Johnny is frustrated with having to feel fear every time he sees a group of Socs.
In this chapter, Johnny and Pony are afraid that they are about to get into a fight when a blue mustang drives by. The boy in the mustang, Bob, is the same one who was one of the group that attacked Johnny before. The experience left him traumatized and afraid of his own shadow.
Johnny and Pony met two Soc girls at the movies, and they hit it off. However, the girls’ boyfriends turn out to be the same ones who attacked Johnny. The whole experience frustrates him. He is tired of being judged by Socs, and tired of being scared in general.
"I can't take much more." Johnny spoke my own feelings. "I'll kill myself or something."
"Don't," I said, sitting up in alarm. "You can't kill yourself, Johnny."
"Well, I won't. But I gotta do something. It seems like there's gotta be someplace without greasers or Socs, with just people. Plain ordinary people." (Ch. 3)
Johnny, Pony and Two-bit enjoy hanging out with the Soc girls. When they are together, they are just kids being kids. They can mostly forget about the different classes and gangs.
Johnny wishes that he did not have to worry about being jumped just because he is a greaser. This is why he says that it would be better if there are no gangs. He doesn’t want to be a target any more. It is wearing him down.
It is ironic that Pony says he would like to go to the country, because that is where Johnny and Pony go after they are attacked by Bob. Johnny killed Bob because he was scared to death and under stress. He thought that Bob was drowning Pony in the fountain.
Later, when Johnny is dying, he says that he did not get a chance to live. He died too young, and his life was rough. As bad as Johnny’s life was, he did not feel as if it was long enough. The conflict between the greasers and Socs has now led to two deaths. (There will be third when Dally essentially commits suicide out of grief over Johnny's death.)
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