Susan Lim
Bananas
Character Analysis: The Outsiders
Ponyboy Curtis – is the narrator and the main character of the story. He is
the youngest among the greasers and also the brain of the gang. Ponyboy is a
solitary and sensitive boy who is different from most people. “I lie to my
self all the time. But I never believe me.” (Hinton 18) tells he is solitary
because he thinks to him self more then he speaks. The part where Ponyboy
breaks not being able to accept Johnny and Dally’s death and blaming every
thing on to himself shows he is also very sensitive.
Johnny Cade – is Ponyboy’s best friend and the second youngest in the
greasers’ gang. He kills Bob to save Ponyboy’s life and runs away with
Ponyboy to Windrixville with Dally’s help. He dies after getting badly injured
to save the children trapped in side the church on fire. Johnny is a passive
boy who accepts what the rest of the gang (especially Dally) decides or
agrees to. He is also strong. He saves the children risking his life “I blinked
my self – Johnny wasn’t behaving at all like his old self.” (Hinton 92) After
Johnny gets injured and slowly dies he is stronger then he ever was.
Dallas Winston – “The real character of the gang,” Dally is the “real”
dangerous hood in the greasers gang. He cares for Johnny more then anyone
and helps him and Ponyboy escape after the murder. After Johnny, the one
person he really cared for dies, he points an empty gun at the police after
robbing a store and dies in front of his friends. He is dangerous and caring.
“The shade of difference that separates a greaser from a hood wasn’t
present in Dally,” (Hinton 11) shows how he is much more dangerous
compared to the rest of the greasers. He is caring “but Dally had nothing on
his mind except Johnny,” (Hinton 147)