A Letter to Inspire

A Letter to Inspire

Authors note: I have written these letters between me and Ponyboy Curtis –a character from the book the outsiders- to greater my knowledge in point of view, which I do so by writing a letter back to me from Ponyboy. I am also conducting these letters to and from Ponyboy Curtis and myself to receive a proficient or advanced in all areas of conventions and improve my score in organization as well by creating a clear topic/ main ideas in my writing. I hope that you enjoy reading these letters as much as I have enjoyed writing them.

 Dear Ponyboy Curtis,

            The age of innocence only lasts so long, and once it’s gone you can never get it back. You and Mr. Johnny Cade know this better than anyone else, and the instant you saw that Soc lying there dead, you knew that your days of innocence had come to a sickening conclusion. My name is Jessica Sklenar and I have recently been reading your lives story, in the paperback, “The Outsiders,” by S.E. Hinton.  Throughout this astonishing story you are pushed to your limits, by the rivalry between your class of a greaser and the high class members of society the socials. You also create such a close brotherhood one that you thought you may never have. Over the process of reading this story so many questions have come to mind, that I have to ask you and throughout this letter I will ask him.

            Your story has had a great effect on me and my life; it sends the message to me to keep moving forward no matter what happens and that running from your problems only gets you into even deeper trouble. In the first page of the book you are comparing yourself to a guy named Paul Newman, and I was wondering why you were comparing yourself to him saying that he looks tough and you don’t? I just don’t think you realize how tough you really are, most people wouldn’t be able to handle the fact that their friend murdered someone and be able to run into a burning church and risk their lives to save another’s. It has also been racking my brain whether you even think you are a hero or not for saving those children in that church, due to the fact that at one point you seemed to second guess the fact that you were a brave man for saving those kids in that church. While you were in the church one morning you began reciting a poem that went “Nature’s first green is gold, her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf’s a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, so dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay.” As you recited this poem you could feel that this had such a meaning to you and the fact of what that importance was has been going through my mind even sense I first read that poem, so I dare to ask what was that greater purpose? I have so numerous questions for you but I will only ask one more what was it like losing your mother and your father, do you miss them?

            Thank you for allowing me the chance to ask you these questions, it means a lot to me that you take the time to answer these questions with a truthful insight. And that as I read on in your lives story that I will only become deeper hooked in the legend of “The Outsiders,” and Ponyboy Curtis but have more questions to ask as well. The way your story has had such a tremendous effect on my life so far and the decisions I make, it’s remarkable. For that I thank you.

            An Inspired Admirer,

                        Jessica Sklenar

Dear Jessica Sklenar,

            It’s tuff that you are so inspired by my lives story but personally I do not make myself out to be someone to look up too, I am not a Soc, I am a greaser and not anywhere near the man that some of those Socs are. I’m chicken, I can’t face my problems the way other people can, instead of facing the fact that Johnny killed Bob I made the choice to run away instead. No if I was a man I would not have done that, if I was a man I would know to face the consequences of my actions and I would have used my head the way Darry is always telling me too. But it would be tuff to answer your questions, so I guess I will.

            In your letter you asked me about why I compared myself to Paul Newman, well to tell you the truth Paul Newman, he is tough, he has tuff hair, a good looking face and he is the man everyone wants me to be. Darry tells me to use his head, Paul Newman uses his head. That is the same reason why I do not think that I was much of a hero to those kids in the church, so I went in there and got them out, but I left Johnny in there, Johnny my brother and now he might be paralyzed for the rest of his life. It may have said that I was a hero in that newspaper article but to me I failed my friend I could never be a hero to him and that’s what really matters to me. The poem that I told Johnny about in the church it did have a special meaning to me, due to the fact that I was still in shock that Johnny had killed that Soc with that switch-blade, I guess when I started thinking about that poem it really made me realize that, you are only innocent for so long and those days of innocence are to be treasured not to be wasted. I relate back to that poem when I start to think about the fact of Johnny killing Bob but I also relate back to that when I think about my parents and their death, to me that is when my age of innocence came to a sudden halt because I was forced to grow up and look after myself. Which brings me to your last question about my parents…when my parents died it was probably the hardest thing I had ever gone through because I was so close to both of them and when I lost my parents it felt like my world had come crumbling down and it wasn’t just my brothers and me who felt that way. The day my parents died in that auto-wreck the rest of the guys in the gang lost the closest thing they had to a mother and father as well. I really miss my mom and dad and I long for the day I get to see them again, in heaven.

            When I got your letter I was amazed that someone could possibly look up to me, not only did I have an apparent effect on your life, but you had a great effect on mine as well. I had never been known to have great self-confidence but after the inspiration you have shown me, I understand that I do underestimate myself. And I have begun to realize what kind of person I really am. Thank you for writing me this letter and opening my eyes to who I really am as a person.

            Ponyboy Curtis