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When in the hospital seeing Johnny after the rumble, Pony encounters Johnny dying, His final words were a strained "Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold..." Johnny's "stay gold' is referring to a poem Ponyboy recited while they were at the church, but what Johnny was trying to convey was a message to Ponyboy that he could not lose the Hope that has endured in him throughout the events of the novel. So many others had fallen to what was so common, and succumb to the gripping effects of the apparent social divide, but not Ponyboy. Ponyboy still had the hope to make a better life for himself, and separate himself from the stereotype  of "a greaser" While not many other's had accomplished this feat, Ponyboy, Randy, and Cherry all had, ignoring the conflict between the groups and attempting to find a way out of the inevitable. Pony's ability to stay true to himself despite his greaser title and the hope to find a way to escape, is "gold" is Johnny's eyes that Ponyboy must keep or "stay"

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In preparation of the rumble, many of the greaser gangs met and allied themselves with one another. While meeting one of the gang leaders, Pony is asked about the incident with Bob. " When Tim got to [Ponyboy} he studied [him], maybe remembering how his kid brother and [Pony] had played chicken. 'You and the quiet black-headed kid were the ones who killed that Soc?'
'Yeah,' I said, pretending to be proud of it; then I thought of Cherry and Randy and got a sick feeling in my stomach."
Tim's response "Good goin' kid" reflects many greasers' feeling on Socs, but Pony's hidden feelings are what differentiate him from most other greases. This is what Cherry, Randy, and Johnny refer to when the are speaking of Pony as if he is special or different. Pony resents the social conflict between the two groups and while he has the repertoire of a greaser, his personal beliefs contradict that of his perceived beliefs.

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Ponyboy has acquired a unique perception of Socs in comparison to all other greasers from the experiences and conversations he has had with Cherry. Ponyboy eventually realizes both Socs and greasers have issues but both the groups can share the same forms of happiness if they are able to put aside their differences. After Ponyboy encounters Cherry so she can tell him that Randy, Bob's best friend, will not be fighting the greasers in a rumble, a large clash of the two groups, Ponyboy asks Cherry to come see Johnny. She refuses, offending Ponyboy and causing him to retaliate aggressively. The two exchange words but eventually Cherry comes to the verge of crying as Ponyboy walks away. He returns to finish the conversation and Cherry comes to tell him, "I wasn't trying to give you charity, Ponyboy. I only wanted to help. I liked you from the start... the way you talked. You're a nice kid, Ponyboy. Do you realize how scarce nice kids are nowadays? Wouldn't you try to help me if you could?" Ponyboy realizes that she meant no harm in refusing to see Johnny, but that she was just conflicted internally, since n her mind Bob was a nice guy. Ponyboy also understands that he has been the most understanding "greaser" cherry has ever met and despite being recognized as one, Cherry doesn't believe that the group Pony is a part of fits him considering the stereotypical actions of many of the other greasers.

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After the incident with Bob, Ponyboy and Johnny escape to an old abandoned church recommended by Dally, of which was made of wood. Dally eventually comes to tell the two that the coast was clear and they could come out of hiding, and to celebrate takes them to Dairy Queen. On their way back home they pass the church only to find it set ablaze with children trapped inside and without intervention, a death from the fire. Despite Dallas' warning, Ponyboy and Johnny enter the church and save the children, but Johnny is left with fatal wounds. The children were with their teacher of whom is stunned to learn that Ponyboy, Dallas, and Johnny are greasers. He asks them "What re you guys, professional heroes or something?' To which Ponyboy responds with "We're greasers" The teacher couldn't believe that greasers had risked and given their lives in favor of a few children since many people's perception of the group were loyalty to their gang and selfishness.

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Johnny and Ponyboy are at the park in their side of town when Bob and a few other Socs hunt down the two and prepare to jump them since they had talked to Cherry, Bob's girlfriend. This eventually leads to Ponyboy nearly being drowned and Bob getting stabbed and killed by Johnny in order to save Ponyboy. The two know that despite them personally acting out of self defense, they will be seen as murders in court due to being greasers. The struggle to decide whether or not to face the law is apparent since the two greasers know that Socs will always be privileged and even if they had done nothing unlawful they would be perceived as doing so.

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At a drive-in movie, Dally is bothering two Soc girls and eventually gives up. This prompts Cherry, one of the Socs, to ask Ponyboy, "Are you going to start in on us?" When he replies "No" Cherry responds by asking,  "What's a nice, smart kid like you running around with trash like that for?" Cherry didn't believe Ponyboy was a greaser based on his actions, but her original question stereotypes Ponyboy as one to mess with the other class due to previous actions of greasers in the past.

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The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is about personal versus group identity and reveals that despite stereotyping, people must act in a way that reflects their own beliefs even if they are still not credited or recognized for their actions.