The Outsiders was a coming-of age movie that Francis Ford Coppola created in 1983. Hinton’s 1967 book. Dallas Winston is my hero today. Dallas, who hails from New York, seems to only have one family: his Greasers gang. He can be strong, but he is willing to fight for his gang. Because of the characteristics he possesses that resonate most with the archetype, Dallas Winston is the Byronic Hero. Three aspects are portrayed by him: 1) having a difficult past or suffering due to unnamed crimes; 2) being intelligent and perceptive; 3) being self destructive. Dallas is a victim of his own past troubles and has suffered greatly from the family he doesn’t know. Ponyboy & Johnny, members of The Greasers, found Dallas to help them hide from police after they killed a rival gang gang member. The character’s self-destructive traits are a result of his loss of consciousness after Johnny died. He causes a commotion and is shot to death. Dallas is portrayed by his actions and choices throughout film as a Byronic figure.
The Greasers gang is described as a family that will do whatever it takes to protect one another. The Greasers must run until they are safe from another member of the rival gang when one of them accidentally kills him. Due to the death of a rival gang member, there will be a Royal Rumble that will cause chaos. Dallas becomes confused when Johnny’s death is revealed. He then commits suicide by threatening police with an unloaded weapon. Dallas claims his jail time gave him a strong mental attitude. He could have been a troubled child and is now self-destructive. While he’s a bruiser, he will fight for his gang. Dallas is protective because he does have a side to his gang. Because he was in prison, he can become self-destructive. Dallas is intelligent because of his experience in jail. Dallas is left devastated when one of his gangmates dies. He then robs a store with a loaded gun. He is eventually shot to death by officers who approach him at every possible angle. Dallas Winston’s self destructive behavior led to him realizing that it was not worth the risk. He ends up being murdered as a result of his horrible decisions. Dallas Winston is a Byronic hero thanks to his past that shaped him and gave rise to his self-destructive behaviors. These characteristics make Dallas Winston a Byronic figure in The Outsiders. Dallas Winston possesses the same characteristic. Dallas Winston, for example, is telling a gang member who has just accidentally killed someone that jail can be a very bad place because he’s been there. “Johnny,” says the Hero, “You don’t understand what a few month in jail could do to you. It’s easy to get mean in prison, but I don’t want that to happen to you, man. Understand?”. The hero shows that he is driven in the same way as a Byronic sailor by using these words. Tvtropes.org explains that a Byronic heroine is motivated by “a substantial loss, a crime, mistake, or both.” Dallas Winston doesn’t say how he ended-up in jail, but he says it affected him in a negative fashion. His past history influenced his behavior and actions. According to the hero, “I believed New York was my only destination for murder wraps.” These words could suggest that Dallas is in a dangerous position and may have fled. Dallas Winston may be looking for a safe place to call home. This is evident in the way that he treats his gang, The Greasers and lives alone. The quality of being intelligent, perceptive and intelligent is also a hallmark of Byronic heroes. This trait is displayed by Dallas Winston in The Outsiders. Dallas was able to help his gang members when they were involved in a crime scene. He said, “Take the train from Windrixville.” It’s freight. Jay Mountain is home to an old church. You don’t need water worries because there’s a pump at the back. You can get a week’s worth food right away, so don’t wait for the news to spread. You can then go ahead and open your mouth. Are you clear? I’ll make sure everything is fine. They will be there when everything is cool.” This advice reveals the qualities of a Byronic Hero. Literary Blueprints explains, “That passion also fuels Byronic heroes’s need to justice.” Dallas is being smart and balanced because he considers his murder experience and does not want to see his gang members get involved in the exact same case. He offers advice to them on how to survive until things calm down. This is because he doesn’t want his gang members to get hurt for something that happened by accident. The hero said, “While they were there, it beat me out that…you guys were heading for Texas.” They believe that you are in Texas. Dallas created a fake location for his friends to avoid being caught and sentencing. Because he knows the situation well, and because he experienced it firsthand, he wanted to get his friend’s opinion on how to proceed. The last archetypal characteristic of the archetype is self-destructive behavior. Self-destructive behavior is also a hallmark of Byronic heroes. Dallas Winston is a prime example of this destructive behavior. The hero states, in one scene, that he doesn’t think his old man cares if I die in a car crash or in jail. Dallas shows that he doesn’t really care. Study.com says that self-destructive behavior can be a result of past relationships with family members. He believes that no one cares about him because of his past experiences. Another example is when the hero acts out after a friend has died. Dallas Winston yells “You’ll Never Get Me Alive!” He was carrying a loaded gun and had stolen money from a local store. This brought the attention to the police department. Dallas couldn’t accept the fact that someone abandoned him, and so he became a rage fighter which saw him get shot to death. These words reveal that Dallas is not worthy of his existence and would rather be dead than be caught. Dallas’ self-destructive behavior is what leads to his death. He was accompanied by his family, The Greasers. Dallas Winston is the Byronic hero from The Outsiders. Dallas Winston, The Outsiders’ Byronic hero, has many traits. His past was troubled and he ended up in prison. This made him the man he is today. He was able to see the world through these experiences, which made him a more intelligent and shrewd man. After all the trauma he had, he began to self-destruct. He was a tough, but self-destructive result of this negative influence. He was not motivated by the protection of his life or his own safety. This is what ultimately led to his passing. Dallas Winston’s actions show a case of a psychotic hero. “You can’t get hurt when you are as tough as me.” You take care of yourself …”. Dallas stated, “You’re a byronic superhero because you have all of these qualities.” He learned from his past mistakes that he is the only one who can protect himself against harm. He learned through his intelligence and perceptiveness that it is possible to protect yourself from harm before it happens. Dallas had to learn how to defend himself. This could have led to Dallas developing self-destructive behaviors that can hurt and not benefit. Dallas’s behavior was what ultimately led to his death. Dallas was surrounded by his family, The Greasers, and died as a byronic hero.
