Symbolism is very present in the outsiders. symbolism is when the author uses an object to represent another menaing. a symbol in this novel is the book gone with the wind. this was the book pony and johnny read while they were on top of jay mountain after johnny had stabbed bob. gone with the wind represents unfufilled dreams because johnny dies with the dream of being a southern gentlemen. other examples of unfufilled dreams would be sodas dream to marry sandy, but his dream was unfufilled because sandy moved before soda could propose. another symbol in the outsiders is the unloaded gun. the unloaded gun represents powerlessness. the unloaded gun represents powerlessness because if the gun is unloaded it couldnt harm anyone and it was just used as a bluff. other examples of powerlessness would be when pony was getting drowned by the socs and he could do anything to help himself.
