Ponyboy Greasers In The Outsiders

In the Outsiders written by S.E Hinton one of the main characters is Ponyboy. He is stereotyped as a greaser (a poor boy from the east side of town). Ponyboy accepts being a greaser and it affects him positively. Some people might stereotype Ponyboy as a hero and not a greaser. Ponyboy is a greaser, this is because he fits the characteristics of a greaser. For example, all the greasers have long greasy hair, pony has that. “Besides I look better with long greasy hair.” (2). This quote means that Ponyboy is a greaser, and that he looks better with long greasy hair. Another reason that ponyboy is that he has a small to little education, Ponyboy gets average to good grades at school and some other greaser did not even finish school.

One reason is that he fought against the socs in the rumble (big fight between the socs and greasers). “I have been. A rumble. I’m okay”. (83) This quote means that Ponyboy was in the rumble he got hurt and is okay. Another reason that ponyboy accepts being a greaser is that he looks like one. For example the key aspects of being a greaser are having long greasy hair, getting drunk, smoke a lot, and jump socs. Ponyboy does pretty much all of this. The last reason that proves that Ponyboy accepts being a greaser is that is supports the other greasers. “Don’t remember how Johnny was your buddy, don’t remember that he didn’t want to die. Don’t think of Dally breaking up in the hospital, crumpling under the street light ” (81). This quote means that Johnny was Ponyboy’s best buddy and he never wanted to die but he did. Dally breaking up in the hospital and crumbling in the streets is almost meaning how Dally reacted to Johnny died and then leaded up to him dying. The parts where Ponyboy says “don’t think of” this is to take it off his mind and try to feel better about the two deaths. The greasers also respect Ponyboy, for example during an argument towards the end of the book Darry said to Ponyboy “Sure, little buddy” (84). Another example of the greasers respecting Ponyboy is how Johnny helps Ponyboy feel better a lot of in a lot of conflicts. For instance getting hit or getting almost drowned. Ponyboy positively accepted

“I swear, you three are the bravest kids I’ve seen in a long time.”(42), after saving the trapped kids Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally were called the bravest kids the school teacher has ever seen. Another reason that Ponyboy could be considered as a hero is that he tried to save Dally, because when he was in a police chase. Ponyboy tried to make the police not shoot Dally he was tried trying his life for his friend but he could not complete. The final reason that Ponyboy is a hero is that he helped out Cherry (a girl soc who is a spy, rich, and snobby). What Ponyboy taught her is that the socs and the same it does not depend on the side they live on. “Can you see the sunset real good from the West Side”? (69) This quote means that the socs and the greasers see the same sunset, seeing the same sunset means that the socs and greasers are the same. Some people would consider Ponyboy a hero because he saved the kids from the fire, tried to save Dally, and helped Cherry understand how greasers and socs could be the