10 Reasons The Outsiders is a Perfect Hero's Journey

1. Nothing says "Call to Adventure" like fleeing the police.
Ponyboy didn't kill Bob, and certainly has plenty to stay for, but when your best buddy kills someone to protect you, you'd kinda be a real jerk to not run away with him...right? Talk about a hero being forced into his journey.

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2. Ponyboy certainly has the whole "missing parents" thing going for him.
Most heroes come from uncertain backgrounds or are missing their parents. While Darry does his best, he can't replace the two parents that Ponyboy lost in a car accident.

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3. Can you get a better heroic love interest than Cherry Valance?
Now Ponyboy isn't trying to date Cherry, per say, but he certainly looks up to her and finds something about her intriguing. I'd say he's at least inspired by her, even if he knows he can't possibly compete with Dally.

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4. Bob is a perfect monster.
Later on we start to realize that Bob might not have been the demon we once thought him to be, but at the beginning he's plenty frightening. Those rings alone give him a pretty villainous vibe.

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5. Ponyboy's innermost cave even has flames!
The fire at the church is a very dark hour for our hero, Ponyboy. It's the perfect "innermost cave" moment with tons of danger and, unfortunately, tons of loss.

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6. Johnny ends up being a pretty good mentor
While Johnny can sometimes seem weak, his letter to Ponyboy teaches him a great deal, and his sacrifice for the kids at the fire shows Ponyboy a lot about right and wrong.

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7. If Johnny isn't enough of a mentor, he also had Randy.
Once his enemy, Randy turns out to be quite the mentor to Ponyboy. Through their conversations, Ponyboy grows and becomes a stronger person.

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8. You don't get a better band of loyal companions than the greasers.
The boys in the gang are more than just friends: they're family. Throughout the journey, they always support each other.

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9. He returns and reintegrates quite nicely.
After Johnny and Dallas die, Ponyboy returns to his regular life. The journey is done, but he comes back to his life with a new understanding and new skills. Plus, his return is celebrated throughout the land...or at least throughout the gang.

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10. His gift to the world has entertained generations
At the end of the story, Ponyboy begins to write down his story, the gift he has brought back from his journey. The story, which is, of course, The Outsiders, is certainly a valuable gift. It has entertained generations of teenagers and is, without doubt, one of the best young adult novels ever written.

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