What kind of person is Ponyboy in The Outsiders?

Ponyboy is an interesting character, as are his brothers,
because to outsiders, they appear to be nothing more than greasers, but in actuality,
the boys were living a fairly normal, middle class existence until they lost their
parents.  Ponyboy's oldest brother, Darry, was a good student and great high school
football player, but had to abandon his education to take care of his brothers.  Darry
has projected his hopes for a better life onto Ponyboy, who is a good student; they
primary conflict between those two relates to Darry's pressuring Ponyboy to make curfew
and get his homework done well.  Ponyboy has a real interest in and affinity for
literature, both reading and writing it, and other things of the spirit; he is
observant, and wonders sometimes about the sunset on his side of town looking the same
as the sunset on the affluent side of town.  Johnny has kind of an artistic side to him
as well, and the boys entertain themselves reading "Gone With the Wind" when they are
hiding in the church after Bob's murder.