The Outsiders is a coming-of-age film released in 1983 in which Francis Ford Coppola based it on SE Hinton's 1967 book. focusing today is Dallas Winston. Dallas is from New York and appears to have no family other than his gang, the Greasers. He may have a strong attitude, but he will fight to the death for his gang. Dallas Winston is the Byronic hero because the qualities he possesses resonate most with this archetype. The three aspects he describes are: 1) having a troubled past or suffering from an unnamed crime 2) intelligent and insightful, and 3) self-destructive. Dallas seems to have a troubled and suffering past due to his family with whom he has no contact and also because he went to prison. Dallas is intelligent and perceptive because he helped Ponyboy and Johnny (members of The Greasers) hide from the police when they accidentally killed a member of a rival gang. The self-destructive aspects come from when the character started to lose his mind when Johnny dies and causes a commotion that he is shot dead. Dallas depicts a Byronic hero through his choices and actions throughout the film. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the movie, the Greasers are a gang that will take care of each other no matter what, because they are a family. When one of the members accidentally kills a member of a rival gang, they have to hide until he is safe. Now, due to the death of a member of the rival gang, there is a Royal Rumble that will cause a lot of chaos. Dallas loses his mind when he discovers that Johnny is dead, then gets himself killed by the police with an unloaded gun. Dallas has a strong attitude that he says stems from his time in prison. His troubled past with his family could be one of the reasons why he is self-destructive in many ways. He's a bruiser, but he will protect his gang with all his might. Dallas has a protective side towards his gang because he doesn't have a family to protect and care for him, so he finds it elsewhere. It can be self-destructive because the time spent in prison was a negative experience. Dallas is smart because he had to learn to fend for himself. At the end of the film, Dallas is heartbroken at the news of the death of one of his gang members and robs a store with an unloaded gun. The police approach him from every angle and shoot him dead. Dallas Winston's self-destructive behavior taught him that in the end his behavior towards himself wasn't worth it because he ends up getting killed because of his terrible decisions. This lesson makes Dallas Winston a Byronic hero because his troubled past shaped him into the person he is and he acquired his self-destructive behavior. These aspects make Dallas Winston a Byronic hero in The Outsiders. A Byronic hero has the quality of his troubled past and his suffering. Dallas Winston displays the same trait. For example, in this scene Dallas Winston is telling one of his gang members who just accidentally killed someone the truth about what prison does to you because he has experienced it. The Hero says, “Johnny, you don't know what a few months in prison can do to you, man. You get bad in prison, I just don't want it to happen to you like it happened to me, man. Understand?". By using these words in this situation, the hero clearly demonstrates that he is driven by the same forces that drive a Byronic hero. According to Tvtropes.org, a Byronic hero is motivated by "a significant loss, or a crime, or a mistake clerk who still doespursued, or, conversely, that he may be affected by some unnamed crime against him." Dallas Winston has not explained how he ended up in prison, but claims that it has changed him in a negative way. His troubled past has shaped his his actions and behavior. For example, the hero says: “I thought New York was the only place I would end up in a murder case.” These words could indicate that Dallas found himself in one of the worst positions and he may have run away, which may be why he acts the way he does. Dallas Winston may need to find a home and family where he feels safe. This relates to the way he lives alone and deals his gang, the Greasers, like his own Byronic hero family also possesses the quality of being intelligent and perceptive. Dallas Winston displays this trait in The Outsiders ask for help when they were involved in a murder scene, Dallas knew exactly what to do. The hero says, “Take the train to Windrixville. It's a load. There is an abandoned church at the top of Jay Mountain. There is a pump on the back, so you don't have to worry about water. Get a week's supply of food as soon as you get there, before the story gets out. Then don't even stick your nose out the door. Am I clear? I'll be there when everything is good." By giving them this advice, the hero reveals his characteristics as a Byronic hero because he is prospective and intelligent. According to Literary Blueprints, "That passion also fuels the Byronic hero's need for justice." Dallas is shown to be intelligent but forward-thinking in this situation because he is taking into account his experience with murder and does not want his gang members to be involved in the same case as him. He gives them advice on how to live until things calm down because he doesn't want his friends to go through something that was an accident. For example, the hero says, "While I was there, they let me know that... you guys were headed to Texas. They think you're in Texas." In this situation, Dallas made up a false location about where they might be. his friends so that they don't get caught and sent to prison. He took his friend's point of view on what to do in this situation because he also experienced it and needs to protect his family with all his will. Finally, the last archetypal characteristic is self-destructive behavior. Even a Byronic hero possesses the quality of being self-destructive. Dallas Winston displays this negative behavior throughout the film Does my old man care... if I died in a car accident or in prison or something? He doesn't care in this situation, Dallas gives us proof that he doesn't have his real family in his life, which it can cause many negative impacts in one's life. According to Study.com, “self-destructive behavior is a response to something that has affected a person's self-esteem, often at a young age, such as the loss of a parent or other key figure, a traumatic experience, or a failure accompanied by rejection." Dallas is motivated by his past experiences with family to behave in a self-destructive manner. His experiences have made him believe that no one cares about his life. In another example, the hero behaves badly after death of one of his friends. Dallas Winston shouts: "You will never take me alive!" He was carrying an unloaded gun and stole it from a store which attracted the attention of the Dallas police department someone else has abandoned him and acts out in anger, only to get shot.