Irony And Themes In The Outsiders By S. E. Hinton

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“Maybe the two different worlds we lived in weren't so different. We saw the same sunset” (Hinton). One of the most noteworthy novels in literature history is The Outsiders, because it battles with friendship, difference in social class, rebellion, love, family, and many more things we as people can relate to most. This book is often read by teenagers and they connect with it on a high level, after all the author S.E. Hinton was only sixteen when she wrote this book. She was in the midst of living as a teenager, which is why this is a beloved book by many teenagers. Hinton puts in many examples of irony, symbols and themes to enhance her novel. Hinton includes many symbols in the book, but there were three that stood out the most. The sunsets …show more content…
One example of dramatic irony was when Dally was caught stealing, and he waved his unloaded gun at the cops. The reader knew it wasn't loaded but the cops in the book didn't know that, and they ended up shooting and killing Dally, “ I been carryin' a heater. It ain't loaded, but it sure does held a bluff... And even as the policemen's guns spit fire into the night I knew that was what Dally wanted. He was jerked half around by the impact of the bullets, then slowly crumpled with a look of grim triumph on his face. He was dead before he hit the ground” (Hinton 131). Another example of irony in the book was when Johnny and Ponyboy had to flee town after killing a Soc, the church they were hiding out in had caught fire and there were kids stuck in the building and they saved them. The irony is that Ponyboy and Johnny fled to the building because they were murderers, but ended up being heroes after saving all the children in the burning church. “ "I swear, you three are the bravest kids I've seen in a long time. First you and the black haired kid climbing in that window, and then the tough-looking kid going back in to save him. Mrs. O'Briant and I think you were sent straight from heaven. Or are you just professional heroes or something?" Sent from heaven? Had he gotten a good look at Dallas? "No, we're greasers," I said. I was too worried and scared to appreciate the fact that he

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