Ponyboy's Pressure to Achieve in The Outsiders

Body paragraph 1
During the intense greaser’s vs socs rumble, the setting causes Ponyboy to feel major pressure to succeed with his gang. The fight occurred at a vacant lot late at night, creating a daunting atmosphere. This intimidating setting not only represents his worries, but it also portrays the heavy amount of pressure placed on him. With both gangs staring each other down, the open space of the lot makes him feel exposed, making him to feel judged. With the fight happening at night-time, it heightens the tension since the lack of visibility makes everything more dangerous. This forces Ponyboy to keep an eye out and pay attention at all times. Overall, the setting such as the open lot and the dark sky intensifies Ponyboys nervousness, pressuring him to fight though his anxiety to achieve success for him and his gang.
Body paragraph 2
 The characterisation of Ponyboy illustrates the topic of being held under pressure to achieve by emphasising his intelligence and social skills. This is clearly showcased when he cogitated” I make good grades and have a high IQ, but I don’t use my head.” this quote indicates that he constantly judges himself and feels the ongoing need to achieve higher, attempting to satisfy others’ expectations. This reveals the pressure he sets on himself to achieve higher academically. He also continues to state “I try showing off in school because I want everyone to think I’m smart.” This validates his urge to show off his abilities to his friends and teachers. These relate to teen identity since Ponyboy is trying to figure out who he really is while trying to meet the expectations where others have set him. Ponyboys worry of letting down others around him highlights the struggles teenagers face in developing a sense of identity while also being under pressure. Therefore, the characterisation of Ponyboy displays the difficulties of balancing who he really is and with who others want him to be.
Body paragraph 3
 S.E Hinton successfully uses language features to portray teen identity and to express the differences between personal aspirations and the pressure to achieve. The greasers usually use slang terms which strengthens their sense of belonging. This is seen when Ponyboy thinks “Tough and tuff are two different words, tough is the same as rough; tuff means cool, sharp- like a tuff-looking mustang or a tuff record. In our neighbourhood both are compliments.” This informal slang that the gang uses collectively joins them together as a group, causing pressure on ponyboy to be more like the rest of the gang. This form of speaking and vocabulary is contrasted to Ponyboys careful collective formal narration.  Thus, the carefully selected language features communicate the pressure to achieve within social circles.