related family, friends, parent’s friends, and some of my neighbor’s.  I am very lucky to have the amazing family that I do have because, there are some kids and adults who have absolutely no one who cares about them and no one to talk to or say hi to.  I feel really bad for people like that because having a family is an amazing thing and feeling to know that people care.

        In the book, the greasers don’t really have a well-developed blood-related family… Their family is each other, because they care about each other, watch out for each other, and they love each other for who they are. Sure they fight, but isn’t that what a family does? For example; my brother will trip me on purpose, and I know that it’s just a joke, and we laugh it off and I give it right back to him. Or when my mom yells at me for not taking the dog out, but I know she is just frustrated, and I know she still loves me. 

        This is what a true family does, It doesn’t matter if they are blood-related or not.  A family means surrounding yourself with people who love you for who you are.

Letter to Cherry

Author's Note: This is a letter to Cherry in the Outsiders.  I am writing this to ask her about her feelings in all of the situations, and describe what it would've been like for me if I was her.

Dear Cherry,

       I am impressed on your behavior and how you handle being friends with both the socs and the greasers.

Which group do you like more? From my point of view it looks like you are better friends with some of the greasers because you give them a chance to show you that even though they are called the "greasers" they are respectful and caring, and not rude.  You see the good in the greasers and likes how they are, and they are not like most of the boy socs who are just plain jerks and are so rude.

         Are the girl socs as mean as they boys?  Because I know from some fight scenes that they are not nice at all! But from what I know on the girls, you girls seem so much more classy and fun, out of the two which would be you and your friend. Have you ever thought of Dally as something besides a Jerk? Have you felt bad for him about his background? I know I would have because people judge him, but on the other hand, he acts like he's okay, and he acts tough because deep down inside of him, he just wants to be treated and acted appropriate to when talking to others.

        Do people tease you because you have red hair or you are friends with greasers? I would imagine that some people would, just because of the greasers. What do you think of Johnny? I mean now that he  killed that one soc, Bob, Johnny in other peoples minds and words would probably change their view of him… What do you think of two-bit? He doesn't seem to be a main person, he's just kind of there… Do your parents know that you hang around greasers?  If I were you, I know that my parents would be furious in the beginning, like right when I told them.  But later on in they would accept the fact, that I can be friends with the people I choose as long as they respect me.

These are the questions I have so far reading this book, I hope I can find out more about you throughout this book and it will answer my questions.

  

Sincerely,

Mary