Why does Ponyboy not like being in the country?

Pony initially dreams of residing in the country, away from the big town and threatening rival gangs. Ponyboy envisions the country as a tranquil environment where he would have enough leisure time to lay down beneath a tree, read a book, or draw a picture. In Pony's daydream, he would own a healthy yellow dog, and Sodapop would finally get Mickey Mouse back. Unfortunately, Pony's dreams of the country do not resemble the reality of rural life. When Ponyboy and Johnny flee the town after Bob Sheldon's murder, they hide out in an abandoned church in Windrixville, which is a rural area. In Windrixville, Pony discovers that his appearance makes him an outsider. He is also forced to remain in the abandoned church, and he eventually gets homesick. Despite the natural beauty of the countryside, Ponyboy despises being confined in the abandoned church and eating baloney sandwiches every day. The fact that Johnny is the only person with him has a significant impact on Pony's emotions. He begins to miss his brothers and the rest of the Greaser crew. Overall, Pony comes to hate his time in the country, where he is considered an outsider and forced to remain in the confines of the abandoned church.

Ponyboy has a fantasy about how wonderful the country would be. In his imagination, the country is full of natural beauty; it is a place where "clouds are pink and meadowlarks are singing." However, when the circumstances surrounding Bob's murder force Ponyboy to run away to the country to hide, he realizes that his own appearance contrasts with the appearance of country boys. The greaser style—long greased hair, worn jeans, and leather jacket—that Ponyboy has used to help him assimilate into the culture of his neighborhood and school gang now actually works against him in the country because he doesn't look or dress like the farm boys. In order to hide, he will have to get rid of the outward identifiers that for so long have made him feel like a member of a group. Once again, Ponyboy finds himself an "outsider."