Why is ponyboy intelligent

But I gotta do something. At the start of the novel, Ponyboy is a dedicated greaser even though he knows that certain aspects of his personality make him different from the rest of the gang. The gang provides him with too great of a sense of safety and strength to even consider life outside of it. Since the death of their parents, Darry has been supporting himself, Ponyboy and their other brother, Sodapop.

Ponyboy feels he is a constant let down to his brother, who seems to be a harsh and nagging surrogate parent. Throughout the novel, Ponyboy sees himself as an intelligent, athletic, and sympathetic individual. He is killed by Johnny Cade. The only reason Ponyboy survived the encounter was because Johnny killed Bob to protect his fellow Greaser. Last Updated: 14 days ago — Co-authors : 14 — Users : 4. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email. Home Answers About. Sign in. Forgot your password? Get help. Password recovery. Violence: Ponyboy is jumped when walking home from the movies by himself. A knife is held to his throat. Darry hates Paul Holden because Paul was given the opportunity to attend college and play football, and he was not.

Paul is essentially the epitome of what Darry wishes he could have become. The policemen kill Dally. Darry comes across as harsh and cruel at times, but that is because he feels responsible for Ponyboy. He has high expectations for Ponyboy and wants him to keep his grades up and come home on time. When Darry gets furious at Ponyboy after he comes home late from the movies, the tension rises.

The basic conflict between these two groups comes from the fact that they are from very different backgrounds. Ponyboy is saying that he and Johnny instinctually understand each other because they are similar types of people who happen to be really close friends. Ponyboy and Johnny are both young, sensitive boys who are members of the Greaser gang. In a story, the central conflict is defined as the main opposition, obstacle or complication that characters need to navigate in order for the story to reach a conclusion.

Major conflict Against the background of the clash between the poor greasers and the rich Socs, the greaser Ponyboy struggles to mature. Rising action Johnny kills a Soc; Johnny and Ponyboy flee; tension mounts between the greasers and Socs. The reader is able to see the changes in Pony's viewpoints as he is dealing with many issues that are common in an adolescent's life.

The most powerful issue is that life is not fair. From the deaths of his parents, to the economic conditions that cast them as greasers, to the deaths of his friends, life is not fair to Ponyboy. During this two-week period, Pony has to weather three deaths — two greasers and one from the rival gang, the Socs. The Socs, short for Socials, are the "West-side rich kids. He takes it upon himself to make their deaths mean something.

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