Analysis Of A Dynamic Character In The Outsiders By Susan Eloise Hinton

A dynamic character undergoes a momentous inner change, as seen through their persona or individuality. Susan Eloise Hinton was just a young adult when she wrote the Outsiders novel; an incredibly striking, gritty and realistic portrayal of teenage life. The Outsiders is just one of the numerous extent of novels written by S.E. Hinton. This novel takes place in the 1960’s that depicts the truth faced by two opposing groups, the Socials, also known as the Socs and the Greasers. Ponyboy Curtis designates the Greasers as the more impecunious and wild compared to their rival gang, the Socials who are very noble, affluent and “who love to jump the Greasers” As the book progresses, characters are further classified as dynamic or static. Ponyboy Curtis,

At the start of the novel, Ponyboy’s sought that money is the dominant factor of the separation. He was a close-minded individual who did not overlook the entire situation. However, Cherry conflict and says, "It 's not just money. Part of it is, but not all. You greasers have a different set of values. You 're more emotional. We 're sophisticated---cool to the point of not feeling anything. Nothing is real with us (Hinton 37). From conversing with Cherry, Ponyboy starts to alter his viewpoint. He starts to comprehend the reality of their life, that the Socs were actually always hiding behind a wall of aloofness, paying concern of their identity. Ponyboy realizes that money isn’t what causes the division but feelings. “-you don’t feel anything and we feel to violently” (Hinton 38). “It seemed funny to me that the sunset she saw from her patio and the one I saw from the back steps was the same one. Maybe the two different worlds we lived in weren 't so different. We saw the same sunset” (Hinton 40). S.E Hinton establishes the sunset as a motif to create a connection between two contrastive characters. It challenges Ponyboy to look past the stereotype of rivalries and view people from their individuality. Furthermore, the

Ponyboy’s two brothers have been looking after him since his parent’s demise. In chapter one, Sodapop is described as “always happy-go lucky and grinning.” Whereas, “Me and Darry just didn’t dig each other. I never could please him…He just hollered at me” (Hinton 13). Ponyboy did not understand that Darry just wants to make sure that Pony graduates and pursue the bright future ahead of him – unlike Sodapop. However, Darry’s anger is often misinterpreted for hatred. Unforeseen, in the hospital, “In that second what Soda and Dally had been trying to tell me came through. Darry did care about me, maybe as much as he cared about Soda, and because he cared about Soda, and because he cared he was trying too hard to make something of me” (Hinton 98). Ponyboy understands that Darry harsh “father-figure” on him is only because he cares and wants to keep the family together by further executing substantial sacrifices for his brothers. Furthermore, as Ponyboy’s and Darry’s relationship remedies, Ponyboy continues to reshape his character to become a more resilient and pragmatic