Who are three characters in The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton portraying the theme of fighting for individualism?

The title The Outsiders is a clue to the "outsider" status of many of the characters in this novel. Ostensibly there are two cliques of teenagers who are in a sort of tacit war with each other: the Greasers and the Socs (short for "social"). The Greasers are working class, from the poorer side of town, and they are looked down on by the Socs for being rough and beneath them socially.
But within the ranks of the Greasers are some boys who are intelligent and have an artistic mentality, which makes them different, and one could say they are seeking individuality and an identity apart from the group. These include Ponyboy, who is the main narrator of the story; Johnny, who dies tragically after saving children in a house fire; and Dallas Winston, who, despite being popular and something of a leader of the group, does display a somewhat sensitive side beneath his gruff exterior. Ponyboy in particular stands out; he writes poetry and is sensitive. He befriends Cherry, a Greaser girl, and she appreciates that he is kind to her and that they have things to talk about.
Because Dallas flirts with Cherry, and Cherry admits being attracted to Dallas (against her better judgment), Ponyboy is hurt and jealous. Cherry is rebelling against her own clique by liking both Dallas and Ponyboy. Ponyboy lashes out at Cherry when she tries to be kind, accusing her of giving him charity. She clears the air by saying she likes him and enjoyed their previous conversations. He asks if she can see the stars at night from her side of town. She says she can. He says he can too, and she smiles and understands that neither of them really fit into the groups they are forced to be part of. It is a struggle for them to remain individuals when they are labeled as members of these two cliques, but their "forbidden" friendship allows them both to learn from each other and show compassion for others, despite the animosity between the two groups.