Read this excerpt from The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton. I love Soda more than I’ve ever loved anyone, even Mom and Dad. He’s alway
s happy-go-lucky and grinning, while Darry’s hard and firm and rarely grins at all. But then, Darry’s gone through a lot in his twenty years, grown up too fast. Sodapop’ll never grow up at all. I don’t know which way’s the best. I’ll find out one of these days. Which universal theme can be found in the excerpt? Hardships are part of life’s journey. Small things make a big difference. Life can sometimes be unfair. Life experiences shape character...
This is because Darry has gone through "a lot" in his twenty years, which made him hard and firm. Soda has had an easier share of life, so he's more happy-go-lucky.