These The Outsiders characters descriptions will give you a deeper understanding of their traits and significance.
The Outsiders characters are some of the most iconic in young adult literature. The characters are easy to relate to, and the story is told in a way that is easy to understand.
In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at The Outsider’s character traits of all of the characters, from Ponyboy to Mr. Symes. Also, check out the table that shows the characters’ ages and whether they’re a greaser or a soc.
85 The Outsiders Quotes With Page Numbers
The Outsiders Greasers Characters
The greasers in The Outsiders are Ponyboy Curtis, Soda Pop Curtis, Johnny Cade, Darry Curtis, Two-Bit Matthews, Steve Randle, and Dallas Winston. They are a gang of lower-class teens from the East Side who struggle to survive in a world of judgment and prejudice.
The greasers are renowned for their loyalty to one another and often fight with the Socs, a rival gang of upper-class kids from the West Side. Despite their rough exterior, many greasers have kind hearts and good intentions. They ultimately prove that friendship is more powerful than any rivalry or hatred.
1. Ponyboy Curtis’s Character Traits
Ponyboy is the narrator and the protagonist of the novel. He is a fourteen-year-old member of the Greasers who lives with his two older brothers, Darry and Sodapop.
He has light brown, almost red hair, and greenish-gray eyes that give him a distinct appearance. What makes him different from the rest of the greasers is that he’s sensitive and creative because his parents died in a car crash. He writes poetry as an outlet for his emotions.
Darry complains that Ponyboy lacks common sense. But he is loyal and resilient, with a brave spirit that the Socs will not break. He struggles with class division, and at the novel’s beginning, he thinks that the socs have it better.
He matures as the novel progresses and realizes that the greasers have similarities with the socs and how important it is to stick together.
75 Ponyboy Quotes With Page Numbers
2. Sodapop Curtis’s Character Traits
Sodapop is Ponyboy’s sixteen-year-old older brother who works at the gas station. He has golden blond hair and blue eyes, which makes him look like a movie star.
He is the middle of the three Curtis boys and the most easy-going of the three brothers. He often acts as a mediator between Ponyboy and Darry. He is kind and gentle but brave when fighting for his beliefs. Ponyboy is jealous of Sodapop’s attractive appearance and appeal. Sodapop intends to marry Sandy, a member of the Greasers.
3. Darrel Curtis’s Character Traits
Ponyboy’s older brother. His full name is Darrel Curtis. He is a 20-year-old greaser who raises Ponyboy and Sodapop after their parents die in a car accident.
He has short, dark hair, deep-set brown eyes, and an intimidating physique. He is intelligent, but he quit school. He works two jobs to keep the family going, and he’s the unofficial leader of the greasers. He is also very good at making chocolate cake. The other greasers call him “Superman.”
4. Johnny Cade’s Character Traits
Johnny is the youngest of the Greasers, only sixteen years old. He has jet-black hair and dangerous dark eyes that make him look much older than he is. He is meek and shy initially but fiercely loyal to his friends and willing to fight for what’s right. He has endured a lot and possesses a quiet strength, making him a formidable opponent.
12 Johnny Cade Quotes And Page Numbers
5. Dally Winston’s Character Traits
Dally is another member of the Greasers and an old friend of Johnny’s from New York. He has short blonde hair and icy blue eyes, often getting into fights with the Socs. He is reckless and wild, willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants.
Despite his tough exterior, he has a soft spot for Johnny and loves him like a brother. He’s only 17, but he’s already served time in jail.
6. Two-Bit Mathews’s Character Traits
Two-bit Keith is one of the oldest members of the Greasers at 18 years old. He’s a reliable source of comic relief and prone to shoplifting.
He has sandy blond hair and lively green eyes, often wearing his trademark gaudy attire. He can be loud and obnoxious but has a compassionate side and is always there to support his friends. He loves to prank people but also knows when enough is enough.
He loves his black-handled switchblade dearly. His flirtations with Marcia, a Soc’s girlfriend, incite the fight between the Socs and the Greasers.
7. Steve Randle’s Character Traits
Steve, the seventeen-year-old greaser who has been Sodapop’s friend since grade school, is a skilled mechanic and adept at stealing hubcaps.
His short light-brown hair and dark eyes show his determination and strength. He is also tall and lean and boasts an impressive head of hair that he styles in intricate swirls.
Never one to shy away from a challenge, Steve once famously fended off four opponents in a fight with a broken soda bottle. While he’s fond of Sodapop, Steve is often annoyed by Ponyboy tagging along and wishes he would stay away more.
He is level-headed and often acts as a voice of reason when decisions need to be made. He is fiercely loyal and brave, always willing to stand up for what’s right, even if it means risking his safety.
8. Tim Shepard’s Character Traits
Tim Shepard is a respected friend of Dally and the leader of another gang of greasers. Ponyboy recognizes Tim as an alley cat, hungry and always on the go.
He is introduced in the story during the night of the rumble when his group joins Ponyboy’s gang. This is when Ponyboy realizes that his group of friends is more than just a group of delinquents trying to make it, but instead, a real street hood and criminal. Despite occasional conflicts,
Tim and Dally respect each other. He has light brown hair and hazel eyes. He is not as wild as Dally but will do whatever it takes to protect his friends. He is loyal and brave, always ready when danger arises.
9. Curly Shepard’s Character Traits
Tim Shepard’s fifteen-year-old brother Curly is both stubborn and rough. Despite this, Tim takes pride in that Curly was sent to a reformatory for six months after robbing a liquor store. But Curly is not allowed to attend the rumble.
10. Sandy’s Character Traits
Sandy is Sodapop’s girlfriend but is pregnant with another man’s baby. She has moved to Florida to stay with her grandmother. Just like the other female characters in the story, Sandy only appears in the book when the guys mention her.
The Outsiders Characters Socs
The Socs, or Socials, represent the wealthy and privileged members of society in the novel The Outsiders. They’re portrayed as the “golden children” of the city who have access to all the best resources and can easily get away with breaking the law.
The Socs are mainly identified by their clothing style, which is typically expensive, and brand name. They’re seen as an oppressor by the Greasers.
The two main Socs in the novel are Bob and Randy, Bob being the gang’s leader. They are portrayed as haughty and entitled, looking down on those below them in terms of class and wealth.
Ultimately, Bob is killed in a fight with Ponyboy, a Greaser. The death of Bob serves as a moment of realization for Ponyboy, who begins to see the damaging power disparity between the two social classes.
The Socs ultimately represent a larger issue of class struggle in The Outsiders, with their privilege allowing them to oppress the disadvantaged Greasers.
11. Cherry Valance’s Character Traits
Sherri, known as Cherry, is Bob’s girlfriend due to her red hair. She is a Soc and a cheerleader, but she finds herself drawn to the Greasers when everything else in her life seems too fake. Ponyboy meets her while they are out at the movies.
Ponyboy finds he can relate quite well to Cherry and eventually opens up to her. During their time at the drive-in, she has an encounter with Dally Winston, who intrigues and offends her at the same time.
Cherry admires Dally’s independent nature and admits to Ponyboy that she could easily fall in love with him. In the days leading up to the rumble, Cherry volunteers to be a spy for the greasers and help them get an advantage.
12. Bob Sheldon’s Character Traits
Bob, the boyfriend of Cherry, has dark brown hair and menacing blue eyes and is a member of the Socs. He has earned a reputation among greasers for his tough fights, often wearing his set of three heavy rings for added intimidation.
Bob’s parents have never reprimanded him for his behavior, allowing him to indulge in his lifestyle. He is arrogant, manipulating, and manipulative, stopping at nothing to get what he wants. As the novel progresses, it is revealed that Bob is responsible for beating up Johnny before the story begins.
13. Randy Anderson’s Character Traits
Randy is Marcia’s boyfriend and Bob’s closest companion. He’s a good-looking Soc who eventually acknowledges the futility of struggle. He has dark hair and light blue eyes, often using his good looks to his advantage. Much like Cherry, he humanizes the Socs by indicating that some have praiseworthy qualities.
He encourages Ponyboy to understand that the Socs are similarly defenseless to torment as other people. After Ponyboy rescues the children from the fire, Randy attempts to make peace with Ponyboy. He refuses to fight in the final Soc-greaser rumble.
14. Marcia’s Character Traits
Marcia, Cherry’s friend, and Randy’s girlfriend is a Soc who connects with Two-Bit at the drive-in. She has dark curly hair and brown eyes that make her appear older than she is.
With a mutual appreciation for witty conversations and nonsensical musings, it’s no surprise that Marcia and Two-Bit become fast friends. They discover they have much in common as they get to know each other.
15. Paul Holden’s Character Traits
Paul is a husky blond Soc. Despite their prior friendship and football team-mateship in high school. Paul steps forward to confront Darry when the rumble begins,
13. Jerry Wood’s Character Traits
Jerry is the teacher who accompanies Ponyboy to the hospital after he saves the children from the fire. He demonstrates a progressive mindset by refusing to label the greasers as juvenile delinquents without considering their merits.
Despite being an adult and a member of mainstream society, he is open-minded enough to look at them objectively and form his own opinion.
14. Mr. Syme’s Character Traits
Mr. Syme, Ponyboy’s English teacher, worries about his declining grades. He proposed that if Ponyboy submitted an autobiography with a high-quality composition, he would raise his grade. This task motivated Ponyboy to write about the greasers and the Socs, which later developed into the book The Outsiders.
The Outsiders Characters Ages Chart
| Character | Greaser/Soc | Age |
| Ponyboy Curtis | Greaser | 14 |
| Sodapop Curtis | Greaser | 16 |
| Darry Curtis | Greaser | 20 |
| Johnny Cade | Greaser | 16 |
| Two-Bit Mathews | Greaser | 18 |
| Steve Randle | Greaser | 17 |
| Dallas Winston | Greaser | 17 |
| Sandy | Greaser | n/a |
| Tim Shepard | Greaser | n/a |
| Curly Shepard | Greaser | 15 |
| Cherry Valance | Soc | n/a |
| Marcia | Soc | n/a |
| Randy Adderson | Soc | n/a |
| Bob Sheldon | Soc | n/a |
| Paul Holden | Soc | n/a |
| Jerry Wood | n/a | n/a |
| Mr. Syme | n/a | n/a |
Who Dies In the Outsiders And How?
The Outsiders Short Summary
The Outsiders is a coming-of-age novel by S.E. Hinton that tells the story of two rival gangs divided by socioeconomic status in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The protagonist, Ponyboy Curtis, belongs to the lower-class Greasers, while his brothers and friends belong to the upper-class Socs. After Ponyboy’s friend Johnny kills a Soc in self-defense, the boys go on the run and are eventually forced to confront their differences.
Through his experiences, Ponyboy learns valuable lessons about loyalty, identity, and family that challenge him to re-examine his understanding of right and wrong. The novel’s justice and class divide themes remain as relevant today as when the book was first published in 1967. The Outsiders has become a literary classic and continues to inspire generations of readers.
How Old is Ponyboy In The Outsiders?
Ponyboy is 14 years old in the book The Outsiders.
Who is the youngest character in The Outsiders?
Ponyboy is the youngest character in The Outsiders.
How old is Darry Curtis in The Outsiders?
Darry Curtis is 20 years old in The Outsiders.
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