There are many reasons why authors of young adult fiction write character deaths into their novels. In their article “Death and Dying in Young Adult Fiction” Carolyn Harvey and Frances Dowd state: “Reading about the death of a fictional character can help adolescents develop a personal code of values, appreciate life more fully, and free feelings of hurt or anger. that result from the loss of someone close to them” (141). It is not only the readers who benefit from this, but also the characters in the novel. In The Outsiders, Johnny's death helps Ponyboy and the gang clean up their act and appreciate the fleeting nature of life. Johnny's death was a catalyst for change in the gang and helped Ponyboy create his essay and write about the importance of the lives of boys like him and Johnny. Ponyboy says, “But it still hurts anyway. You've known a guy for a long time, and I mean you really know him, you don't get used to the idea that he's dead overnight. Johnny was more than a friend to all of us. I imagine he had heard more controversy and more problems from more people than any of us. A guy who actually listens to you and listens and cares about what you say is something rare” (Hinton 151). Johnny's death was heartbreaking, but necessary. Dally's death, however, was excessive. Overwhelmed by grief, he intentionally puts himself in danger. SE Hinton didn't have to kill Dally, because Johnny's death had already fulfilled his original intentions of personal growth for the Greasers. The addition of Dally's death added nothing to the narrative, nor did it bring anything new to the novel or the characters. Johnny's death completed the narrative, while Dally's was simply added for shocking effect. The death of prominent figures... in the center of the paper... and without purpose. And the reactions to his death are mostly negative. One review states: When the main character dies, it should be integral to the plot. It was either the inevitable result of previous actions, or the necessary catalyst for subsequent actions. But his death did nothing. It didn't move the plot. It didn't motivate the other characters to take actions that moved the plot, nor did it change them in any way. His death did not save the city. The memory serum plan would have worked just as well even if she hadn't been shot when she set it off. His death was meaningless plot-wise and served no purpose beyond the thematic point of sacrifice. And while the relevance of this theme to his character is clear, the failure to incorporate the necessity of his death into the narrative makes it seem merely arbitrary. (Author)