Character Analysis Of Ponyboy's Character From 'The Outsider'

Ponyboy’s Greatest Supporter

By: Benjamin T.

We all have a critical person in our life who supports us through tough times. For most people, the special individuals may be their parental figures. However, Ponyboy's parents were never there for him, and he has been through multiple harsh events all his life. Who would be his supportive role model? Out of all the people that are close to Ponyboy, Sodapop is the one who tries to understand Ponyboy no matter the situation that he is in. He is willing to sacrifice many things just to support Ponyboy in a multitude of ways, becoming the sibling to whom Ponyboy feels most comfortable and connected. Therefore making him the most supportive figure for Ponyboy. Even though Pony and Soda have a large

Even though this has been tough due to the constant state of chaos that the gang was in, Soda always tried to make sure Ponyboy felt comfortable. During the early chapters of the novel Ponyboy says “Soda tries to understand at least.”(page 1, chapter 1) This shows how Pony takes a liking to Soda and how he believes Soda is his greatest supporter compared to the other gang members. Another time we have seen Soda trying to understand Ponyboy is when he and Darry get into an argument. As we know, Soda is the one who always resolves the conflict between the two brothers and their vastly conflicting values. Sodapop will do this by putting himself in both of their shoes and finding the best solution for both of them. However, to put himself in their shoes, he must understand them first. This shows that Sodapop acknowledges and wants to protect Ponyboy as his brother, even sacrificing important things in his life just to protect

Even to the extent that Ponyboy may favour him over his parents. This is shown when Ponboy got ill after the rumble with the Socs and the Greasers. During the period when Ponyboy was unwell, he started calling for people whom he cared very deeply about. Even compared to Darry or his parents, Sodapop’s name was by far called upon the most. During arguments between Darry and Pony, Soda usually agrees with Ponyboy, supporting him over Darry. Another example of Ponyboy being closest to Soda is that they share a bed. Instead of sharing a bed with Darry or sleeping alone, he decided to share a bed with Soda. The story behind this was that Ponyboy had nightmares every day for a while and Soda had to come and sleep with him to stop the nightmares from continuing. This is demonstrated in the quote, “I would dream this dream and wake up in a cold sweat or screaming. And I never could remember exactly what happened in it. Soda began sleeping with me, and it stopped recurring so often.” (page 35) This phrase from the book shows that Ponyboy feels at ease with Sodapop. This means that Sodapop comforts Ponyboy and supports him. Sodapop is by far the closest person to Ponyboy and the person that Ponyboy trusts the