The Outsiders Chapters 7 and 8

Summary

In these chapters, reporters and police interview Ponyboy, Sodapop, and Darry in the hospital waiting room. Sodapop jokes with the reporters and hospital staff. The doctors finally come out and say that Dally will be fine, however Johnny’s back was broken when the roof dropped. The doctors say even if Johnny survives he will be permanently crippled. The next morning, Ponyboy is making breakfast when Steve Randle, Sodapop’s best friend, and Two-Bit come in with the morning papers. The papers show Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally as heroes for rescuing the children. They also mention Ponyboy’s excellent performance on the track team and in school. The paper mentions that the state will charge Johnny with manslaughter and send both Ponyboy and Johnny to court, from which Ponyboy might be sent to a home. The other boys reassure Ponyboy that his family will stay together. Ponyboy tells them he had his nightmare, which first occurred on the night of his parents’ funeral, the previous night. He never remembers the dream, but it makes him wake up in intense panic. Ponyboy asks Sodapop about Sandy, Soda's girlfriend, and learns that she got pregnant and moved to Florida. Her parents refused to let her marry Sodapop because of his age, so Sandy left to live with her grandmother. Sodapop and Darry go to work, and Two-Bit and Ponyboy go to get Cokes. A blue Mustang pulls up to the restaurant, and in it they see the group of Socs that jumped Ponyboy and Johnny in the park. Ponyboy feels an immediate and intense hatred for them.One of the So, Randy, comes over to Ponyboy. Two-Bit reminds him that no fighting is allowed before the rumble, but Randy says he only wants to talk. He asks Ponyboy why he saved those children and says he would never have thought a Greaser could do such a thing. Ponyboy says that it didn’t have anything to do with his being a Greaser. Randy explains that Bob was his best friend, a good guy with a bad temper and overly easy-going parents. Ponyboy feels reassured by his talk with Randy and realizes that Socs are human too. Two-Bit and Ponyboy go to see Johnny and Dally in the hospital. Johnny is weak and pale, he whispers that he would like Ponyboy to finish reading Gone with the Wind to him. As Ponyboy and Two-Bit leave, Johnny's mother blames them for Johnny’s condition, and Two-Bit insults her. Dally is recovering well in the hospital, and for the first time ever Ponyboy feels good about Dally. Dally says that Tim Shepard, the leader of another gang of Greasers, came in to talk about the rumble. Dally asks for Two-Bit’s switchblade, and Two-Bit hands it over without even asking why Dally needs it. On the way home, Ponyboy and Two-Bit see Cherry. She says that the Socs have agreed to fight with no weapons. Ponyboy asks her to go see Johnny, but she says she can't because Johnny killed Bob. She says that Bob had a sweet side and was only violent when drunk. Ponyboy calls her a traitor, but he quickly forgives her. He asks her if she can see the sunset on the West Side, and when she says she can, he tells her to remember that he can see it on the East Side too.

Reaction

My reaction to this chapter was bored. Nothing exciting really happened; and as I was reaching towards the end of chapter 8, I was happy that it was over. However, I was surprised when it said in the newspapers that Ponyboy and Johnny were still going to court after they risked their lives to save the children.

Prompt Answer

One thing that constitutes a hero is doing something heroic. For example, if somebody saves a person from a burning house, they would be considered a hero. Or, if somebody helped a drowning person, they could be considered a hero, too. I think it is possible to be considered a hero after somebody does a bad thing, however I don't think it would be very easy.

Higher Order Thinking Questions

Chapter 7: Hypothesize why Ponyboy was in the paper for his track performance.

Chapter 8: Compare Cherry from the beginning of the book to now.