The Outsiders Chapters 3 and 4

Summary

In these chapters, Ponyboy, Two-Bit, and Johnny walk to Two-Bit's house with Cherry and Marcia so that they can give the girls a ride home. As they walk, Ponyboy and Cherry talk about Ponyboy's brothers. He notices how easy it is to talk to Cherry. When Cherry asks Ponyboy to describe Darry, he says Darry does not like him and probably wishes he could put Ponyboy in a home somewhere. Johnny and Two-Bit are startled to hear that Ponyboy feels this way, and Johnny says he always thought the three brothers got along well. After Ponyboy tells Cherry about Sodapop's old horse, Mickey Mouse, the two move on to discuss the differences they notice between Socs and Greasers. During this discussion, Ponyboy and Cherry find they have a surprising amount in common. Ponyboy tells about his frustration that the Greasers have terrible luck while the Socs lead good lives and jump the Greasers because they are bored. Cherry says that the Socs' situations are not as simple as Ponyboy thinks. They decide that the main difference between Socs and Greasers is that Socs are too cool. Ponyboy realizes that, although they come from different classes, he and Cherry watch the same sunset. A blue Mustang cruises by the group. The Mustang belongs to Bob and Randy, Cherry's and Marcia's Soc boyfriends. The Mustang pulls up beside the group, and Randy and Bob get out. Ponyboy notices that Bob wears three rings on his hand. The Greasers and Socs nearly get into a fight, but the girls agree to leave with their boyfriends to prevent violence. Before leaving, Cherry tells Ponyboy that she hopes she won't see Dally again, because she thinks she could fall in love with him. Ponyboy walks home and finds Darry furious with him for staying out so late. In the ensuing argument, Darry slaps Ponyboy. No one in Ponyboy's family has ever hit him before, and Ponyboy storms out of the house in a rage. He feels sure now that Darry does not want him around. It is after two o'clock in the morning. Ponyboy finds Johnny in the lot where the Greasers hang out, and he tells Johnny that they are running away. Johnny, who lives with his alcoholic father, agrees to run away without hesitating. The boys decide to walk through the park and determine whether they really want to leave. The park is deserted at 2:30 in the morning. Ponyboy and Johnny go walking beside the fountain. Suddenly the boys see the blue Mustang from earlier that night. Five Socs, including Randy and Bob, jump out of the car and approach them. The Socs have come to get even with the boys for picking up their girlfriends. Ponyboy can tell they are drunk. Bob tells Ponyboy that Greasers are white trash with long hair, and Ponyboy retorts that Socs are nothing but white trash with Mustangs and madras shirts. In a rage, Ponyboy spits at the Socs. A Soc grabs Ponyboy and holds his head under the water of the fountain. Ponyboy feels himself drowning and blacks out. When he regains consciousness, the Socs have run away. He is lying on the pavement next to Johnny. Bob's bloody corpse is nearby. Johnny says, "I killed him," and Ponyboy sees Johnny's switchblade, dark to the hilt with blood. Ponyboy panics, but Johnny remains calm. They decide to go to Dally, thinking he might be able to help them. They find Dally at the house of Buck Merril, his rodeo partner. He manages to get the boys fifty dollars, a change of clothing for Ponyboy, and a loaded gun. He instructs them to take a train to Windrixville, where they can hide in an abandoned church. Ponyboy and Johnny get on a train, and Ponyboy goes to sleep. When they get to Windrixville, they hop off the train and find the church, where they collapse into exhausted sleep.

Reaction 

My reaction to this chapter was excited. There was a lot of action which is a good way to get attached to a book. My favorite scene is when Ponyboy wakes up from unconsciousness and sees Bob's corpse. It was an exciting part to read because it doesn't seem like Johnny would do something like that, because he seems like a quiet and shy person.

Prompt Answer

I think that Johnny and Ponyboy will be hunted down by the Socs. This is because they left one of the Soc gang members dead, and they can't possibly get away without the Socs harming them in some way.

Higher Order Thinking Questions

Chapter 3: Hypothesize why the Darry hit Ponyboy instead of just talking about it with him.

Chapter 4: Hypothesize how you think Johnny got the courage to kill Bob.

The Outsider Chapter 1 and 2

Summary

In these chapters, Ponyboy, the narrator,describes himself, physically, and notes his household situation. He lives with his older brothers, Darry and Soda. Their parents were killed in a car accident, and the boys can only stay together as long as they behave. He also states that he is in a gang called the "Greasers." Ponyboy grows nervous that he's walking alone, since Greasers often get jumped by Socs, which is the "rich gang." As soon as he has this thought, a red Corvair starts following him, and he starts sweating and getting scared. Soon he is surrounded by Socs. One of them flips out a knife and asks if Ponyboy needs a haircut; he is overpowered by them, with the knife to his throat, and starts screaming. Ponyboy is soon helped to his feet by Darry, his oldest brother. The Greaser gang has chased away the Socs. Sodapop, Ponyboy's other older brother, comforts him as he cries, and soon the whole gang comes back. They've chased the Socs away with rocks. Ponyboy is bleeding where the Soc cut his face. Soon Darry starts scolding Ponyboy for walking home from the movies by himself. Soda sticks up for Ponyboy, as he usually does.  Later that night, Ponyboy is reading Great Expectations for school, and relates to Pip, the main character. Sodapop comes to bed, and explains to Ponyboy that Darry isn't trying to be mean. Ponyboy doesn't really understand, though. Then Ponyboy starts wondering what Soda meant about Darry. He finds it hard to believe that his oldest brother loves him, when he's always scolding him. He tells himself he doesn't care about his relationship with Darry. The next night, when Johnny and Ponyboy meet up with Dally, which is a friend from the gang, to go to a movie. They get there early, and have time to shoplift cigarettes from the drugstore. They arrive at The Dingo,  and catch up on who was running away, who was in jail, who was going with who, who could whip who, and who stole what and when and why. On the way to the drive-in theater, they cause trouble chasing around junior high kids. Then they sneak in over the back fence of the Nightly Double drive-in movie, even though they have enough money to get in. Dally walks down the aisle and sits right behind the only two other people there which were two Soc girls. Dally taunts them even though they ask him to leave them alone, and the redhead, whose name is Cherry Valance, threatens to call the cops. Dally goes off to buy Cokes, and the girls see Ponyboy and Johnny. Their demeanor immediately changes, and they are friendly to the two younger, less-threatening boys. Ponyboy remembers that Cherry is a cheerleader at his school. Cherry, her friend, Marcia, and Ponyboy strike up a conversation, and Cherry asks about Soda. Ponyboy admits that Soda dropped out of school. Johnny returns, and is clearly nervous around the girls. Soon Dally comes back with Cokes, but Cherry throws hers in his face. Dally gears up to harass Cherry some more, but Johnny reaches out and stops him. Ponyboy notes that Johnny is the only one of the gang who could stand up to Dally without getting punched. Instead, Dally storms away and doesn't return. The girls invite Ponyboy and Johnny to stay with them, to protect them. Cherry points out that she notices a huge difference between them and Dally. But she does say that she admires Dally. Ponyboy soon learns that the girls had come with their boyfriends, but had left them when they realized the boys were getting drunk. Then Two-bit shows up, also a friend from their gang. Two-bit starts to flirt with Marcia, and updates them on Dally's whereabouts They talk about the impending fight, and Cherry is taken aback at their nonchalant approach to violence. Two-bit explains that that's what happens when you get caught. Cherry asks Ponyboy to come with her to get some popcorn. At the concession stand, she asks him about Johnny, and he describes to her how Johnny was jumped by the Socs. Ponyboy, Steve, and Soda were walking back from the gas station past the field when Steve noticed Johnny's jacket. It had a blood stain on it, and there were more stains across the grass; they then saw Johnny, "a dark motionless hump on the other side of the lot." Johnny had been beaten badly, and Ponyboy thought he might be dead. Two-bit, Darry, and Dally arrived, and Dally's reaction surprised Ponyboy. Johnny told them that he had been followed by a blue Mustang, and four Socs had jumped out and beaten him. Cherry listens, and points out that "All Socs aren't like that." Ponyboy is skeptical at first, but she insists that things are rough. They go back and watch the rest of the movie with the others. Ponyboy thinks about girls in general, and how he and Johnny are both a little scared of them thanks to Two-bit's lectures.

Reaction

My reaction to these chapters was surprised of how much the characters stood out. All the characters have such different qualities and personalities. For example, Ponyboy and Johnny are both quiet people. On the other hand, Dally is very loud and outgoing, not in a good way most of the time. Also, Soda-pop seems like a friendly character, where as Darry is an aggressive figure.

Prompt Answer

My first impression of the characters are that all of them have different traits. Dally stands out to me because he seems like a very outgoing character. This makes me dislike him because he seems like he is rude to people that are trying to be nice to him. I also cannot stand Johnny. This is because he is too quiet of a character that doesn't seem to be paying attention to anything.

Higher Order Thinking Questions

Chapter 1: Hypothesize why the characters are so different, yet end up in the same gang.

Chapter 2: Compare and contrast the Socs, with what has been read so far, and the Greasers.