Ponyboy Curtis is a Greaser, and one of the three surviving members of the Curtis family. Mr. and Mrs. Curtis are dead and left the eldest son Darryl to care for the two younger brothers, Ponyboy and Sodapop. The three brothers live on the bad side of town and are part of a clique called the Greasers. There is an opposing clique from the upper classes called the Socs (short for Socials) and the two groups often clash violently. The story begins with Ponyboy being assaulted by a group of Socs, one of whom pulls a knife on Ponyboy and threatens to kill him. Luckily his gang were nearby and able to save him. All of the Greasers are lower class and have bad reputations or criminal records. Few of them, if any, have stable home lives. It is at this point …show more content…
Ponyboy describes him as being like an animal beaten into submission and then abandoned. He frequently receives physical and mental abuse at home. Also, he was once almost beaten to death by some Socs, one of whom drives a blue mustang and wears several rings on one hand. As a result of these beatings, Johnny always carries a switchblade with him. The plot picks up when Ponyboy, Johnny, and some of the gang go to see a movie at a drive in. While they are there they end up talking to and flirting with some of the Socs girlfriends, Cherry and Marcia, although they do not know it at the time. After the movie, they are seen by the Socs in the blue mustang, Randy and Bob. Bob is wearing several rings on one hand. Nothing happens aside from Cherry and Marcia getting picked up. Afterwards, Ponyboy gets into a fight with his older brother Darryl and runs away from home with Johnny. Around three in the morning Ponyboy and Johnny are in a local park by a fountain, smoking and trying to keep warm, when they see the blue mustang circling the park. Before they can leave five Socs stumble up to them, obviously drunk. After a brief conversation they try to drown Ponyboy in the fountain. Johnny steps in and knifes Bob,