Sodapop Curtis
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Sodapop Patrick Curtis is a character in S.E. Hinton's book The Outsiders. He was born November 8 1950. He is the most attractive and understanding member of his gang and is said to resemble a Greek God. He is often caught between his older brother, Darrel "Darry" Shaynne Curtis, Jr. and their youngest brother, Ponyboy Michael Curtis when they argue, as he is the most emotional of the brothers and has a happy-go-lucky personality. He has a nickname, Pepsi Cola, that his oldest brother Darry uses. His nickname was given to him by his dad, who died along with Soda's mom in a car accident. He has a lot of energy and blows it off in drag races or fights. He is said to a finely drawn face that can be both sensitive and reckless at the same time. He is also said to be built smaller than Darry but bigger than Ponyboy, with a slim figure. His hair is light brown but turns wheat blonde in the summer. He keeps it long and uses plenty of hair grease, as is common of most greasers. He is an undefeated fighter like his older brother, but lacks the cardiovascular endurance of either of his brothers. Besides his family, he was once attached to a horse named "Mickey Mouse" and was devastated when the owner sold him. He is described by Ponyboy as being "no innocent" because of his loud bragging in bull sessions. He dropped out of school because he thought he was dumb and that the only thing that kept him passing was gym and auto mechanics. He also dropped out to get a job working at a DX gas station with his best friend, Steve Randle, who is also a member of the gang that Soda and his to brothers are in. He takes this job so that he can help his older brother with the bills. Sodapop never drinks alcohol. He is said to get drunk on just plain living. He is idolized by his youngest brother, Ponyboy. He started shaving when he was 15. He smokes when he wants to look tough or when something is bothering him. He also does not like wearing shoes and runs around in stockinged feet. Sodapop loves life and serious reality has a hard time coming throught to him.
He is first introduced with the rest of the gang when they save Ponyboy from a Soc ambush. Most of the time he is trying to get Darry to ease up on Ponyboy. During a particular fight between Darry and Ponyboy, Soda tells Darry to lay off and Darry becomes angry and starts to yell at Soda. Ponyboy tells Darry not to yell at Soda and Darry slaps Ponyboy. In the novel, he dates a greaser girl named Sandy. He plans to marry her after she, (and Ponyboy) graduate and he gets a better job. She is described as a natural blond with china blue eyes and a soft laugh, by Ponboy, who says he likes her just fine. Later on, Sandy moves to Florida to live with her grandmother because of a teenage pregnancy. Despite the fact that the baby would not be his, Soda still wanted to marry her but because her parents didn't want her to marry a sixteen-going on-seventeen year old she was still sent away. Sodapop wrote her a letter, but it was returned unopened, leaving him heartbroken. After Ponyboy is released from the hospital he helps Ponyboy to understand Darry better. In the end, Sodapop breaks down when Darry and Ponyboy fight, and runs out of his house. His brothers quickly catch up to him. After they all talk things over, Soda convinces them to not fight anymore. In a special feature on the DVD The Outsider: The Complete Novel, Rob Lowe reveals that S. E. Hinton told him that Soda dies as a result of the Vietnam War two weeks before his 19th birthday.
In the film adaptation of the novel, Sodapop is played by an 18-year-old Rob Lowe.
