At the beginning of the novel, Ponyboy, like all of the greasers, hates and fears the Socs. As his understanding of them changes, Ponyboy sees the Socs more sympathetically. Over the course of the novel, Ponyboy’s opinion of the Socs shifts.
Ponyboy thinks of the Socs as dangerous enemies. After he meets Cherry at the movie theater, Ponyboy begins to realize that Socs are human just like greasers. He sees that he and Cherry appreciate many of the same things, like sunsets. His outlook of the Socs suffers a setback, however, after a group of them attacks him and Johnny in the park.
When Ponyboy rescues the children from the burning church, it opens him up to the idea of a human compassion that over powers gang loyalties. Later, Ponyboy talks with the Soc Randy about the rescue, and the two come to a peaceable understanding. Still, Ponyboy does not suddenly remove his hostility towards the Socs, not even after Johnny pleads with him to stop fighting.
His painful experiences have scarred him. As the story ends, gang tensions still exists, and Ponyboy still feels angry. Yet he is about to begin an intelligent exploration of his tragedies by writing about them.
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