Before the Call, the initiate, Ponyboy, is a 14 year old boy who lives with his two brothers Sodapop and Darry. He lives in a society where the population is separated into two different gangs : the Socs (the rich kids from the West-side) and the Greasers (the kids from the East-side). The Socs are a very brutal gang that enjoy bullying and attaking the Greasers : "Not like the Socs [..] for kicks" (page 3).
2. The Call, where conflict is introduded
In the novel, the Call is introduced when Johnny and Ponyboy get attacked by a group of Socs. In self-defense, Johnny kills one of the Socs because he was drowning Ponyboy. In consequence, Johnny and Ponyby have to escape the police and hide somewhere where they won't be found : "You really killed him [..] it wasn't all from cold" (page 57). …show more content…
The threshold and threshold guardians
Now wanted by the police, Johnny and Ponyboy leave everything behind and hop on a train heading to Windrixville, to hide in an abandoned church. Before passing the threshold, Dally helps them get prepared by supplying them with a loaded gun, fifty dollars, some warm clothes for Ponyboy, and a location to hide : " He carefully shut the door [..] in a murder rap" (page 60,61).
4. The initiate's way isnt always direct or clear to him/her
The day after escaping the East-side, Ponyboy and Johnny are struck by the reality of their situation. They both don't know what's going to happen, and they are terrified of the future : " He got up [...] but the tears came anyway" (page 74). They don't know what to do.
5. The Initiate has