Summary
In these chapters, Ponyboy has to stay in bed a whole week. To pass the time, he goes through Soda’s yearbooks, where he comes across a picture of Bob. He remembers that he will soon have a hearing about Bob’s death. Randy also comes to see him and talks about the hearing. Feeling he has let down his father by getting mixed up in gang rivalry, Randy has promised to speak the truth at the hearing. He tells Pony not to worry, for Johnny was the one who had the knife and killed Bob. Pony, however, in his confused state, insists that he had the knife, that he killed Bob, and that Johnny is not dead. Hearing that Pony is upset, Darry comes in and asks Randy to leave. When they are outside, Pony hears Darry telling Randy not to speak to Pony about Johnny, as he is still mentally and emotionally unstable. When Darry returns to the room, he scolds Pony for smoking in bed. He also tells him to clean his room, for it is a mess. While talking, Darry refers to Ponyboy as "little buddy." Pony is happy that Darry now seems to care about him. Ponyboy does not have to speak much at the hearing, since his doctor has spoken to the judge about Ponyboy’s condition. The judge asks Ponyboy a few gentle questions about his home life and then allows him to return home with his brothers. After the hearing, Ponyboy becomes depressed. His grades go down, he loses his coordination, memory, and appetite, and he resumes fighting with Darry. Ponyboy’s English teacher, Mr. Syme, says that although Ponyboy is failing, he can raise his grade to a C by writing an outstanding autobiographical theme. The next day at lunch, Ponyboy goes to the grocery store with Steve and Two-Bit for candy bars and Cokes. When a group of Socs approach him, he threatens them with a broken bottle. Ponyboy’s "show" alarms Steve and Two-Bit, and they warn Ponyboy not to grow hard like Dally was. They are relieved when Ponyboy bends down to pick up the broken glass, not wanting anyone to get a flat tire. That night as Ponyboy and Darry fight about Ponyboy’s grades, Sodapop runs out of the house, upset that Sandy has returned a letter he wrote her unopened. Darry explains that Sodapop is not the father of Sandy’s child and acts puzzled that Sodapop never told Ponyboy. Ponyboy reflects that he probably acted uninterested when Sodapop tried to talk about his problems. Darry and Ponyboy go find Sodapop. He tells them their constant fighting is tearing him apart. While crying, Sodapop asks them to try to understand each other and stop fighting. They promise to try. Ponyboy thinks that Sodapop keep them together. The boys run back home. Ponyboy looks at Johnny’s copy of Gone with the Wind. He finds a handwritten note from Johnny urging him to stay gold and saying that the children’s lives were worth his own. Ponyboy realizes that he wants to tell the story of his friends so that other gangsters will not show their anger at the world and ignore the beauty in it. He begins to work on his English theme, starting with the words that begin The Outsiders: “When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home.”
Reaction
I think these chapters tied up the book perfectly. There were many surprising twists that happened. Overall, these chapters were great and exciting. It was a very good way to tell the story.
Prompt Answer
I think somebody can stay "gold" forever, but it would be a very hard task. I believe somebody would stop being "gold" if they have to deal with a lot of stress and pressure.
Higher Order Thinking Questions
Chapter 11: Hypothesize why Darry was so controlling to Ponyboy when he is confused.
Chapter 12: Compare and Contrast the Socs from the beginning of the book to now.
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