The importance of remaining in school and graduating recurs throughout the novel, but that topic is also not meant to be a primary focus.
These issues make the story interesting, and Hinton does a very good job at not preaching at the reader. If this story had been written without touching on at least some of these topics, it would lack realism.
Hinton allows readers to take an active role in this story. She effectively utilizes foreshadowing and almost challenges the reader to anticipate what is coming next. This technique works well because it does not distract readers from the story's action; it encourages critical thought and increases anticipation. The fact that this story ends with the same line that it opens with creates a full circle. This twist prompts the reader to read the book again, this time discovering that the outcome is within Ponyboy all of the time, it just literally needs to be spelled out for us, the reader.
