One could argue that Ponyboy's most important life lesson concerns the fact that appearances and reputations can be deceiving. Towards the beginning of the novel, Ponyboy is rather naive and fails to consider that every individual, regardless of age or class, struggles in some area of his or her life.
Ponyboy is different from the other Greasers because: He doesn't believe in fighting unless it is self defence. Unlike the other Greasers, he doesn't fight out of hatred, or pride, or for fun.
