Analysis of The Characters Ponyboy, Soda Pop, and Darry in The Outsiders

“They grew up on the outside of society. They weren't looking for a fight. They were looking to belong.” this is written on the movie poster of the Outsider film. In S.E Hinton’s The Outsiders a fiction book, three brothers, Dally, Sodapop and Ponyboy struggle most through the path of Outsiderness in their society. They are brothers whose parents have died and all three of them take part in a gang. Their gang consists of vigorous young boys that have been through brutal situations growing up. Further in the story, three greasers show boldness and save children in a life-threatening situation which completely makes them stand out. The three characters who obviously demonstrate outsiderness in this story are Dally, Johnny, and Ponyboy. The novel takes place on the east side of a small town, the three brothers Ponyboy, Soda pop, and Darry live together in an old rundown house.

The first character, Dally resembles outsiderness, in which he lives a lonely and almost pointless life. His life appeals mainly desolated and mournful especially by causes of his rough childhood. At the beginning of the story, Ponyboy gets jumped by Socs, his gang finds him and they chase the Socs away. This is when the author starts describing the gang. The author writes,” Dally had spent three years on the wild side of New York and had been arrested at the age of ten”. Ponyboy tells the readers about Dally’s childhood since it had a big effect on Dally when he was young. This can be seen since Dally certainly demonstrates more outsiderness than the other gang members because of his childhood. The second reason why he is an outsider is that he doesn’t have anyone to love and therefore lives a desolated life. In the middle of the story, Dally takes Ponyboy and Johnny out to a restaurant after visiting them at Windrixville. After getting food Johnny asked Dally if his parents cared about him running away. Ponyboy got a letter from his brothers showing him they cared about him running away and Johnny didn’t get anything. Johnny was disappointed even though he knew his parents wouldn’t care. He asked Dally if he has heard anything about his parents then Dally told him that his parents obviously didn’t care. Dally ended up telling Johnny about how his own parents never care about him too, and how he didn’t mind that at all. The author wrote, “shoot, my old man don’t give a hang whether I’m in jail or dead in a car wreck or drunk in the gutter. That don’t bother me none”. Dally doesn’t have parents that love him, he lives a lonesome life, unlike the other gang members which make him an outsider. The final reason why Dally clearly demonstrates outsiderness in his gang is that he doesn’t care about his own life. Close to the end of the story, Johnny dies which gets in Dally’s head and causes him to rob a store. As the gang finds out, they run to the park to help Dally cover-up for robbing the store. The author writes, “Dally had reached the circle of light under the street lamp, and skidding to a halt, he turned and jerked a black object from his waistband… And even as the policemen’ gun spit fire into the night I knew that was what Dally wanted”. In this situation, Dally doesn’t care about life as much, in contrast to his gang, which makes him stand out. In conclusion, all the events that happened to Dally show that he mainly resembles outsiderness.

The character Johnny is identified as a foreigner by means of his selfless, emotional, and loyal self. At the beginning of the story, right after Ponyboy got jumped by the Socs, his gang rescued him. He started specifying the members of this gang. The author writes, “If it hadn’t been for the gang, Johnny would never have known what love and affection are”. This quote analysis, that Johnny’s only source of happiness is his gang. He would have run away because of his abusive parents but since the gang is always there for him he didn’t. At the beginning of the story, Dally, Johnny, and Ponyboy go to the drive-in movies, where Johnny boy had the courage to speak up for the first time and say his opinion. Johnny told Dally of which none of their gang members would dare do. S.E Hinton explains, “Dallas scowled for a second. If it had been me, or Two-Bit, or Soda or Steve or anyone but Johnny, Dally would have flattened him without a moment's hesitation...Johnny was the gang’s pet, too. Dally just couldn’t hit him. He was Dally’s pet, too”. This quote demonstrates that Johnny was clearly the “gang’s pet” and no one else was, which makes him an outsider. In the middle of the story, Ponyboy walks Johnny to his house after they come back from the drive-in movies. As they arrive in front of the house they hear Johnny’s parents screaming and arguing so they decide to sleep outside in the backyard. Ponyboy decided to stay with him for a while until he fell asleep since he felt bad and guilty about the situation. The author writes, “I can’t take this much more.”Johnny spoke my own feelings.”I’ll kill myself or something”. This quote is significant since it suggests that Johnny’s parents get in his mind and make him feel as if he doesn’t have a purpose to live. His parents have a negative effect on him which makes him a lonesome person and alienated from his gang.

The last character Ponyboy Curtis powerfully stands out as an outsider because of his intelligence, age difference, and how sensitive he is. In the middle of the story, Dally took Johnny and Ponyboy to a restaurant, after they got the food they talked about how Ponyboy used to go duck hunting with his dad and two brothers, before the death of his parents. The author writes, “I couldn’t tell Dally that I hated to shoot things. He’d think I was soft”. The writer’s intention of this quote was to let the readers know how sensitive he is. The fact that he doesn’t like violence makes him an outsider since everyone else in his gang doesn’t mind violence. At the end of the book, Randy comes and visits Ponyboy at his house. They talk for a while then Randy mentioned something about his parents. S.E Hinton explains, “My parents are dead. I live here with just Darry and Soda, my brothers”. It is clear from this quote that Ponyboy doesn’t have parents anymore and lives with his brothers, which makes him the odd one out in hit society. He is generally not only an outsider in his gang but also at school since he lives with only his brothers in a sketchy neighborhood. At the end of the story, Ponyboy, Tow-Bit, and other people in his gang go to the store. Ponyboy stays on top of the parked car, as a group of Socs come up to him and confront him about Bob’s death. Ponyboy instantly threatens them to go back to their car. He breaks his glass bottle, which he was drinking from then pointed it at them and jumps off the car. Two-Bit who spotted everything come out of the store surprised. The author writes, “Ponyboy, listen, don’t get tough. You’re not like the rest of us and don’t try to be…”What in the world are you doing?” Two-Bit’s voice broke into my thoughts. I looked up at him. Picking up the glass.” He stared at me for a second, then grinned”. The quote effectively shows that Ponyboy was different from the others because of his intelligence and sensibility and awareness.

When one considers Dally, Johnny, and Ponyboy it’s clear that they are the three characters that mightily appeal as outsiders in S.E Hinton’s story. Being an outsider can be taken in two different ways, a negative and a positive way. Slowly growing up might change the way things are around you and how society treats you but as Johnny says on page 181, “Stay gold” and don’t change for anything or anyone.