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The two terms we chose are theme and conflict.

The theme of this book is coming of age. Ponyboy's life was pretty much perfect apart from his arguments with Darry and run-ins with the Socs, until Johnny killed Bob. Then Ponyboy had to run away to the church with Johnny to keep from getting arrested. They had seen what jail had done to Dally. Pony has to grow up fast and get his act together faster. When Johnny dies, Ponyboy can't believe it and won't believe it. That would normally be enough shock to a person's system, but not even an hour later, Dally commits suicide and also dies. This makes Ponyboy feel like his life has no purpose anymore. A quote that shows the theme is, "...he meant you're gold when you're a kid, like green. When you're a kid everything's new, dawn. It's just when you get used to everything that it's day" (178).  The quote shows that as you mature things lose their sparkle. Ponyboy has to mature quickly to take on many burdens. The author chose this theme to show that growing up is not always easy.

There are many conflicts in the book. For one, there's the whole socs vs. greasers factor. The greasers are jealous of the socs' money and arrogance, but the conflict runs much deeper than that. The greasers know that the socs will get more status and chances and careers. "'Get thee hence, white trash,' Two-Bit said in a snobbish voice. 'I am a Soc. I am the privileged and the well-dressed. I throw beer blasts, drive fancy cars, break windows at fancy parties'" (136). This quote shows how the greasers do not like the socs.
There is also the conflict between Ponyboy and Darry. Darry just wants to help Ponyboy but he is too harsh and Pony thinks that Darry doesn't care. "I just stared at the hole in the toe of my tennis shoe. Me and Darry just didn't dig each other. I never could please him" (12).
One more conflict is between Ponyboy, Johnny, and the police. Johnny killed someone so the police are after Ponyboy and him. "'The fuzz won't be lookin' for you around here," Dally said, lighting up. "They think you've lit out for Texas'" (69).
These are just some of the countless conflicts. Conflict is used in the story to make it more interesting and show that life can be difficult. Conflict is needed to make a good story, especially a coming of age one.

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Ponyboy is the reluctant hero. The reason Ponyboy is the reluctant hero is because he wanted his life to be normal. If he could have just kept going with the gang, sidestepping Darry's arguments and getting in occasional fights with the Socs, he might have been okay and not had to go on the run. But he was thrust into multiple situations where he had to be the hero. A quote that shows this is, "I jerked loose and ran on. All I could think was: We started it. We started it. We started it!" (78). The quote shows that Pony feels guilty for having started the fire and that was the reason that drove him in there, not an act of heroism.

Johnny is the tragic hero. He tried to save the kids in the fire, but that ended up leading to his own tragic demise. His sense of sacrificing himself for others is particularly strong. "'Yeah.' His voice quavered slightly. 'I had to. They were drowning you, Pony. They might have killed you.'" Johnny doesn't care about his own well-being, he just cares that Ponyboy's okay. This selflessness leads to his sad end.

Darry is the hotshot. Now, at first glance this seemed so unlike Darry it was almost insane. But look a little closer at the definition, and you see that 'hotshot' doesn't always mean super cool basketball dude. Frequent characteristics of the hotshot character includes some level of arrogance, abrasive manners, aggressiveness, a tendency to prefer to be alone even to the point of working alone, and sometimes an inability to work with their teammates. This fits Darry to a T. He certainly has some abrasiveness about him, and the solitude factor works as well. Ponyboy talks about Darry's aggressiveness. "'He's got eyes exactly like frozen ice. He thinks I'm a pain in the neck'" (37). Pony thinks that because Darry is distant, it means he doesn't love him.

Dally is the victim. He is doomed to a bad ending from the very beginning of the story. From the way he acts and the way he talks, he draws trouble to him like flies to honey. "It would be a miracle if Dally loved anything. The fight for self-preservation had hardened him beyond caring" (52). Dally doesn't care about anything except Johnny and rumbling. Because he doesn't care, when he does care and the person he cares about gets hurt, he will stop at nothing to get the pain to go away, even if it means resorting to suicide.

Two-Bit is the trickster. He's always playing practical jokes and being funny.  He disobeys rules and plays tricks for attention. He does stuff just because everyone else is doing it and wants all eyes on him. The book shows this here, "Everything he said was so irresistibly funny that he just had to let the police in on it to brighten up their dull lives" (10). Two-Bit loves when he makes people laugh and when he is the focus in a room.

Cherry is the peacemaker. She doesn't want the separation between the two gangs, and she wants to fix the differences. She's nice, and witty, and pretty, so she's attractive to members of both gangs. But she doesn't care about looks, Cherry cares about what she sees in strength of character. Johnny was always nervous around strangers. "Cherry looked at him, sizing him up as she
had me. Then she smiled softly, and I knew she had him sized up right" (22). Cherry is a soc, but she is friendly to greasers who don't try to make out with her the first chance they get.

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MOTIVATION

Darry's motivation is his family. His focus is making sure his family is okay and he would be destroyed if anything happened to them. This is because his parents died so he feels that he is responsible for his brothers' lives. One example of this is when Darry makes sure Ponyboy is okay after the Socs try and attack him. This shows in the text here, "Darry jammed his fists in his pockets. They didn't hurt you too bad, did they?'" (7). Darry behaved this way because he didn't want Ponyboy to be hurt.
Another example of his motivation is when Darry is extremely worried about Pony after he ran away. This shows in the letter Sodapop wrote to Pony here, "Darry hasn't got the slightest notion where you're at and it is nearly killing him" (81). Darry fears that he will never see Pony again and he can't bear to lose another family member.

DESIRES

Darry desires to go places in life. He wishes to get out of the streets and possibly go to college. He also wants his family to be able to succeed in life. He loves the greasers that he hangs out with but he just doesn't fit in. This is shown here in the book, "...the only reason Darry couldn't be soc was us. The gang. Me and Soda. Darry was too smart to be a greaser" (126). Darry wants to become successful and he wants the same for his family but he knows that they can't do that if they are greasers. Another example that shows Darry's desires is when he yells at Pony to do good in school. He wants Ponyboy to be smart so he can succeed.

FLAWS

Darry can be hard on Pony and Soda because he wants them to be the best they can be. But Ponyboy feels he's letting Darry down because he can never impress him. "If I was playing football, I should be in studying, and if I was in reading, I should be out playing football" (13). This shows the frustration Pony feels when Darry never seems satisfied with what Ponyboy is doing. Another flaw of Darry's is that he wants too many things. He wants to go to college and play football, and he wants his parents to come back from the dead, and he wants everyone to be safe. This is shown in the text "Darry sighed just like I knew he would. Darry never had time to do anything anymore" (14). I think that if Darry just stopped and relaxed for a bit, he would get through some of his flaws.

PERSONALITY TEST

We found that Darry was the Logistician (ISTJ) personality type. These people tend to see the world for what it is. Their defining characteristics of integrity, practical logic and tireless dedication to duty make ISTJs a vital core to many families. Darry shows this through the quote "'You don't ever think,' Darry broke in, 'not at home or anywhere when it counts'" (13). Here Darry is worrying that Ponyboy is not reaching his full potential in life. He wants Ponyboy to use his head.  ISTJs hold back none of their time and energy completing each relevant task with accuracy. Darry also shows the trait of being judgmental. Darry is never satisfied with the work the boys do.

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Darry is a pineapple, with a hard, spiky outside that can hurt those around him even when he doesn't mean to. He has a soft interior, though, that can give people energy and hope when he chooses to show it. Darry's self-esteem is easily bruised. "Steve made the mistake of referring to him as 'all brawn and no brain,' and Darry almost shattered Steve's jaw" (109). But Darry only shows his bruises on the inside, not the outside, because he doesn't want anyone to think he's weak. But pineapples also take a lot of effort to open up. Darry does not share his emotions with anyone, not even his brothers. "...and my oldest brother, Darrel, who we call Darry, works too long and hard to be interested in a story..." (2). This section of text gives the reader an insight in Darry's character. He works too hard to invest himself in emotions.

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Darry is Ponyboy's controlling but caring older brother.