Choose and Discuss a Character's Development in
             In the book The Outsiders by S.E. Hilton, many changes occur in Ponyboy Curtis' personality, appearance and his overall view of life. He starts as a smart Greaser but through the events with the Socs and Johnny's death, he learns that there are two sides to the war between the Greasers and the Socs and that life is precious. This paper will discuss and prove its point by showing you how Ponyboy starts off as, at the start of the book, what changes occur to him in chronological order and how it affects him and what he is like after all the events that happen to him.
             Ponyboy Curtis is a smart, intellectual 14 year old boy that has green eyes and long, light brown hair. He is a Greaser. Greaser is a term used to describe the middle class citizens who live on the East side of town and they usually have grease (hair-gel) in their hair (hence the name Greaser) and they usually have daggy clothes like leather jackets and jeans. Although Ponyboy dresses like a Greaser and acts like one when in the presence of his fellow gang members, he rarely thinks like one.
             Ponyboy is described as having a high IQ and getting good grades but not using his head. He is very absent minded and he often reflects on the situation to himself after something has happened. His intelligence is described in the first few pages when he talks about how he likes to get into movies and live them with the actor. He reflects on how "nobody in our gang can understand books and films the way I do" on the second page. This is true, as his fellow members of the gang are not as broad minded as he is and all they really think of is what the stereotypical Greaser would think of. For example, one member of the gang, Keith "Two-Bit" Mathews, thinks that life is a joke and all he is described as liking is shop-lifting, fights, blondes and school (just for fun). Ponyboy is a lot deeper than that...