The Characters: Ponyboy Michael Curtis, Sodapop Patrick Curtis, Dallas Winston, Darrel 'Darry' Curtis,and Keith "Two-Bit" Mathews are a gang from the outsiders.S.E. Hinton was inspired to right this book because she wanted to write about her friends.They where greasers.She did not find girls interesting so she hung out with boys.It was not untill one day some Socs walked by them to call them greasers.