The Outsiders traces the difficult
life of Ponyboy Curtis who is a "Greaser," which is the name of one of the gangs in his
neighborhood. The Greasers are from the "East side" of town, unlike the "Socs," the gang
from the "West side" and the privileged few who "jump Greasers and wreck houses."
Greasers are a close-knit group of "hoods" who "hold up gas stations and have a gang
fight once in a while" but would never hurt anyone just "for
kicks."
Life for Ponyboy's best friend Johnny Cade, who is
affectionately called "Johnnycake," is very hard. His father is abusive and his mother
neglectful to the point that "Johnny had it awful rough at home." Johnny is accepting
and tolerant of his situation and never feels sorry for
himself. He has also been beaten very badly by the Socs for no reason other than that he
is a Greaser. As a result, Johnny is very wary, always
uneasy and "scared of his own
shadow." The gang is more like family to Johnny and he is protected by some of its
fiercest members, such as Dally Winston.
Johnny is often
mistakenly perceived as being younger than he is because of his "slight build." He is
also shy but fiercely loyal to
his gang, and it is this that gets him into trouble when he saves Ponyboy but murders
one of the Socs who was trying to drown Ponyboy in the
fountain.
Johnny knows that Ponyboy loves Gone
with the Wind and is considerate enough to bring
him a copy while they are hiding out. He appreciates his friend's intellect and wants to
learn. He is also impressed by Ponyboy's poetry readings and interprets a Robert Frost
poem, revealing that he has a deeper understanding than his
education gives him credit for. Ponyboy is surprised at Johnny's ability to find a
personal message in the poem. Ponyboy is moved by Johnny's
plea to "stay gold" because Johnny understands how easy it would be for Ponyboy to
change because of their harsh environment. This also shows that Johnny is
intuitive and thoughtful,
wanting only the best for his friend.
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