There is conflict between Darry and Ponyboy. This is shown when Darry tells Ponyboy off multiple times throughout the novel. Conflict between the two brothers also shows when Darry hits Ponyboy across the face hard. Ponyboy often feels as though he is not enough when he is around Darry. However beneath their conflict there was love. The conflict occurred because Darry had to grow up fast, he worked Ponyboy to be the best he could, but he did this in a way that turn Ponyboy away and caused Ponyboy to only see the conflict. I feel the author S.E. Hilton has done this to show that there is still love. This is similar to when our parents work us hard, and give us opportunities that we might not want. Many children will say it is because they hate us because they only look at the conflict, Parents however look at the whole picture and do it out of love to try and give us the best. Parents can often see the love hidden in conflict.
There is love shown through this conflict. This love is realised by Ponyboy when he see Darry crying in the hospital out of love and fear of losing him. Ponyboy says “I looked up horrified to see that Darry was crying…” he has a realisation that he may have misread Darry’s actions. This shows that not everything is as it seem, sometimes what people do on the outside does not show how they feel on the inside. Everyone loves differently, meaning that sometimes the love is hidden and you have to look harder. Including with siblings. They may be hard on you, but it could be out of love because they don't want you to make their mistakes. This however can sometimes cause your relationship to become muddled.
Darry and Ponyboy’s relationship is muddled. There is much conflict and love because of the relationship they have with one another. They have the brotherly bond that most brothers have, but at the same time they have a Father son relation. Ponyboy’s Parents dying placed a burden on Darry, in the book it states “He had to grow up fast.” Not only does Darry loss his idols and family, but he becomes the father figure to Ponyboy and Sodapop. There are many types of conflict in the world and it can be hard having one kind of conflict separating you from someone. Ponyboy and Darry have lots between them, including the conflict between father and son, brothers, and others conflicts. Darry needs to grow up quickly when his parents die and it is evident that because of this he is trying to make Ponyboy grow up faster. Darry did not get the choice of growing up at his own pace and that is having an effect on his brothers. Despite all this underneath the conflict resolution can be found.
It is also shown that these conflicts can have resolution. Darry begins to cry in the hospital, and in this moment Ponyboy realises that the conflict was Darry’s way of showing love. Throughout the novel we see conflict between the two brothers. They argue and disagree often. Later in the novel however, when the brothers are brought together we see that Darry was trying to protect Ponyboy instead of belittling him in the way we thought he was. The conflict is in some ways resolved because we can see the real meaning behind it. The words spoken between the brothers often sounded like hate, but over time we see the love behind them. This shows that even the most impossible conflicts can be overcome if we look at it from a different angle. They brothers did not change anything between them to find the love they had often missed from one another. It shows us as people that things are not always as they seem. Sometimes the meaning behind thing can be different if you just look at it from another angle, or someone else's point of view.
