By: Natalia Colorado
Ponyboy Curtis is very absent minded adolescent boy, who looks at things in the best possible light. He constantly daydreams and his head is usually in the clouds. He is sometimes considered as annoying or immature by his close friends, due to the fact that he's the youngest in the group. He gets along quite well with the majority of characters in the book, however, some people like Steve Randle, think Ponyboy is more of a nuisance than anything. Ponyboy likes watching sunsets, running, reading books, and watching movies; things his friends normally don't enjoy. He loves his energetic and fun-loving brother Sodapop, and later, realizing that Darry wants the best for Ponyboy, begins to form a close bond with his older, more mature brother. Ponyboy cares for all the greasers in his crew as well, and had a close relationship with Johnny Cade; both boys could relate to each other, as they were the youngest boys in the group. Ponyboy developed a close bond with his fellow greasers, and would do anything for them. This is the reason that he expressed such grief and such an impact from the deaths of Dally and Johnny. Ponyboy seems to smoke a lot to deal with his anxiety and the pressure that is put upon him by his older brother, Darry; though sometimes, Ponyboy smokes for fun. His behavior sometimes reflects his absent mindedness, and unlike his friends and family, Ponyboy does not enjoy violence and seems to like more calm activities, such as reading books and watching sunsets. Throughout the book, Ponyboy changes drastically. He finally sees the good that his brother Darry is trying to do for him, and he also realizes the somewhat cruel and unforgiving reality that surrounds him after witnessing his close friends pass away. He is not quite as innocent as he was before the death's of Bob, Johnny, and Dally, and is struck with grief after seeing his friends die. After the deaths of his friends, you can truly see Ponyboy go through some of the five steps of loss and grief, such as denial, anger, depression, and acceptance. He denies that his friends died, is angry at the Socs that he believed caused him all his grief and problems, is depressed once he realizes that his friends are truly gone, and finally, accepts that his friends have passed away. Ponyboy is also quite brave, and was instantly willing to try and save the kids that were trapped in a burning church. In conclusion, Ponyboy is a major, dynamic, and round protagonist who undergoes a large amount of change throughout the book.
Dallas Winston, better known as Dally, was a hardened teenager who used to be involved with gangs in New York. He was very short-tempered: he once punched a complete stranger because the man told him to move over. Dally is a very tough and hardened boy, who had to constantly fight for self-preservation while living on the streets of New York. He was wild, and was always on the hunt for trouble. He got along well with the other greasers, especially with Johnny, who he treated like a little brother. Dally enjoyed riding in rodeos, jumping kids, and rolling drunks (meaning to steal the wallets of drunks). Dally cared a lot for his friends and looked to protect them, especially Johnny. Dally's true feelings towards Johnny are not really evident until Chapter 9 and 10, where you can truly see how much Dally cared for Johnny. Johnny meant the world to him, and Dally didn't really care about anything else in the world after Johnny's death, leading him to commit suicide by pulling out a unloaded gun in front of several cops. Personally, I believe that Dally loved Johnny because he sympathized with him, having to deal with abusive and alcoholic parents his whole life. Before his death, Dally never thought about anything but Johnny and his friends, and he experienced tremendous grief, anger, and frustration after Johnny passed away. The activities that Dally, such as riding in rodeos, partying with his wild friends, and jumping kids really reflect the wild, and somewhat savage nature of Dallas Winston. Unlike Ponyboy, Dally doesn't really undergo a huge amount of change; throughout the story, Dally stayed tough and wild until he showed a softer side after Johnny's tragic death. In conclusion, Dallas Winston was a major, mostly static, and round character who didn't change a huge amount throughout the book.
Ponyboy Curtis is very absent minded adolescent boy, who looks at things in the best possible light. He constantly daydreams and his head is usually in the clouds. He is sometimes considered as annoying or immature by his close friends, due to the fact that he's the youngest in the group. He gets along quite well with the majority of characters in the book, however, some people like Steve Randle, think Ponyboy is more of a nuisance than anything. Ponyboy likes watching sunsets, running, reading books, and watching movies; things his friends normally don't enjoy. He loves his energetic and fun-loving brother Sodapop, and later, realizing that Darry wants the best for Ponyboy, begins to form a close bond with his older, more mature brother. Ponyboy cares for all the greasers in his crew as well, and had a close relationship with Johnny Cade; both boys could relate to each other, as they were the youngest boys in the group. Ponyboy developed a close bond with his fellow greasers, and would do anything for them. This is the reason that he expressed such grief and such an impact from the deaths of Dally and Johnny. Ponyboy seems to smoke a lot to deal with his anxiety and the pressure that is put upon him by his older brother, Darry; though sometimes, Ponyboy smokes for fun. His behavior sometimes reflects his absent mindedness, and unlike his friends and family, Ponyboy does not enjoy violence and seems to like more calm activities, such as reading books and watching sunsets. Throughout the book, Ponyboy changes drastically. He finally sees the good that his brother Darry is trying to do for him, and he also realizes the somewhat cruel and unforgiving reality that surrounds him after witnessing his close friends pass away. He is not quite as innocent as he was before the death's of Bob, Johnny, and Dally, and is struck with grief after seeing his friends die. After the deaths of his friends, you can truly see Ponyboy go through some of the five steps of loss and grief, such as denial, anger, depression, and acceptance. He denies that his friends died, is angry at the Socs that he believed caused him all his grief and problems, is depressed once he realizes that his friends are truly gone, and finally, accepts that his friends have passed away. Ponyboy is also quite brave, and was instantly willing to try and save the kids that were trapped in a burning church. In conclusion, Ponyboy is a major, dynamic, and round protagonist who undergoes a large amount of change throughout the book.
Dallas Winston, better known as Dally, was a hardened teenager who used to be involved with gangs in New York. He was very short-tempered: he once punched a complete stranger because the man told him to move over. Dally is a very tough and hardened boy, who had to constantly fight for self-preservation while living on the streets of New York. He was wild, and was always on the hunt for trouble. He got along well with the other greasers, especially with Johnny, who he treated like a little brother. Dally enjoyed riding in rodeos, jumping kids, and rolling drunks (meaning to steal the wallets of drunks). Dally cared a lot for his friends and looked to protect them, especially Johnny. Dally's true feelings towards Johnny are not really evident until Chapter 9 and 10, where you can truly see how much Dally cared for Johnny. Johnny meant the world to him, and Dally didn't really care about anything else in the world after Johnny's death, leading him to commit suicide by pulling out a unloaded gun in front of several cops. Personally, I believe that Dally loved Johnny because he sympathized with him, having to deal with abusive and alcoholic parents his whole life. Before his death, Dally never thought about anything but Johnny and his friends, and he experienced tremendous grief, anger, and frustration after Johnny passed away. The activities that Dally, such as riding in rodeos, partying with his wild friends, and jumping kids really reflect the wild, and somewhat savage nature of Dallas Winston. Unlike Ponyboy, Dally doesn't really undergo a huge amount of change; throughout the story, Dally stayed tough and wild until he showed a softer side after Johnny's tragic death. In conclusion, Dallas Winston was a major, mostly static, and round character who didn't change a huge amount throughout the book.