The Outsiders Chapter 11 and 12

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.

The Outsiders Chapters 9 and 10

Summary

In these chapters, Ponyboy is feeling sick before the rumble, so he takes five aspirin. The boys take showers and make themselves look tough before leaving for the rumble. Ponyboy feels a sinking feeling when he sees the other Greasers. Twenty-two Socs arrive to fight the twenty greasers. Darry steps forward to start the fight, and Paul Holden, Darry’s high school friend and football teammate, steps up to challenge him. As Paul and Darry circle each other, Dally joins the group. As Dally arrives, the fight breaks out. After a long fight, the Greasers win. When the rumble ends, Dally and Ponyboy go to the hospital to see Johnny. A policeman stops them, but Ponyboy fakes an injury, and the officer let them get to the hospital. Ponyboy and Dally find Johnny dying. Johnny moans that fighting is useless, tells Ponyboy to stay gold, and then dies. Dally is filled with grief, and runs from the room. After Johnny’s death, Ponyboy walks alone for hours until a man offers him a ride.  Ponyboy feels confused. At home, he finds the Greasers gathered in the living room and tells them that Johnny is dead and that Dally has broken down. Dally calls and says he just robbed a grocery store and is running from the police. The gang rushes out and sees police officers chasing him. Dally pulls out his unloaded gun, and the police shoot him. Dally collapses to the ground, dead. Ponyboy dreamt that Dally wanted to die. Feeling dizzy and overwhelmed, Ponyboy passes out. When Ponyboy wakes up, Darry is right beside him. Ponyboy learns that he got a concussion when a Soc kicked him in the head during the rumble, and that he has been confused in bed for three days.

Reaction

These chapter was very exciting. It was fast-paced and included a lot of action. There were many tragic events that happened, but that just made it better. These chapters were probably my favorite of the whole book, so far.

Prompt Answer

I think Dally reacted the way he did to Johnny's death because Johnny was almost like a brother to him. Johnny was the only one able to stand up to Dally, therefore Dally felt overwhelmed and ran off. I think this was a justified response because it's like having a family member of yours killed or about to die.

Higher Order Thinking Questions

Chapter 9: If you were a part of the Socs or Greasers, would you take part in the rumble?

Chapter 10: If you were one of the police officers chasing Dally, would you shoot him?

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.

The Outsiders Chapters 5 and 6

Summary

In these chapters, Ponyboy wakes up in a church realizing that Johnny really did kill Bob. Johnny went to go get supplies and returned with food, cigarettes, soap, peroxide, a deck of playing cards, and the book Gone with the Wind. Trying to blend in, Johnny cuts and bleaches Ponyboy's hair, and then Ponyboy in cuts Johnny's hair. Following Dally's orders, they stay inside the church and pass the time playing poker and reading aloud from Gone with the Wind. This routine continues for five days until Dally shows up and shows them out to the world outside. Dally brings news, and a letter for Ponyboy from Sodapop. Soda had discovered Pony's sweatshirt at Buck's and realized that Dally knew where Pony was hiding. Soda's letter expresses how worried both he and Darry are and how much they miss Pony. Dally had been picked up and questioned about the murder, and had let it slip that the boys might be heading for Texas. Dally tells Johnny and Ponyboy that it is safe to go out for a drive and get some food. They stop at a Dairy Queen and both boys eat nonstop. While Johnny and Ponyboy eat, Dally gives them a quick news of the events back home. Because of the killing, the Socs and the Greasers are engaged in all-out warfare. But, the Greasers have a secret weapon; Cherry is working as a spy. Cherry acting as a spy for the Greasers shocks Ponyboy and Johnny, but then they learn that Bob had been her boyfriend. Dally tells them that Cherry has said that she is willing to say that the Socs were drunk that night and that Johnny acted only in self-defense. Cherry's stance gives Johnny the hope he needs, and he announces that they are going to turn themselves in to the police. Dally becomes shocked, but Johnny says that he doesn't want to live in a church for the rest of his life.

Johnny keeps asking Dally whether his parents have been worried. Dally avoids his question for as long as possible, but finally tells Johnny that his parents have not been worried or asked about him. Johnny doesn't say anything, but looks devastated. Driving back from Dairy Queen, they spot the church on fire. A group of people stand around the church, and Ponyboy and Johnny jump out of the car to find out what's happening. As they arrive, one of the women shouts that some of the children are missing. Both Ponyboy and Johnny leap through a window in search of the kids. An older man, Jerry Wood, follows them, but he is unable to get through the small window. The boys quickly find the kids and hand them out through the window to safety. Dally is now at the scene and warns the Ponyboy and Johnny to get out because the roof is starting to cave in. After dropping the last kid out the window, Johnny shoves Pony out the window, and the roof collapses. Pony blacks out, but Dally goes back inside for Johnny. When Ponyboy regains consciousness, he hears sirens. He assumes that he is in a police car until Jerry Wood tells him that they are in an ambulance, and Johnny and Dally are in the ambulance behind them. Dally has a badly burned arm, but Johnny is in far worse condition. They are all considered heroes for saving the children. Ponyboy is in the waiting room, worried about Johnny and Dally, when Darry and Soda arrive. Soda gives Pony a hug, and Darry stands back with his hands dug into his pockets. When Pony looks at Darry he sees that he is crying. In that split second, Ponyboy realizes that Darry does care for him, that he was just trying too hard. After losing his parents, Darry fears losing another loved one.

Reaction

My reaction to these chapter was happy. This is because Ponyboy and Johnny were now considered heroes. This means they have more of a chance of getting away from jail. Also, Cherry is now a spy and is she is willing to testify that Bob and Dillan were drunk when they approached Johnny and Ponyboy.

Answer to Prompt Question

I believe the poem is about that nothing good can stay. For example it says "Nature's first green is gold." I believe this means that when nature is first made, it is calm and relaxing. Then, in the poem it says "Nothing gold can stay." I think this means that wherever it is calm somewhere it will eventually get destroyed. I think gold means peace.

Higher Order Thinking Questions

Chapter 5: Compare Johnny and Ponyboy's reaction to Cherry being a spy for them.

Chapter 6: Hypothsize why Ponyboy and Johnny were so quick to react to the church on fire.

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.