“Nothing Gold Can Stay” References in "The Outsiders"

People say that no one will ever stay the same, that’s true. Especially when your in his shoes. During the whole book, The author used Pony’s third perspective to narrate throughout the book showing his personality and how he thinks throughout the whole situation of the book.

In the novel, “The Outsiders” the narrator, Ponyboy, had a character with what seemed multiple personalities. In the beginning and the end of the book, he changed, from being a little scared to being tough and standing up for himself to the soc’s at the end of the book. He was a round character to the book, considering he was the narrator of the whole book. This can show that the events that occured in Pony’s life led him to a different person, changing along the storyline so he can grow as a character for both good and bad.

Ponyboy’s Character

Ponyboy had a personality that often changed throughout the book, having to deal with death and realization not knowing what to think of everything.

The book shows that Pony has always had an anxious personality not being able to stand up for himself most of the time due to being more book smart and street smart. From the beginning, Pony does not have a real family due to his parents dying in a car crash, so he has gang members/friends to watch over him. In the book, Pony has a hard time dealing with realization later on in the book when someone that he loves passes away along with another soon after.

Get quality help now

Bella Hamilton

Verified

Proficient in: The Outsiders

5 (234)

“ Very organized ,I enjoyed and Loved every bit of our professional interaction ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

He carried a afraid but cautious personality knowing what he has to do but not knowing how to do it.

Literary References

S.E Hinton used two texts to reference to their situation. “Nothing Gold Can Stay” and “Gone with the wind” She used these because they can relate to these books. Such as the kids in the church, when Johnny and Pony saves them because the meaning of Nothing Gold can stay. The meaning of “Nothing Gold Can Stay” is to try to keep what you want because if not it will eventually fade away. They can also relate to Gone with the wind from that reference. Atlanta burns where in this book, the church burns leaving him with either two choices. Stay quiet and realize that all of their actions led up to this, or to go in the fire and save the children knowing that it’s a life or death chance for both you and the children. Pony went through that and had to man up and change his mindset to be able to change his personality. As a result, Pony doesn’t have one but multiple personalities, not knowing which one to use when it comes to the situation. In his mind it seems like everything is going on in his life good and bad yet he doesn’t know what to do with his smarts. At the end of the book he acted different then though. He didn’t care when it came to the soc’s in the lot. He took the bottom of the glass bottle and cracked it off, preparing for a fight between him and bob’s friends, but amazingly, he was able to scare them back to their car and drive away. In that moment it was like he didn’t care at all, he would end up fighting them without hesitation. Darry got mad at him because he started slacking in school from just not caring and dealing with the grief of the deaths of Dally and Johnny.

When one considers throughout the book showing that he was going to change drastically as the book continues his and how he thinks throughout the whole situation of the book, one can tell that he wasn’t meant to be a regular character. He starts off not only shy, but not sure of himself. As the book continues he learns throughout that he needs to make a change for the better for him and his gang. At the end of the book he is a changed person. He can defend himself but still knows well for himself and his surroundings learning how to fit in life.