Johnny, Zinonie’s ex boyfriend who is still hung up on her doesn't seem to want accept the fact that he and Stephanie had ended the relationship and this is what made him trapped in the world of him and Zinonie and stopped him from exploring what was really out there. “no chick of mine can kiss any creep…any body than me” Johnny states this hesitantly as he cannot handle that Zinonie has moved on and is ready to date a new guy. He cannot cope and his has become the main barrier that has stopped him from entering a new world where Zinonie is not his only chance at love.
“Hello fellers, is it too late to join a game?” Michael persists to become apart of the exclusive gang by being friendly and becoming well acquainted with the group members. Having failed to do so he then begins to write essays for the t-birds and they pay him, as their performance at school is beyond satisfactory. With the money he saves and his determination to win over Zinonie Michael purchases a motorbike and learns how to ride it. In his own time he manages to learn riding tricks that captured Zinonies attention at first glance, in his success he was still entrapped within his own world and was not able to make that final step and come forward of who he really was. At each opportunity that the cool rider was attempting to tell Zinonie of the truth the gang would approach and force him to move away.
Just like the determination Rita had to change her life and become educated. Rita too faced obstacles due to the people around her, including her husband Denny, who burnt the books that Frank had given to her in order to study and better her essay writing skills.
“He couldn’t have made the jump” “Theres nothing down there” After chasing the cool rider due to Johnny’s jealousy, the cool rider takes a jump over a cliff, even after not discovering a bike wreck at the bottom of the cliff, the group assumed that the cool rider was dead. Close up shots of the group show the audience the emotions that the gangs were feeling and their sudden regret.
In the final scene, a distraught and depressed Zinonie discovers along with the rest of the school and the gang that the cool rider is Michael Carrington. This allowed Michael to move into the world. His struggles were the constant attempts of the gang to separate the cool rider and Zinonie and also Michael and Zinonie. Michaels motivation was Zinonie and the hope that they may be able to love without the fear of anyone in their way. Having put the team Jacket on to Carrington “For starters, let’s see what it looks like on…” Johnny demonstrates his acceptance of Michael as the cool rider and invites him as a member of their fraternity.
Just like Rita who at the end achieved what she desired and became apart of the educated world. She experienced aspects of into the world and overcame her obstacles just as Michael did. In comparison to Stephanie she too broke loose of the ties that were overwhelming her and upsetting her, having broken free their independence allowed them to achieve their goals, Rita’s was an education and Zinonie’s was to find her dream guy. Johnny’s stubbornness and ignorance, like Rita, threatened relationships and friendships they had with their friends and peers. Stephanie turned against Johnny and couldn’t stand to be around him, Rita began to avoid Frank, she left her husband and also abandoned her family’s wishes.
With the pressure to live up to the expectations of others both Rita and Zinonie experienced misery and were not happy with their lives, the expectations placed by Rita’s husband, family and friends were of her to have a baby and continue work as a hairdresser, the expectations placed on Stephanie by her peers was to live up to the standards of their exclusive group and to continue dating Johhny, “rules say that we’re t-bird chicks, until graduation at least” the acceptance of this motto for one member shocks Zinonie who is beginning to realise that being a pink lady may not be all she thought it was.
In this, Johnny, too, goes into the world as a more positive and accepting character. He finds love “I like what you’ve got, I guess its okay” stating this to Paulette, a member of the pink ladies who continuously attempts to capture Johnny’s attention even after being rejected time after time.
Stephanie goes into the world as she overcomes the barriers she faced that prevented her from achieving what she really wanted, as did Rita. Both achieved their goals by leaving behind their world and entering a new world.
