Now, it is acknowledged that Dally was a criminal, a genuine Greaser. He was apprehended when he was ten years old, and he mugged small children for amusement. He had no regard for anyone or anything, except for Johnny. Dally took the risk of going to jail in order to assist them, offering a gun, money, and a plan. Johnny and Pony find refuge in an abandoned church and a few days later the church catches fire. Despite Tally’s objections, Johnny and Pony enter the church to rescue a group of trapped small children. Then, Dally rushes in to help them. Pony and Dally suffer minor injuries but manage to escape.
Johnny’s injuries are significantly more severe. If he had managed to survive, he would have been permanently disabled. Unfortunately, Johnny passes away the following day, right in front of Pony and Dally. This devastates Dally, causing him to lose control and flee. Meanwhile, Pony returns home only to discover that Dally had committed a robbery at a grocery store. Rushing to the location, Pony arrives just in time to witness Dally brandishing an unloaded gun at the police, resulting in him being promptly shot and killed by the officers. The reason behind Dally taking his own life was his inability to continue living without the sole person he ever cared for, Johnny. Considering these circumstances, his decision to end his life can be seen as entirely justified. Dallas Winston had never experienced anything positive in the world he knew.
Growing up in the wrong part of New York City led to frequent encounters with the law for him. In his book, he discloses that his father’s lack of concern is evident as he states, “My old man doesn’t care if I’m imprisoned, dead in a car accident, or drunk in a gutter” (Pig. 68). The absence of any mention of his mother suggests a childhood devoid of parental support, further compounding life’s difficulties. Johnny emerges as the sole source of goodness Dally ever experiences. Dally goes to great lengths to protect Johnny from trouble and when unsuccessful, strives to keep him out of jail.
Dally did not want Johnny to become like him. When Johnny died, all the goodness he witnessed in the world disappeared. Dally had no other reason to keep living. He couldn’t bear living in a world where everything was constantly terrible. I understand why some people believe that Dally made a mistake by ending his own life. They think that he could have continued living and had something worth waking up for every morning, even though he knew he was bound to a life behind bars or a violent, hopeless death. I strongly disagree with that perspective.
