In the novel The Outsiders, what did the characters Johnny and Ponyboy learn, what was the effect of this, and when did these events occur?

The Outsiders offers a fictional look inside the social world of gang rivalry in 1960s Oklahoma. Ponyboy Curtis, the protagonist, is a member of the Greaser gang. Johnny is his close friend. They are white, working-class boys, as are their friends. After a series of clashes between gang members, harrowing incidents, and several deaths, Ponyboy turns to writing. The novel is presented as his written version of those recent events. One of the most important things that Ponyboy learns, therefore, is that writing is a powerful way to process difficult experiences; for him, the lesson means taking his own creative gifts seriously as part of what will enable him to leave gang life.
Because their parents have died, Ponyboy and his brother Soda are largely being raised by their oldest brother, Darry, who is keenly aware of the dangers of gang life. Ponyboy, in part influenced by Johnny’s difficulties with the rival Socs gang, stays involved with the Greasers despite Darry’s constant advice to stay out of the conflicts. One thing the gangs, which have only male members, fight about is the attention of girls. Ponyboy’s and Johnny’s attention to Cherry and Marcia, who have been dating Soc boys, angers those boys. When one Soc member, Bob, tries to drown Ponyboy, Johnny intervenes and stabs Bob. When Ponyboy comes to after losing consciousness, he realizes that Johnny has killed Bob.
The lessons learned are most clearly conveyed in the last part of the novel. After the killing, the two boys and their friend Dally run away and hide in an abandoned church. Johnny contemplates turning himself in, knowing that running is not the correct course. When the church catches fire, there are other children inside, and the boys must decide what is the right course of action. Despite being wanted by the law, they do not run away again. Instead, both boys behave ethically and go back inside to rescue the children. Ponyboy does so successfully, but Johnny is trapped inside. He is taken to the hospital and later dies. To make matters worse, their friend Dally tries to rob a liquor store and, in the presence of the other boys, is shot and killed by the police.
Unfortunately, it takes these tragedies to wake up Ponyboy to Darry’s accuracy about the dangerous situation into which he had placed himself. He now understands that randomness determined that Johnny rather than himself died. One very crucial lesson is that the bonds of family trump other connections; loyalty to friends is important but may not always be worth sacrificing yourself for. Johnny learned that it is sometimes worth taking a big risk to do the right thing, such as saving the children from the fire. In contrast, impulsive acts that harm others may start chain reactions from which there is no escape.