Sandy

[Masquerade]

Personally, I enjoy writing Sandy. I like to make her a more sympathetic character, as I said in another thread. She has to go through a heck of a lot for a sixteen-year-old girl.

I don't think she was a slut who was constantly cheating on Soda. I more get the feeling it might've been a one-time thing that ended up with bad results.

Soda obviously liked her. Liked her a lot. So that's gotta say something for her character, and yes, Pony says she is a nice girl.

I think she could be a good character to write. If people actually looked past the part of her character where she cheats on Sodapop and ends up pregnant.

[queenjaneapprxmtly]

While I've alluded to Sandy in some of my fics, I've never actually written her, but I do like her character a lot, even though we don't know that much about her.

The thing that really bugs me -- besides the obvious that's already been discussed here, lol -- is that I see a lot of fanfiction writers referring to her as middle class. I don't understand that, at all, because in the book it clearly states, "she was our kind, greaser ... "

Could it be because they want to see her as more of an innocent person? I don't know. I don't really understand it. But it bugs me. D:

[Nittanylizard]

I started a story about her a while back, where Ponyboy is in college and ends up working for/with Sandy, who is working in the registrar's office and taking classes because she recently moved back from Florida.

I only got a few chapters in before my life got very hectic and I put it on hold, but what I was going for was that she was a bit naive, and ended up with a guy one night who got very pushy and more or less intimidated her into sex. She moved to Florida, but the baby was born early and didn't make it, so she eventually decided to take control of her life and move back home.

I was kind of feeding this info in a little at a time through things that Ponyboy was getting out of her, but the jist of it was that, technically, she had been raped - he got her out to the parking lot nicely enough, but then accused her of leading him on; and then, with nobody around to help her, he made his intent to harm her clear if she didn't cooperate, though not in so many words. At the time, though, it would have been seen by most people as her fault, or something she was asking for, because she had put herself into that situation; so that was what she believed about herself for a long time, and was why she couldn't bring herself to stay with Soda. I did quite a bit of research before writing, just to get a feel for how women were treated when they claimed to have been raped, but had no physical evidence (bruises, scratches, etc.). There was no such thing as "intent to harm", and the victim was often expected to provide evidence of her claim.

My story was beginning at a point when she had started to come to terms with what had really happened to her, was trying to move beyond her guilt, and was reaching out to other girls who had been in similar situations. I didn't picture her having a romantic interest in Soda any more, but she was going to talk to him at some point to explain what she had been through, so he would know that she hadn't left because she didn't care about him.

I think Sandy is a great character to explore. There are so many options, because so little is given about her.

[fosterchild]

I remember that story, Liz. It was a really insightful take on Sandy's perspective of that situation. And a really good backstory to it, as well.

I was actually just thinking of an original story I wrote but hadn't finished awhile ago and wondering if I could fit Sandy into the one role of it and turn it into a fic. I just may do it. I have to dig out the old notebook but I think it would sort of revolve around the idea of her cheating on Soda and the guy she cheated with....their reactions to all of it and whatnot....ok not the best summary but it's only an idea for now.

[zevie]

I took a similar route with Sandy! She was massively pressured into the cheating, probably raped, but like you, Liz, it wasn't supposed to be all black and white to those involved. She wasn't a total innocent, I don't think. Heh, I mean, I don't think she minded at certain points. (In my story, I mean.) I did a bunch of research too, but this is just a really touchy subject to write, and I think I messed it up a bit, heh. I really like that backstory for her a lot, but it's tricky, trying to keep her from turning into an MS type victim. At least for me. When I'm back into the reading, I wanna read that one Liz! (What's it called?)

I think I pretty much just used Sandy for that one cheating moment, and ignored the other sides of her character. Bad me.

[BlindedxxFalcon]

Yeah, I agree, mars. I'd like to read a good Snady story, and I want to read the one by NittanyLizard, too. I'll go search for it!

[fosterchild]

I think she would have stayed...

[latch22]

I think that they would accuse her of possessing Mary-Sue tendencies, then, and they would feel resentful for being expected to feel sorry for her, as opposed to understanding.

[Tensleep]

I like this discussion. I don't often think about Sandy much, but I have had her mentioned in a few of my stories.

The general feel I try to convey is surprise at everything, you know? It was like no one saw it coming, especially Sodapop because they had a good relationship. He's hurt of course, but he loves her still. In DV I have Pepsi comment on how he would have expected that from his own girlfriend over Sandy doing that to Sodapop.

I never really thought of her as a bad guy, though - just a relationship that went bad and we only got Soda's side of the hurt. So I really don't get where all this Sandy hate comes from. There's probably some truth in the St Soda worship area on this one. I think everyone forgets that they really did make each other happy until the end, so there's gotta be something to her character someone like Sodapop could love.

[EmilineHarris]

In terms of the letter that came back to Soda unopened, I always thought that Sandy never got it.

As others have said, the book gives the impression that her parents are strongly against the idea of her seriousness with Soda. So why, after sending her to Florida, wouldn't they have enforced their rules there as well? I could see whomever she was staying with (I always assumed a grandparent... Is that stated in the book? I can't remember) keeping the letter from her and returning it to sender before she got the chance to see it. Not only is this very sad for Soda, but think how Sandy must feel. She probably was hoping, deep down, that Soda still loved her and wanted to be with her (especially if her parents were the ones responsible for the break up and subsequent moving).

It really is funny how Sandy is vilified so often... but it makes sense with the huge number of self-insertion/Mary-Sue fics that there are. What better way to eliminate the canon love interest than by turning her into a complete b!tch that is just there to hurt poor, innocent Sodapop?

[xolilkelox1]

I have theory on Sandy but it might be far fetch what if the baby's was Soda's but she lied to protect him and she knew that he didn't have the money to support her or the baby and Soda had been struggling enough so instead of telling soda the truth she went to Florida instead.
Like I said this is just a theory and far fetch one at that.

[queenjaneapprxmtly]

I've thought about that before, actually. It's a good theory, and I think it would make for a good story, too. :)

[lostbutfound]

There have been a few stories that I've read on Sandy, and some authors represent her as this girl who was more like Sylvia than anything. They describe her as wearing short skirts and being really catty, and in the book Pony describes her as a really nice person who dressed decent and didn't wear anything too skimpy.

I rather liked Sandy, because she was a good character, but she got herself into a bad situation and didn't know how to get out. Something along the lines of her not knowing what to do and didn't know how to save the relationship she had with Soda, because she didn't know how to save herself.

And the theory on the baby being Soda's, xolilkelox1, is a very good theory. I rather like it.

[BlindedxxFalcon]

lostbutfound said:

There have been a few stories that I've read on Sandy, and some authors represent her as this girl who was more like Sylvia than anything.

One of my biggest pet peeves.

[Keira]

I have never given much thought towards her either. Once she left the picture, I figured she didn't matter so much and it didn't matter what ever became of her. I don't hate her on behalf of Soda or anything, I just hadn't ever given her much thought.

My theorizing on her behalf has only ever gone as far as doing the whole MS "fantasizing", that she wasn't going to have the baby, Soda convinces her TO have it (and in the version, it was his) and then he raises the child. Lol. That would be the noble thing to do - but very MS/GS, I agree. But no one can honestly tell me they have never had MS/GS fantasies before. Just because they aren't written doesn't mean that guilty pleasure doesn't exist