Which statement is true about Dally's wishes?

Which statement is true about Dally's wishes?

• A. He wants to die
• B. He wants to live
• C. He is indifferent
• D. He never considered death

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is what Dally desires for his own life after Johnny’s death. Throughout the story he hides a softer longing beneath a hardened shell, and Johnny’s death removes the one thing that gave his life a sense of purpose. After Johnny dies, Dally’s actions show he wants to join him rather than keep living without him. He pushes himself into situations that will likely end in his death—trying to force a deadly confrontation with the police—so that he can die with meaning, the way Johnny did. The ending, with Dally dying and smiling, is read by the narrator as a final act driven by a wish to die and be with Johnny again. This makes the statement that he wants to die the most fitting interpretation.

The main idea being tested is what Dally desires for his own life after Johnny’s death. Throughout the story he hides a softer longing beneath a hardened shell, and Johnny’s death removes the one thing that gave his life a sense of purpose. After Johnny dies, Dally’s actions show he wants to join him rather than keep living without him. He pushes himself into situations that will likely end in his death—trying to force a deadly confrontation with the police—so that he can die with meaning, the way Johnny did. The ending, with Dally dying and smiling, is read by the narrator as a final act driven by a wish to die and be with Johnny again. This makes the statement that he wants to die the most fitting interpretation.