Theme

Identity is a theme apparent in Ponyboy. When we first meet Ponyboy, he is a part of the gang..... the gang is his family. His own family has experienced the trauma of being torn apart by the deaths of his parents. Darry isn't the same. The gand is the only thing that makes Ponyboy feel a part of something. Over the course of the novel, Ponyboy discerns what he wants.... who he wants to be, and what he doesn't want to be. This is the journey of self identity, and which direction Ponyboy wants his life to go.