How do we know that Johnny was still “gold” to the end of his life?Is Ponyboy still “gold” at the end of the book?

Johnny realizes a lot more about life as he is leaving it. He tells Johnny that there is so much more to life than petty feuds and rumbles. He encourages Ponyboy to hang on to his innocence, to stay gold, for as long as he can. Dally lost his and became angry and suicidal. Johnny held on to his wonder of life to the end. Ponyboy writes his story at the end of the book. He is reflecting and has become much more self-aware than at the beginning of the book.