At the beginning of the story, Johnny is portrayed as a reticent, shy boy who has a terrible homelife and is extremely afraid of Socs. After being jumped by a group of Socs and suffering serious injuries, Johnny carries a switchblade with him and vows to never let it happen again. As the story progresses, Johnny begins to open up and becomes more outspoken and confident. At the drive-in movies, Johnny defends the Soc cheerleaders by challenging Dally, which astonishes Ponyboy. Later that evening, Johnny courageously defends Ponyboy by stabbing Bob Sheldon in self-defense to prevent Ponyboy from drowning. Following the death of Bob Sheldon, Johnny and Pony consult Dally and hide out in an abandoned church in Windrixville.
Johnny's character continues to develop while he is hiding out with Ponyboy. Johnny demonstrates his intelligence by comprehending the novel Gone with the Wind, develops a closer relationship with his friend, and shows that he is willing to take responsibility for his actions by deciding to turn himself in against Dally's wishes. Johnny's decision to enter the burning church also illustrates his newfound confidence and determination. Johnny proves that he is no longer the timid, fearful boy he once was by entering the burning church and helping Ponyboy save the children.
Once Johnny is in the hospital, his character continues to develop as he struggles with the bleak reality of his situation. Before Johnny passes away, he stands up for himself by refusing to see his mother. He tells Dally the truth about his violent life and encourages Ponyboy to remain innocent. Johnny's final letter to Ponyboy also illustrates his character development. Johnny writes that he has accepted the fact that he will die but does not regret saving the children from the church. Johnny also depicts his enhanced perspective and spiritual growth by metaphorically interpreting the Robert Frost poem and encouraging Ponyboy to remain innocent. By the end of the story, Johnny has developed into a courageous, outspoken teenager with an enhanced perspective of the world and a desire to help others.
Further Reading
Johnny is initially described as being the "gang's pet" and is an extremely timid, quiet boy. Johnny also has a terrible home life and desperately wishes that his parents would show him affection. After Johnny stabs and kills Bob Sheldon in self-defense, he runs away with Ponyboy and the two boys become close friends during their time spent hiding out in an abandoned church on Jay Mountain. While the boys are hiding out, Johnny opens up and becomes more confident and assertive. He demonstrates his intelligence and also becomes more outspoken, to the point that he even announces to Dally that he will turn himself in. Johnny also shows his dramatic change in personality by courageously entering the burning church and saving several of the children trapped inside.
After Johnny suffers a serious injury during the church fire, he once again illustrates his newfound confidence by refusing to see his callous mother and encouraging Ponyboy to stay gold....
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Johnny's growth, self-awareness, and confidence are also depicted in the letter he wrote to Ponyboy before he passed away. In the letter, Johnny says that he has come to terms with his death and is happy that he saved the children from the fire. Johnny also tells Ponyboy to retain his innocence and encourages Dally to look at a sunset. Overall, Johnny's change is personality and attitude is illustrated by his newfound confidence and ability to express his intimate feelings, which is drastically different from his former introvert, timid demeanor.
Johnny has the worst home life of any of the greasers. His father beats him all the time, and his mother pays little attention to him. So, the gang is his true family. He is the "gang's pet, everyone's kid brother." The smallest member and second youngest next to Ponyboy, Johnny was beaten badly when he was jumped by a gang of Socs. Since that time, he carries a knife, and he is always scared of being alone. However, he shows courage when he stands up to Dally at the drive-in in defense of Cherry, and the attention he receives from the girls is appreciated.
Later, he summons his courage again, using the knife when he sees Pony being drowned in the fountain, but it sickens him to know that he has killed "that boy." Even before the fire at the church, he realizes that they must go back and face the consequences, but he seems to understand that jail will be no worse than being with his parents. Johnny primarily wants to return for Pony's sake, since he knows Pony's brothers will be worried about his whereabouts and safety. When he realizes that it is their cigarettes which have caused the fire, Johnny is the first one into the church. As he explains later, the children's lives are more important than his own, and they owe it to the kids inside to get them out. As Johnny contemplates his future in the hospital, he is proud of his act of heroism. Knowing he is about to die, he writes Pony a last letter, telling him to never give up, and pressing him to try and convince Dally that he can still change his ways as well. Johnny really doesn't change that much over the course of the novel--he remains the down-to-earth kid that he always was--but circumstances create opportunities for him to step forward in truly heroic fashion, and he dies a tragic figure.
How does Johnny from The Outsiders mature into an adult?
Johnny demonstrates his maturity in several ways after he runs away with Ponyboy. During their time spent hiding out in the abandoned church on Jay Mountain, Johnny becomes close with Ponyboy and reveals his intelligence by understanding parts of the novel Gone with the Wind. After Dally visits and feeds them, Johnny demonstrates his maturity by saying that he will turn himself in to the police. Despite his fear of going to jail, Johnny makes the mature decision to turn himself in and realizes that it is not fair to Ponyboy and his brothers to continue hiding out. Johnny also demonstrates his maturity by courageously running into the burning building to save the innocent, defenseless children. While Johnny is in the hospital, he reveals his maturity by refusing to let his mother have the satisfaction of visiting him and by sharing wise words with Ponyboy before he passes away. Johnny tells Pony that fighting is worthless and encourages him to retain his childhood innocence in order to view the world with a positive outlook. Toward the end of the novel, Ponyboy reads Johnny's letter, which once again demonstrates his maturity. Johnny mentions that he is content and fulfilled in the final moments of his life. He also writes that he feels good about saving the children, explains the meaning of the Robert Frost poem, and encourages Pony to "stay gold."
How does Johnny from The Outsiders mature into an adult?
In "The Outsiders" Johnny has developed maturity while hiding in the church. When Dally comes to see them Johnny informs him that he and Ponyboy are going back to turn themselves in. This is the act of a maturing young man. Another example of his maturing is when he runs into the burning church to save the small children rather than run away. Dally tells him to forget the kids but Johnny doesn't listen and goes into the building with Ponyboy and they save the children from the fire at the risk of their own safety.
Finally, Johnny demonstrates his fulfillment as a mature young man when, just before his death, he tells the boys that fighting doesn't accomplish anythingg. He tells Ponyboy to "stay gold" which is in reference to the poem he and Pony had discussed while hiding out on Jay Mountain.