Anne Frank once stated that “All of us live with the objective to be happy. We all face difficult situations such as death, divorce, foreclosure, and other circumstances.” But in the end, all that matters is our happiness. Even if you have to forgive the person who made it difficult. Cherry Valance is a wealthy and well-off Soc who has to deal with the tragic death of her boyfriend.
Movies don’t usually make people change their lives. Cherry Valance was a victim of this. Cherry would not have spoken to Greasers had her boyfriend not died. Let me just start at the top. Cherry and Marcia, Cherry’s friend, plan to take their boyfriends to the movies. The men get into a major fight when the boys bring alcohol. A Greaser boy group shows up just a few minutes later. After getting into an argument, Cherry, Marcia, and the Greaser girl group befriend the rest. The boys offer to drive them home towards the end. They accept the offer, which is the girls’ error. Halfway through the houses, Cherry’s and Marcias’ blue Mustangs roll up. The boys are furious that their girlfriends have been seen with dirty Greasers. Bob stated, “And even though you are mad about us, that doesn’t mean that there is any reason to go walking on the streets alongside these bums.” (45). Things began to decline from there. Cherry, Pony, and their backgrounds may be different, but they soon realize they aren’t as different. Let’s go back to the beginning. Cherry and Pony met at the movies. They quickly get to know one another and start to talk. It is quite funny that they are able to watch the same sunset. They decide that maybe they live in two different worlds. Cherry tells her boyfriend before she leaves that “some people watch the sunset also” (46). Johnny kills Bob, protecting Pony, later in book. They hide. After being safe to return home, they discover that the fire had set off a church, which was full of children. Ponyboy is a good friend to Johnny. Johnny is nearly to die from severe injuries sustained in the rescue mission. Cherry struggles to forgive Johnny, despite the fact that nobody has been charged with fleeing police. Pony was upset that Pony wouldn’t be going to Johnny’s house, but she realized that it was difficult all around and said “Can you see sunset real good from West Side?” Cherry then blinked, looked startled, and smiled. “Real Good.” “You can also see it from East Side,”” (130).
It can be difficult to forgive someone who has wronged you, or someone near you. It is easier to hold grudges than to forgive someone. Cherry struggles throughout the book with forgiveness and holding grudges against Johnny. She stated, “But it was impossible for me to look at the man who killed him.” (168) This shows that she has difficulty allowing Johnny to kill Bob. But she eventually forgives the Greasers. Ponyboy as well as his friends will be able to see that she has forgiven them. They want to be helped. She doesn’t need to warn them. She could be more helpful if she didn’t, since she is supposed to be on Soc’s side. But, she turns neutral as she forgives Greasers. She doesn’t want any more people to be killed or injured. Cherry discovers that it is okay to forgive people, regardless of past mistakes, and that they do not need to be defined by their past.
Cherry Valance feels protected by her privilege and wealth. But after suffering the pain of her boyfriend’s death, she learns that it is not always a bad thing to be different. Because she decides to become neutral rather than staying with the Soc, she is one her most memorable characters. Despite the horrible and depressing situations she faces, she eventually realizes that it is possible to put aside our differences and become good friends.
