Why doesn't Johnny want to see his mother?

In The Outsiders, Johnny doesn’t want to see his mother because she has never made him feel loved, and he sees the greasers as his real family instead.

Johnny comes from an abusive and neglectful home, so he spends as little time there as possible. Earlier, when Ponyboy thinks about Johnny’s life, Johnny’s home situation makes Ponyboy realize that his own problems with Darry are much less severe. The gang treats Johnny with special care by the gang because everyone knows how vulnerable he is and how little comfort he gets at home.

The hospital scene makes this especially clear. Johnny is badly injured after saving the children from the burning church, and when a nurse says his mother has come to visit, he refuses to see her. At that point he is weak, frightened, and aware that he may die, so his refusal shows how deep the damage in that relationship is. He does want Ponyboy and Two-Bit there, and Dally is desperate to see and protect him, which shows where Johnny’s real emotional bonds are.

Johnny’s choice fits one of the painful patterns in The Outsiders: family is supposed to protect children, but Johnny instead finds protection from other boys who are almost children themselves. His refusal is less a sudden act of anger than the result of years of neglect and abuse.