Staying Gold “Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold,” are Johnny Cade’s final words to Ponyboy Curtis before he passes away. What did Johnny mean by this? Surely, he doesn’t literally mean stay gold. The Outsiders, written by S. E. Hinton has many themes, including this hidden one. Throughout the book, the readers will learn more about the deeper meaning of this quote and the reason why Johnny only told this to Ponyboy- he is an innocent youth and is very unique. The first time, the term staying gold was mentioned in The Outsiders, was during Ponyboy’s explanation of a poem called Nothing Gold Can Stay written by Robert Frost. His poem goes like this, “Nature’s first green is gold / Her hardest hue to hold / Her early leaf’s a flower / But only so …show more content…
That is a fact that no one can deny. He’s not like his brothers, Two-Bit, Dally, Steve, or anyone else. He is Ponyboy. The boy who likes reading, watching movies, and admires sunsets. Johnny told Ponyboy, in a letter, on page 178 that he should continue to watch sunsets because it was gold. The only other character mentioned in The Outsiders who admires watching sunsets is Cherry Valance, therefore he really stands out. Ponyboy’s explanation of what most Greasers do is, “Greasers are almost like hoods; we steal things and drive old souped-up cars and hold up gas stations and have a gang fight once in awhile.” Despite his explanation, he doesn’t act like this at all. Ponyboy is unique because he wants to do something good in the world. In fact, he did- he wrote about something that was important to him. He wanted everyone to know that there was still good in the world. In conclusion, the book The Outsiders explain a hidden message through Johnny that is said to only Ponyboy because he is innocent and unique. Johnny’s final wish before he passes away is that Ponyboy will stay gold because it was truly an important theme in S. E. Hinton’s story. Therefore, S. E. Hinton wanted Johnny’s powerful and final message to the readers of The Outsiders to be stay gold, hoping you will,
In the book The Outsiders there is a part in the book where a character named Johnny says “stay gold” to another character named Ponyboy. In my perspective I see the quote “stay gold” as Johnny telling Ponyboy to stay innocent and beautiful on the inside, and to not end up like he did. Most importantly, he was also telling Ponyboy to keep being himself which I believe is the best thing you can do. So, the aspects of my personality that I am confident make me who I am are my sense of humor, my attitude, and my mentality. One of the aspects of my life and personality that I think make me golden is my sense of humor.
Ch 9 Pg 148 “Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold…” The quote is significant by connecting to an Essential question because in Johnny’s last words he refrences the same Robert Frost poem that Ponyboy repeated outloud when they were sitting on the back porch of the church.
The element called gold can almost stay forever. Elements are what most things in the universe are made of. But what does the meaning "Nothing Gold can Stay"? And how do The Outsiders somehow relate to it? It could honestly have more meanings than one if you really, really thought about it.
The readers can also tell he loved the gang as much as he loved his life (although Ponyboy stated in the book, “life was one big joke to Two-Bit”) but clearly, he was so energetic and lively and funny, how could he not love his life and his gang? For instance, he immediately protested when Cherry
Response: In The Outsiders, the poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay” is very important to Johnny and Ponyboy. The phrase “Nothing Gold Can Stay” means that nothing gold (something precious) can stay. In the novel, Ponyboy explains about Johnny,” He was the gang's pet, everyone's kid brother. ”(Hinton, 11)
Johnny shows Ponyboy that the world isn’t corrupt with mean people and that it is still full of good. Johnny stated in the note Ponyboy found in the book Gone With The Wild that it is was worth saving the kids even if it meant his life. He also stated that the poem in the book meant “He meant you’re gold when you’re a kid,like green… and don’t get bugged over being a greaser. You still have a lot of time to make yourself be what you want. There’s still lots of good in the world” (Hinton 178-9).
At the end of the novel, just before Johnny Cade dies he tells Ponyboy to “stay gold”, in saying this, he means that he should stay innocent and to not change who he is as a person. This is an important moment as, after Johnny dies, Ponyboy is very distraught and becomes more like the other Greasers. For example, he starts taking out his anger and sadness and hopelessness by fighting in the rumble, his school grades drop rapidly as he loses interest in school and he begins to fight with Darry a lot more. One evening while Ponyboy is in his bedroom looking for something to read, he notices the copy of “Gone With The Wind” that he and Johnny read in Windrixville. To his surprise enclosed is a
He also says that he shouldn’t “…be so bugged over being a greaser. You still have a lot of time to make yourself be what you want.” Johnny is refereeing to how Ponyboy has a bright future and he can make with his life whatever he pleases. Pony finally understood what Johnny meant when he said, “stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold…”
He meant you’re gold when you’re a kid, like grass... When you’re a kid, everything is new, dawn,” Johnny said,“It’s just when you get used to everything that it’s day… Like the way you dig sunsets, that’s gold” (178). This shows how Johnny grasped the concept of life and how his life was fulfilled when he found his true reason to live; to save those children.
Have you ever experience the loneliness? Have you ever be an outsider? Do you care about other people feeling? The book “The Outsiders” written by S.E. Hinton’s novel, is about a boy named Ponyboy, which is on the greaser side. There are two main gangs of people.
“Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold…” That quote is from The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton set in mid 1960s Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is about Ponyboy’s struggle to grow up among the fighting of the Greasers and the Socs. One character that stands out in the story is Johnny because he is a supportive character to Ponyboy.
S. E. Hilton the author of The Outsiders creates the characters Pony boy the main character and Jonny his friend has in order to show us that tough decisions are hard either way you decide to go. When on a journey forks in the road appear, because life is not a straight easy path to heaven. Decisions we make on our journey may cause these forks in the road, but as long as you “Stay Gold” even the consequences will turn out ok someday. Throughout the book Ponyboy and Johnny face decisions that ultimately lead to some life changing moments.
One setting that’s significant in The Outsiders is the church in Windrixville. When Johnny Cade and Ponyboy Curtis flee to escape getting caught, they are instructed to go to an empty church. Curtis and Cade hid there for about five days waiting till Johnnys’ crime dies down. Johnny and Ponyboy talk about how “Nothing Gold Can Stay” and reflect on each other’s lives. When Winston comes to talk to both of them, and go to a drive-in, they go back to the church, and the church is on fire.
Previously, Ponyboy and Johnny went into a burning church with children trapped inside causing Johnny to get extremely injured. “‘Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold…” The pillow seemed to sink a little, and Johnny died,” (Hinton 148). This event effects Ponyboy deeply.
Clearly in this quote, Ponyboy is showing that he hopes that a moment in the day he, a greaser, wouldn’t be discriminated against because of his social class. In The Outsiders, everyone seems to have a different dream, not all having to do solely with equality, but nevertheless equality is a consistent theme in each