Main Theme of Ponyboy

In the book The Outsiders, by S.E Hinton,  Ponyboy and his two brothers live in small town in Oklahoma with a gang of trouble makers that are dubbed the Greaser and are in social warfare with a different gang called the Soc, rich city kids that have the world handed to them. Thought  the story many themes are displayed as Pony and his gang battle with the Socs. The one theme that I found constant through the story was survival.

After a brutally fight with Darry, Pony and Johnny are laying down in a park. When a Soc named Bobby that had jumped Johnny and left brutal scars across his whole body. Pony passes out and when he awakes he sees the dead body of Bobby after he had pulled a blade on Johnny.  Johnny and Pony both know what they have to do, that’s  to go on the run.

Now today Johnny would be fine because he killed Bobby in self defense and people hopefully would ot stereotype. Although back then he was an outcast and no one would believe him, so he had to go on the run.  They have to cut their hair so no one notices them.  Also they have to stay off the main roads and shops so no one catches them.

This part of the story reminds me of the story of Airmen Johnson that Ii read online. Where his jet was hit with a SAM missile, he ejected and landed in a forest. He had to survive eight days behind enemy lines. Now of course he was surviving from soldiers  that would fire at will at even the sight of him and Pony was on the run from police that wouldn’t kill him, but the theme of survival stays the same in both stories. 

Most everyone these day has do to something to survive even if that means being home alone for an hour. You have to survive or not burn down the house, but I grantee most people would not be able to survive what Pony did.