Ponyboy Curtis, the main character of the book “The Outsiders,” is a fourteen-year-old boy living in Tulsa, Oklahoma during the 1960s. He is the protagonist of the story and also the narrator. Ponyboy is the youngest of his group and the smallest, besides his best friend Johnny Cade. His parents died in a car accident eight months prior to the beginning of the novel and his older brothers Darrel Curtis, who was twenty at the time, and Sodapop Curtis, who was soon to be seventeen, took care of him and each other. Pony, who was currently in the ninth grade, was very smart and had skipped a grade in school. He was also very good at running, being the youngest member of his track team and one of the best. Ponyboy, unlike the rest of his gang, struggles …show more content…
After their conversation, Pony realizes what Cherry meant when she said that things were “rough all over.” Even the Socs, who he had previously thought had no problems, had problems too, maybe even worse than his. After Johnny died, minutes after the Greasers had won the rumble, Ponyboy realizes that fighting is stupid and that it will not change anything. One will always be a Greaser until one decides to make a change, not waiting for something to happen. Ponyboy is no longer self-conscious around Randy, knowing that he will not judge him and that they are equal. Nearing the end of the story, Ponyboy knows that the Socs are not better than him and that the Greasers are not better than the Socs. They were all the same. Ponyboy was done with the Socs treating him and others the way that they did, and he finally stood up for himself. Ponyboy was still the same person and he showed that through his actions. Post court, Ponyboy did not go back to normal like he thought he would. Originally being very smart in school, he was now failing classes, could not remember certain things, and made many mistakes. He started yelling back at Darry, showing that he really did not care
This started to happen when he was in the church trying to hide away from the police because of the murder of one of the Soc’s. “I was trembling, and it wasn’t all from cold” (Hilton p.57). This shows that Ponyboy was scared, starting to break, and noticed that maybe this “hard bad boy” life isn't for him. Ponyboy put more and more thought about what it takes to be a greaser, which made him realize that maybe the gang life wasn’t good for him. “We were good fighters and could play cool, but we were sensitive and that isn’t a good way to be when you’re a greaser” (Hinton, p.88). Ponyboy is expressing that it is hard to be as strong as the other boys and sometimes he just couldn't or he couldn't be ok with what they were doing. “It drives my brother Darry nuts when I do stuff like that, ‘cause I’m supposed to be smart’ I make good grades and have a high IQ and everything, but I don't use my head” (Hinton, p.4). Ponyboy knows he has the potential to be something else and while being in hiding in the church it helps him realize that if he really wanted to he could be whatever he puts his mind
He realizes that he had an identity that he can communicate and be like a greaser, but doesn’t devote to the greaser way of life. In the scene, Ponyboy has an advanced way of life that includes both the Soc and greaser style, “Socs are just guys after all...Thing are rough all over.” Ponyboy at this time, understands how a Soc and a Greaser are similar and are of the same kind, human, yet are also different. He establishes an idea that the identity of a person is important because it describes who you are. As a result, Pony learns to look between the lines of people, not just at the extremes. The evidence that supports this is also “On the Sidewalk Bleeding” as I stated before. Andy says, “I’m Andy, he screamed wordlessly, I’m Andy.” When Andy’s death was coming close, the only thing we wanted in the end, was an identity. Similar to Ponyboy who is different from the gang and has a distinct personality. He is disparate because in the gang, Pony was the only one who ever thought about the sky, clouds, and books, which proves him exclusively in the group. This proves that Andy and Ponyboy are different from their gang and have a personality different from the group, and they both actually want to be different and be known not as a Royal or a Greaser, but as Andy and
In the end of the novel, Ponyboy's opinions about the Socs changes. During the conversation with Cherry, Ponyboy thinks, " She was coming through me all right. . ." (38). Before, Ponyboy didn't think twice about conversing with the Socs emotionally because of his hatred towards them. Now, he lets Cherry Valentine, a Soc, talk to him on a deeper level. It proves that Ponyboy's opinions about the Socs change because as he is speaking to one, he doesn't mind that Cherry is a Soc. He realizes that not every Soc is as horrible he depicted them to be and continues having a conversation with
The Outsiders is a very well known book written by S. E. Hinton when she was 15 and in high school. Because she was 15, the book had some incorrect grammar, but this was accepted due to the fact that it was from a 14 year old’s perspective. Hinton wrote the novel mainly for herself and never intended it to be published, until her mother read it (Notable Biographies) The book The Outsiders was published in April 24, 1967. The movie of The Outsiders was released on March 25, 1983 and directed by Francis Ford Coppola (IMBd). The main character in the book and movie was 14 year old Ponyboy Curtis. Ponyboy hung out with “bad boys” who were considered juvenile delinquents or hoods by the society. The main conflict in both the book and the movie is
Throughout the course of The Outsiders, Ponyboy goes from a greaser that tries harder than the others, but goes on to mature even more than you think he would. This fact makes him a dynamic character, as a dynamic character is a character in a storyline that goes through big changes, whether good or bad. You may be confused as to what I am talking about, even though you should have read, but let me explain. Ponyboy Curtis, the main character of The Outsiders, matures throughout the course of the novel. With the actions that take place, Ponyboy experiences the way of life and how it works. While he does not become “tough” like Dallas or Two-Bit, or even his own brother Darrel, and while he does not mature in physical terms, he does in mental terms. Let me start from the beginning.
People can change at all ages and these changes can be good or bad. Some changes are on the outside and some are on the inside. In the Outsiders, S.E. Hinton shows that people can change. The characters that change the most are Johnny and Ponyboy. The first reason is that Johnny used to fight,but now does not want to. The second reason is that pony started to see how the greasers and socials were really alike. The final reason is Pony and Darry start to get along at the end.
Literature allows the reader to experience a variety of conflicts and emotions of the characters in the plot or novel. In The Outsiders, Johnny faces various conflicts. Specifically, Johnny struggles with abusive, unloving parents, the fact that he never got a proper education, and that he was wanted for manslaughter. Thus, Johnny must learn that his life is precious.
The Outsiders is a novel by S.E Hinton, that follows a young boy named Ponyboy who grows up in a gang. Johnny, Sodapop and Darry help him find how he fits into the world and without them he would have a hard time finding his own identity. Without having a close group of friends he would have a tough way of life, especially with the Socs. Being in a group that you associate with, that have different values to yourself can lead you to disregard your own ethics and do things you wouldn’t normally do, but at the same time this can assist and reinforce your own values…
Cherry Valence was among the very few people who were able to put their differences aside and see everyone not as a Greaser or Soc, but as just a person. She was able to see that Greasers and Socs are all just people who both face different problems. And it was through their friendship that Ponyboy was able to question the morality of each gang’s hatred towards each other when Cherry urged that things were indeed “rough all over ”(35). Another Soc that was able to further Pony’s understanding of unity was Randy, he felt confused after his best friend, Bob’s death and confided in Ponyboy. Through that Pony was able to accept that “Socs were just guys after all. Things were rough all over, but it was better that way. That ...
The way that Johnny changes throughout the book is that in the beginning he was scared but later on became brave and stronger. In the book The Outsiders its talks about the main character ,Ponyboy,and his point of view and talks about his friends. In society in their time period,there considered as greasers and are not wanted. Meanwhile on the other side of town there's the socials or socs. They are the opponents of the grazers and are always getting into fights just for the fun of it. The difference between the greasers and socs,is that the greasers live on the poor and troubled side of town. While on the other hand the socs live in the very wealthy part of town and are a bunch of snobby rich kids. I choose to follow Jonny
In the book The Outsiders it showed Ponyboy, as a greaser on the outside but a thinker on the inside. He loved to read and he always admired sunsets. He went back and forth with himself about discissions, friends and family. He was the smart one of the group, not easily fooled, but was very easy to please. This was probably because of where he came from and his past life experiences. Ponyboy knew what he had to do even if he told himself otherwise. Even though Ponyboy was labeled as a greaser he made a point to try to make everybody equal.
The death of his two friends causes him to become aggressive. During the fire in the church, Johnny went into the church to help Ponyboy rescue the children trapped inside. After all the chidren were rescued, the church collapses with Johnny inside. He suffers fatal injuries from the crash of the church. Ponyboy blames the Socs for the injuries Johnny suffered. When he is going to go fight in a rumble, he says he wants to win for Johnny. After the rumble, Ponyboy and his friends go to the hospital to see Johnny and tell him about their victory. They get to the hospital and see Johnny die. To pour salt on the wound, Ponyboy’s friend Dally has an emotional breakdown. He robs a grocery store and gets chased by the police. In the end, Dally is shoot to death. After these events, Ponyboy displays more Greaser like traits. He becomes violent. A group of Socs threaten Ponyboy, he retaliates by picking up a pop bottle, breaking it, and threatens the Socs. He starts to do badly in school, from getting A’s in his English class to being lucky if he gets a D. Ponyboy changed a lot from the beginning of the book.
...nny. Later on in the end of the book there was massive conflict that affected Ponyboy deeply. Johnny and Dally had passed. Two of his gang members passed away and it affect Ponyboy deeply they were very close to him, especially Johnny they were good friends and had gone through a lot and Johnny had sacrificed is life for Ponyboy. You can see how the conflict that Ponyboy faced really effected his life.
"I want to die, it's not worth living." This is what the protagonists best friend said, Johnny
The Outsiders is about the life of a 14-year-old boy. The book tells the story of Ponyboy “Curtis” and his struggles with right and wrong in a society in which he believes that he is an outsider. Ponyboy and his two brothers, Darrel (Darry), who is 20, and Sodapop, who is 16, have recently lost their parents in an automobile accident. Pony and Soda are allowed to stay under Darry's guardianship as long as they all behave themselves. The boys are greasers, a class term that refers to the young men on the East Side, the poor side of town. The greasers' rivals are the Socs, short for Socials, who are the "West-side rich kids."