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Ponyboy Curtis, the youngest member of the greasers, narrates the novel. Ponyboy theorizes on the motivations and personalities of his friends and describes events in a slang, youthful voice. Though only fourteen years old, he understands the way his social group functions and the role each group member plays.  Ponyboy identifies with Pip, the impoverished protagonist of Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations, cites the Robert Frost poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” and introduces Johnny to the southern gentlemen of Margaret Mitchell’s Southern epic, Gone with the Wind. With such an awareness of literary protagonists,   The novel is not just a story of gang rivalry; it is an account of Ponyboy’s development.

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After experiencing several traumatic events, Ponyboy is motivated to save other adolescent boys from becoming victims of society. By the end of the novel, Ponyboy wishes to instill hope in youths across America going through similar struggles, which is why he writes the story.

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Pony begins to question his place there  "Why do I fight? I thought and couldn't think of any real good reason. There isn't any real good reason for fighting except self-defense." This is a marked change in attitude from Pony, who has previously engaged in Greaser fights with his group simply because that's what he believes Greasers do. After seeing how quickly their lives can end Socs as well as Greasers his perspective shifts.

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Ponyboy starts off the novel as the most innocent member of the Greasers. He is the youngest of three brothers and has not yet experienced the degree of suffering the rest of the gang has. By the end of the novel, after Ponyboy has witnessed the deaths of Bob Sheldon. After johnny's and Dally's deaths, Pony engages in some deep introspection and realizes that maybe settling for the way Greasers have always lived isn't his best option for having a meaningful life.

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Man vs Self-conflict is in Pony dealing with his guilt over the deaths of Dally and Johnny. First, it must surely put a lot of stress on Darry. He has to try to raise two younger brothers who aren't that much younger than him while he works. He has to do this at an age when most people do not have much responsibility. Second, it makes Ponyboy unhappy because Darry is his brother acting as his parent.

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"I lie to myself all the time. But I never believe me"  (18)
I believed that ponyboy reveals his personal truth as he introduces the reader to his dynamic family at home. Sodapop keeps the peace between Darry and Ponyboy, who are often at odds. Darry has high expectations for Ponyboy, who misunderstands Darry’s intentions. Even as Ponyboy states that he doesn’t care about Darry, he knows he feels deeply connected to his brother. Ponyboy’s revelation reveals a sophisticated level of self-awareness, which, as the reader learns in hindsight, has been developed due to the traumatic events in his life.

"Dally didn’t die a hero. He died violent and young and desperate, just like we all knew he’d die someday…But Johnny was right. He died gallantly."  (chapter 10) Ponyboy realizes an important truth as he compares Dally’s and Johnny’s deaths. Dally’s reckless death served no purpose. Johnny’s death redeems his life. Johnny dies with purpose, saving the children. Johnny sacrificed his life, and through this sacrifice transcends all social class, becoming even finer than the finest Southern gentlemen in Gone with the Wind.

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Sunsets and sunrises symbolize ponyboy "Just don't forget that some of us watch the sunsets too". ponyboy is different than like the gang, the socs. He also says he sees a gap between the greasers and the socs  (chapter 13)