The Gang: Connected at the Hip?

[Keira]

That's a very good point. I've noticed that before, in the past, but never thought too much on it.

A good way to think on it is it picture your real life, high school friends. If everyone else was like ours - it was difficult to get everyone together, even to go to a movie. So it was usually Rock and I, sometimes with our good friend Katie, or a few others here and there. I can think of literally ONE time that we were altogether, outside of the school setting, when one of our friends was visiting from Calfornia for the week and we all HAD to do stuff together, because otherwise we might not get to see him period.

As for the gang being connected at the hip - I can see it either way. Yes, they always seem to be with at least one other person (unless it's homework time, night time, or just a down, easy going day), if not two or three, however for the most part they had other things to do. Tim and Dally were best buds, so Dallas was bound to be with him a lot, when not in jail or with his own gang, and Two-Bit's up for hanging out with anyone really. He doesn't seem to have a best friend. Poor guy. I wonder if he doesn't ever feel like the third or fifth wheel...

[zevie]

Whoa, that Dally-Soda thing just blew my mind. I never thought about the Two-Bit and Steve thing either - that makes so much sense! (I learn so much here!)

I love to think of the gang as joined at the hip, heh. Very guilty over here. I can't believe I never noticed that they were only together once in the book.

Most of the gang...no wait...ALL of them come from somewhat broken homes. I can see them all gravitating towards the Curtis house as being their example of a loving family while the parents are alive, and continuing to support each other there afterwards. They sort of do become each others family. But, who spends every second with their family?

I think probably when they were younger, growing up, they had a little bit more of the joined at the hip situation. I can remember spending every waking moment with an exact group of friends back at, say, age 10-12, because of school and living close to each other. But, you're right, there are so many factors to teenage life (especially since a lot of them have to work, and not all of them go to school). Dallas I think of as just too antsy to sit around all day and toss a football - he's got to go do something bad to land in jail, and none of the other guys are really headed that way (most of the time, heh). I think they'd be more likely to touch base a couple of times a week out of habit (or less, if they're really busy, like Darry), then split off and do their own thing - yeah, basically like in the opening, lol.

I think it also depends on the time of year...Johnny probably heads over to the Curtis's a lot when it's colder and sleeps outside in the summer, and Pony, Steve, Two-Bit and Johnny all have more free time in the summer to just hang out (unless Steve works full time). I can see them spending a lot of time together in the summer - but then again, they also have girlfriends.

About the whole best friends thing - I think Dallas and Tim are a completely different kind of best friend than Steve and Soda. They just get each other - they're both, um, not so nice guys. Boy, it's hard not to swear around that. Soda and Steve aren't the same, they just get along well. I think Dally and Tim would hang out together because they both just happened to show up at the same place for the same reasons - Steve and Soda seem to genuinely enjoy each other's company. (That's a little off-topic, but it interested me, heh.)

[Tensleep]

Anyone else get a flash of the arguing Siamese twins from Grey's Anatomy when they looked at the title?

I always thought that was funny. It's the easy way to get the gang all introduced at once where the main character should be overwhelmed and somehow manages to keep them all straight. I would probably be so confused if I were introduced to them all at once. I'd remember Two-Bit and maybe Sodapop and that'd be about it. Two-Bit because he's funny and Soda because he's bouncy.

I love all the observations brought up. The Curtis' place as a base of operations, the gang never being together in the book...Man, I am so glad I associate with people who think like this. You guys make my life more interesting. Kudos to you all!

See ya in the funny papers!!!

Tens

[zevie]

The way he's described, I think I might remember Soda for another reason...

And I'd remember Ponyboy because, come on, who's named Ponyboy. Really. I'd be very insensitive about that, none of Cherry's "that's an original and lovely name" sentiment for me. I'd have plenty of horse jokes and probably one or two dirty ones. Ponyboy. Hahaha. (No, really I love it. But, still.)

But, yeah, seven people suddenly being introduced to you...very hard to keep straight. Even though they have different personalities, three of them are brothers and the rest of them spend enough time with each other to look a bit alike. (You all know what I mean! )

P.S. I didn't think Grey's, but I definitely thought Siamese.

[latch22]

Well, they're a shoe-in (or several) for any dozen-or-so-legged races that come to town...

[Tensleep]

Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one, and Zevie, Zevie, Zevie...That's leaning towards non-G rated thoughts. I'm so proud! A fellow gutter mind, finally!

Latch, I love your sense of humor, by the way. Could you imagine that race? Dude, I'd so bring the popcorn!

Oh, had another thought. You ever notice how the Socs are all joined at the hip like that, too? You never see a lone Soc unless they just moved into town and know no better or they're pained and wanting to reform from their dastardly ways...I like that word. Dastardly, sounds evil and rhymes with a favorite swear word of mine..

Just another random thought from the mind of me

See ya in the funny papers!!!

Tens

[Tensleep]

Artemis also has a great point. Group mentality. So easy to write and manipulate. I always think of the Socs like a mob in that sense. Mob violence comes across as random, but rarely is and that leaves so many possibilities without exploring character. Ah, the priceless saves.

Can you tell this is something that amuses me greatly?

See ya in the funny papers!!!

Tens

[fosterchild]

zevie said:

The way he's described, I think I might remember Soda for another reason...

And I'd remember Ponyboy because, come on, who's named Ponyboy. Really. I'd be very insensitive about that, none of Cherry's "that's an original and lovely name" sentiment for me. I'd have plenty of horse jokes and probably one or two dirty ones. Ponyboy. Hahaha. (No, really I love it. But, still.)

LMAO!!!! You know, I try to be tactful but yeah...too many guttery things to come up with with a name like Ponyboy! ;D

[BlindedxxFalcon]

I can't read all of the replies due to the fact that I have to get off, but that is a very good observation...I never noticed it before.

[Masquerade]

I love this thread. I'm not sure why...

But I am so guilty of keeping them all together! Not all the time, but in several scenes in my stories, they are definitely hanging out at the Curtis house a lot of the time.

I loved the observation on the first post about them only being together once in the whole book. I never would have realized that myself.

[BlindedxxFalcon]

Yeah...me neither. I'm writing a "the outsiders have kids" story, and they're, like, 13 and 14, but it makes sence for them to be all together more because none of them work. Well, one does but that's a different story.

[hahukumkonn]

I think I may have fallen into this trap a bit, too, unfortunately. However, one 'deleted scene' aspect I'd like to mention to you all

The hospital scene where my OC wakes up, originally had ALL the gang, not just Darry and Sodapop arriving. I sat on that chapter for quite some time, and finally I looked at it and said, "Y'know what? This ain't realistic." Hack, slash, rewrite.

I realize I've been posting up a bit of a storm lately One common thing I'm starting to tease out from all the things I'm reading here is that laziness in writing is one of the major things that differentiates a so-so fic from a GOOD fic, and it's the effort put into the latter type of fics that makes them stand out. The problem is, it's easy to get lazy and forget to ask yourself questions like, "would this REALLY happen as often as I've written it to occur?" or "If my beta reader were reading this, would he or she smack me upon the forehead and say 'verily, unto thee I demand that you rewritest this crap'?"

In the vein of betas...

I have to give particular props to the notion of having two, rather than one. It was an immeasurable help for me to have Tabloid Magazine (and I'm afraid I have no idea if said user changed their handle or not) have a look at the romance parts of my fic. (Isuckatwritingteenageromances - the occupational hazard of forgetting what it's like when you're young. )

[theinsider]

Yeah, I've got to agree that I've read way too many stories where it's like, "Yeah, then Two-Bit shows up..." And I'm thinking, "Really, like he hasn't got anything better to do than chill around the Curtis' house when nothing really exciting is happening?" I think a lot of people forget that character like Two-Bit and Steve have lives outside of the Curtis house.

[Tensleep]

theinsider makes an excellent point. The Curtis house makes for a really good base of operations, but only three boys live there and Steve crashes there sometimes. They do have lives elsewhere, without the gang. Remember when Two-Bit takes off to play poker and do some drinking? I'd like to see where he ends up - as long as it isn't Buck's!

[theinsider]

Totally.
(For some reason, I love writing scenes at Buck's place...)