Cherry Valance

Before I enter the narrative, Ponyboy paints the conflict between the greasers and the Socs as irreconcilable. The introduction of me, however, suggests that individual friendships can chip away at group hatreds. I get along perfectly well with some of the greasers. I like Ponyboy and Johnny because they treat me politely. Dally’s rude antics do not amuse me. My disenchantment with Dally’s behavior suggests that I talk to Ponyboy and Johnny not because I am slumming and their greaser identity fascinates me, but rather because I like them as individuals. For a short while at least, I care more about how each boy behaves than about his West Side or East Side address.
Im not just a sweet, simple girl. I find myself sexually attracted to Dally, who is crass and unrefined but also sexy and charismatic. Despite all my attraction to the greasers, moreover, I am not completely free of group prejudice. I tell Ponyboy I probably will not say hello to him at school, acknowledging that I respect social divisions. Although I play a relatively small role in the novel, the ambiguity of my sympathies gives you something to which you can relate. I mirror your own perspective as someone close to the action who is nevertheless an outsider and who does not always fully understand other characters’ emotions and motivations.