A recurring theme in The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton, is that everyone sees the same sunset: rich or poor. While Ponyboy and Johnny are watching the sunrise outside of the abandoned church, Johnny says, “‘Too bad it couldn’t stay like that all the time.” Pony then remembers a poem called “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost. Pony reveals that he couldn’t talk about sunsets with anyone else in the gang but Johnny, and they realize that they are different than all of the other gang members. Johnny says that he never thought about anything like sunsets or clouds until Ponyboy mentioned them to him. This makes Johnny really appreciate life, and the colors that nature makes. This shows that Pony and Johnny have a strong and unique bond that could
