Ponyboy Character Analysis Essay

Ponyboy

By Andrea Basile

Authors Note: This is a character analysis of Ponyboy, the main character in “The Outsiders.” I would like feed back if my ideas are clear and if I repeated things or got confusing in my word choice. Thanks!

          Ponyboy is caring and gentle, and a different type of greaser. Fitting in is everything, and sometimes people try to change for their friends, or groups. Like Ponyboy, he is even an outsider in his own gang because he is immensely different. His gang is into robbing things, fighting, being outgoing, swearing, and Ponyboy is just plainly into books. Ponyboy is a different kind of greaser.

In the gang you need to have one characteristic…and one characteristic only and that is “tough.”  When it comes to a fight, you do not cry, and you do not lose. On page 11, Ponyboy gets jumped, and then Darry comes. Ponyboy is sensitive, but he doesn’t want Darry to know that, “I felt hot tears running down my cheeks. I brushed them away impatiently…You don’t just cry in front of Darry.” Ponyboy tries to be tough in front of his older brother, because he doesn’t want anyone to think he’s soft. As you can see, he tries to hide and replace himself in the image he’s supposed to be.  You could also say that Ponyboy needs to grow up to be a man at an early age. He needs to accept the fact the he is a greaser. And greasers get jumped. Just in case he gets jumped, he needs to carry a knife around. Ponyboy also smokes already, because the rest of his gang does and he doesn’t know any better. So as you can see, Ponyboy is different, but he does get influenced by his gang as well.

Unlike the rest of the “greasers”, Ponyboy doesn’t enjoy fighting. Ponyboy is different. He likes to draw, watch the beautiful sunsets and read any book he can get his hands on. Ponyboy knows he is different too, as he stated in page one of the book “Nobody in our gang digs movies and books the way I do. I’m different that way.” The gang doesn’t judge him on who he really is, but they leave him out on fights, because sometimes they think he’s too fragile or soft. Ponyboy is fine with himself, he loves his “tough” greasy hair, and he’s totally okay with any book. But Ponyboy feels lonely sometimes. “For a while there, I thought I was the only person in the world that enjoyed books and movies. So I loned it.” He didn’t mind it though. He would rather watch a movie alone, than with one of his gang members. On page one he clearly says “When I see a movie with someone it’s kind of uncomfortable, like having someone read your book over your shoulder.” He is different that way.

Since Ponyboy is an outsider and he’s different than the rest of the greasers he reminds me of Greg Heffley in the book “Diary of a Whimpy Kid.” Greg is an outsider and, like Ponyboy, doesn’t have anyone that REALLY relates to him. Sure he has one close friend Rodney, like Ponyboy has Sodapop, but they don’t have the same feelings and interests. So both Rodney and Ponyboy are outsiders even when they’re with their friends. Another similarity between the two characters is they have one older brother that yells and is strict. Ponyboy and Greg both have different interests than the rest of their friends and family. These two characters are very similar.

As you can see, Ponyboy is different. He may think that different is bad…but it’s not. Being unique is better than being normal, or being what you’re “supposed” to be. I believe Ponyboy is strong because he believes in what he loves to do, and he doesn’t let anyone change him. Ponyboy doesn’t let people build him into the image he’s supposed to be. Being different lets him see the world in a different perspective, and in unique eyes. For example, Ponyboy loves to watch sunsets, because he thinks their beautiful and pure. The rest of the gang have probably never seen the beauty of a sunset and even if they did they wouldn’t take it in and would think anything of it. Ponyboy is not like the rest of his gang, nor is he a soc. He is his own and unique person. Ponyboy is a different kind of greaser.

         

Randy

Authors Note: I'm going to tell you about Randy, a soc in the book "The Outsiders", and how he changes and becomes a dynamic character. I would like feed back on if i'm clear on my thoughts and ideas.

Randy is a heartless soc…at least that’s what he was at the beginning of “The Outsiders”. On page 102 Randy shows a bug change of heart. He tells Ponyboy all about how Bob was troubled and that Bob just needed his parents to set rules and tell him “no.” Randy says that no matter if the greasers win the rumble or not, socs will always be socs and greasers will always be greasers. “Nothing will change, it doesn’t matter.” Randy says. And to add more proof to this, Randy also says that he will not go to the rumble and that’s saying something. That’s saying that he doesn’t want to fight anymore. Now that he’s lost his best friend Bob, he just got a wake-up call saying HELLO STOP FIGHTING! Even Ponyboy saw it, “Randy was supposed to be too cool to feel anything, and yet there was pain in his eyes.” Randy finally shows that he is just a kid, and that he has feeling too. At the end of Ponyboy and Randy’s conversation Randy states “Thanks, grease…I didn’t mean that. I meant, thanks, kid.” He corrected himself from saying greaser and that should be enough to tell you that Randy turned into a dynamic character! If I had to compare Randy to another character...it would definitely be "Andy Sacks" from the movie "The Devil wears Prada." Andy Sacks turns out to be exactly what Randy turned out to be. They are both dynamic characters. In the beginning of the movie Andy clearly says "A million girls would kill for this job...the thing is i'm not one of them." Andy just got a job in a runway fashion magazine. In the beginning of the movie she was a total mess, she wore the ugliest clothes and wore NO MAKEUP! At the end of the movie, she wears the cutest clothes and shes beautiful! They are both the same type of character.

Sodapop

Authors Note: I'm going to tell you a little bit about a character named "Sodapop". He is in the book called "The Outsiders". I would like to know if im summerizing or if I need help with some places in my writing, so please let me know!

In the captivating book "The Outsiders", a new and totally different character comes into place. His name is Sodapop. Sodapop is a different greaser and very different than the rest of the gang. He has gold "tuff hair" and very good looking. All the girls go for him, even the soc girls. He is 16 going on 17, and a very fun and outgoing person. He cares for his gang and his brothers. He's reckless but still thoughtful at the same time "he likes action-and a contest". He treats Ponyboy with such respect and gentleness. When Darry, Sodapop and Ponyboy's older brother, yells at Ponyboy, Sodapop stands up for him and tells Darry to quit it. He is smart, but he still dropped out of school. He found his passion for horses, but tat soon ended because the horse he loved most, got sold. Kind is the best word that describes him, which makes him different than other greasers. Sodapop is a whole different greaser which makes him the most remember-able to me.

Conflicts

I believe the biggest conflict is when Johnny kills Bob, the soc. Darry hitting Ponyboy caused Ponyboy to run away and bring Johnny with him. They go to the park and that's were everything goes bad. 5 drunk soc's come and almost drown Ponyboy in a fountain, and Johnny cant handle that so he stabs the soc whose drowning Ponyboy. By Johnny taking a human life, that gets him in a lot of trouble, if he gets caught he will be put in the electric chair. Johnny stabbing that boy caused Ponyboy and himself to run away and hide from the police. This is the biggest change in the book because Johnny cant take back what he did, and they need to figure how he's going to live with the fact that the police might find him, and he is in a lot of trouble.