Outsiders final test

On page 122, Ponyboy says “Sixteen years on the streets and you can learn a lot. But all the wrong things, not the things you want to learn.” He learned a lot in this book, and like he says, he didn’t want to learn everything he was taught. Ponyboy learned a lot from being in the greasers, and he has seen a lot as well. Pony didn’t have parents so he lived with his brothers Darry, and Soda. They have to be able to fight for themselves because they don’t have parent to fall back on, this teaches Pony that he has to be able to fend for himself. He becomes a good fighter and when he and Johnny are together they can take out a big guy, as he says in the book. Fighting applies to the greaser’s lives because if they can’t protect themselves they would most likely be dead, or end up getting hurt badly. I don’t think Pony or Johnny enjoyed learning how to beat people up, or going to rumbles, but more as if they felt they had to, to protect their reputation as a greaser. In the end, I think that even though Pony didn’t really want to fight or learn how to, it is still good for them to be able to protect themselves.