Keith "Two-Bit" Mathews
Keith "Two-Bit" Mathews is the oldest member of the greaser gang and its irrepressible wisecracker, a stocky, six-foot-tall eighteen-and-a-half-year-old junior whose long rusty-colored sideburns, gray eyes, and wide grin are as much his trademarks as his black-handled switchblade and his inability to stop making funny remarks. His real first name, Keith, is so thoroughly forgotten that even his teachers use his nickname, which derives from his habit of always getting his "two-bits worth" in. Life is one big joke to Two-Bit, and he treats everything—from police interrogations to gang rumbles—as material for comedy. He is famous for shoplifting, a talent he uses to acquire his prized switchblade, and for smarting off to cops, whom he feels obliged to brighten up with his irresistible humor. He likes fights, blondes, and, for reasons he himself cannot explain, school, though he never learns anything and attends only for kicks. His mother, a barmaid who supports him and his kid sister after their father ran out, shares his easygoing ways and lets him get away with murder, but Two-Bit is not lazy; he simply sees no reason to work when he can get by on his wits and charm.
Role in the Gang and Relationships
Two-Bit is the gang's oldest member and its unofficial court jester, but his humor serves a deeper purpose: he keeps the group laughing at themselves as well as at the world, and his constant wisecracks defuse tension in moments of crisis. He is fiercely loyal to his friends, especially Johnny Cade, whom he treats as a kid brother. When Ponyboy Curtis snaps at Johnny during an argument, Two-Bit slaps him hard and warns that if Ponyboy were not Sodapop's kid brother, he would beat the tar out of him. He is the one who messes up Johnny's hair and tells him the gang could not get along without him. Two-Bit also understands the unwritten rules of greaser life: he explains to Cherry Valance and Marcia that a fair fight is not rough, that blades and chains are rough, and that the gang's one rule besides sticking together is not getting caught. He is the one who, after the church fire rescue, tells Ponyboy that he and Johnny were heroes from the beginning, not just "turned" heroes overnight. His relationship with Dallas Winston is one of mutual respect; when Dally needs a blade for the rumble, Two-Bit hands over his prized switchblade without hesitation, knowing that if Dally needs it, that is all there is to it.
Key Actions and Objectives
Two-Bit's primary objective is to keep the mood light and the gang united, but he is also a capable fighter and a reliable ally. He is present at the Nightly Double drive-in, where he scares Johnny and Ponyboy with a voice imitation of a snarling Soc, then apologizes and sits with them and the girls. He walks Cherry and Marcia home and later, when the blue Mustang returns with Bob Sheldon and Randy Adderson, he confronts them with a busted bottle and his switchblade, ready to fight. He is jumped by Socs a few days after the murder, but Darry and Dally arrive in time to help him. At the rumble, he fights with his usual gusto, taking four stitches in his cheek and seven in his hand from busting his knuckles open over a Soc's head, and he is the one who joyfully yells that the Socs are running. After the rumble, when Dally robs a grocery store and is shot by police, Two-Bit is among the gang that runs to the vacant lot, and he later gripes about losing his switchblade when the police search Dally's body, though he admits that is what he wishes was all that was bothering him.
Change and Ending
Two-Bit undergoes no dramatic transformation; he remains the same wisecracking, loyal greaser throughout the novel. However, his grief over Johnny's death and Dally's death is palpable. When Ponyboy returns from the hospital after the rumble, Two-Bit's eyes are closed and his teeth are clenched, and he speaks for everyone when he says, "So he finally broke. So even Dally has a breaking point." He is the one who, after the police take Dally's body away, gripes about losing his switchblade, but his quivering sigh reveals the depth of his pain. He also tries to warn Ponyboy not to get tough, telling him he is not like the rest of them and should not try to be, a rare moment of seriousness that shows his protective instincts. In the end, Two-Bit remains a constant presence in the Curtis household, a friend who will always be there to crack a joke or offer a shoulder, even as the world around him falls apart.
Thematic Significance
Two-Bit embodies the greaser philosophy of finding humor in the face of adversity and sticking together no matter what. His constant wisecracks are a coping mechanism, a way to deflect the pain of poverty, violence, and loss. He is the character who most clearly articulates the gang's code of honor—fair fights, no blades, don't get caught—and he lives by it without question. His refusal to take life seriously is not a flaw but a survival strategy, and his loyalty to his friends is absolute. Two-Bit represents the idea that even in a world of violence and hardship, laughter and friendship can provide a measure of salvation. He is the one who, after the rumble, is still grinning because the Socs are running, and he is the one who, in the aftermath of tragedy, still tries to make Ponyboy smile. His presence is a reminder that the greasers, for all their troubles, have something the Socs lack: a sense of community and a shared joy in simply being alive.
