Sunday, September 11, 2016

How do Darry and Dally lose their innocence?

Dally loses his innocence at the tender age of ten years old when he is incarcerated for the first time in New York. Pony mentions that Dally was tougher, meaner, and colder than the other members of their gang and had an affinity for breaking the law. In chapter 6, Dally visits Windrixville and takes Johnny and Ponyboy out to eat. When Johnny mentions that he is going to turn himself in, Dally reveals that he lost his innocence in jail by telling Johnny, "you get hardened in jail. I don't want that to happen to you. Like it happened to me..." (Hinton, 76).
Darry loses his innocence immediately following the death of both of his parents. Darry was in his late teens when his parents passed away, and he was forced to grow up quickly in order to keep the family together. Therefore, Darry does not get to attend college on an athletic scholarship, and he works two jobs to take care of Sodapop and Ponyboy. He essentially becomes the man of the house before he is twenty years old and misses out on enjoying life as a young man.

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