B Y S E H I N T O N
Ponyboy Curtis is a Greaser. He lives on the wrong side of town. He acts tough, dresses tough, and lets his hair grow long to look tough. He lives with his two older brothers, Darry and Sodapop, and they barely make ends meet. Darry and Soda work hard to support themselves and let Ponyboy stay in school so that at least one person in the family can graduate high school.
Pony's best friend is a sad boy named Johnny Cade who's been beaten around one too many times and spends a lot of time looking over his shoulder, anticipating the next blow. The only family these boys have are their group of Greaser friends who watch each other's backs and defend each other. When the Socs (rich kids from the other side of town) come looking for trouble they run into dangerous Dally, funny Two-bit, and somber Steve. Through
Ponyboy's eyes we catch an eloquent glimpse into the life of a group of teenagers the world seems to have forgotten, who take life's knocks on the chin and somehow keep going.

Requirements: All work must pass with a 75% or better.
1.

Each chapter requires a set of answers to the given questions.
The answers need to be written in complete sentences (this means including the questions with in the answers).
2.

Each chapter has vocabulary words that have three requirements.
Please read the directions on the vocabulary page.
3.
There is a required activity to be done once the book is completed.
4.

A Final is required to complete the book requirements.
Please note; all written materials must be done in Word, spell and grammar checked , written in complete sentences (including spelling definitions) and sent in electronically to your teacher.
Please save your work frequently and save a copy for yourself.

1) What does Ponyboy mean by the phrase, “ I usually lone it anyway….”?
2) Identify and give three descriptions of each member of the gang:
Ponyboy Sodapop
Darry
Johnny
Dally
Two-Bit
Steven Randle
3) Ponyboy said, “I didn’t think…..I don’t use my head….”. What could he have done to prevent getting jump?
4) “Soda can get drunk in a drag race or dancing without ever getting near alcohol.” Explain what Ponyboy means by this.
5) What kinds of jobs did Darry and Soda have and what kind of education or training is required?
6) Why can’t anybody ever win against the Socs?
7) Describe Johnny’s home life.
8) Why do you think the Socs hated the” greasers” so much?

Vocabulary
Write the definition of each word, follow it by writing the sentence it is used in in the book, and then create a sentence of your own using the same meaning.

1) Why didn’t anyone want to be around when the police showed up for a fight?
2) Why was it difficult for Ponyboy to believe that Johnny told Dally to leave the girls alone
3) Why didn’t greasers mind being called greaser?
4) Do other groups of people do the same-name an example.
5) Explain the difference between fair fighting and rough fighting.
6) What was the personality difference between Marcia and Cherry?
7) What was the difference between the type of beatings Johnny had gotten and what was the result of each?
8) What kind of problems was Cherry talking about when she said that Socs have it bad too?

Vocabulary
Write the definition of each word, follow it by writing the sentence it is used in in the book, and then create a sentence of your own using the same meaning.

1) How did Cherry explain the differences of the two gangs?
2) Why didn’t Soda tell his mom and dad about Mickey Mouse?
3) What did the country represent to Ponyboy?
4) What do you think was Darry’s problem with Ponyboy?
5) What were Johnny’s feelings about his importance in his family?
6) Why couldn’t Darry call the police when
Ponyboy was late?
7) Why did Darry hit Ponyboy?
8) Why didn’t Ponyboy run away?

1. page 35: gallantly
Vocabulary
Write the definition of each word, follow it by writing the sentence it is used in in the book, and then create a sentence of your own using the same meaning.
2. page 37: ornery
3. page 39: dumbfounded
4. page 40: resignedly
5. page 43: vaguely

1) Why did Ponyboy get so mad when the Socs called them,
“white trash with long hair”?
2) Why did Johnny kill Bob?
3) Why couldn’t Dally be capable of loving a woman back?
4) How did the boys look to each other once they were out of the city? Why?
5) What was Pony figuring out was worse than being a greaser?
6) What do you think Pony’s feeling of premonition was about?

1. page 52: quavered
Vocabulary
Write the definition of each word, follow it by writing the sentence it is used in in the book, and then create a sentence of your own using the same meaning.
2. page 54: defiance
3. page 54: contemptuously
4. page 54: ruefully
5. page 60: premonition

1) Why do you think Johnny wanted Ponyboy to read Gone with the Wind outloud?
2) How did Johnny view the act of the authorities cutting the greasers hair when they got caught?
3) What did crying do for Johnny and Ponyboy?
4) Robert Frost’s poem can describe a scene in nature or can represent something about life-give an example.
5) Dally said he was carrying a heater, what is it and why do they call it that?
6) What’s happening between the greaser and Soc’s down in town?
7) Where are the cops looking for Johnny and Ponyboy? Why?
8) What’s the agreement on the outcome of the fight?

1. page 63: reluctantly
Vocabulary
Write the definition of each word, follow it by writing the sentence it is used in in the book, and then create a sentence of your own using the same meaning.
2. page 64: imploringly
3. page 65: sullenly
4. page 68: gallant
5. page 70: fiend

1) Why was it that Johnny couldn’t accept the fact that his parents didn’t care about him but Dally could?
2) Why did Johnny and Ponyboy go save the kids in the burning church?
3) Why weren’t they scared?
4) Why did Johnny look like he was having the time of his life?
5) What did Ponyboy realize about how Darry felt about him?

1. page 78: doggedly
Vocabulary
Write the definition of each word, follow it by writing the sentence it is used in in the book, and then create a sentence of your own using the same meaning.
2. page 79: conviction
3. page 85: hysterics

1) Of the two possible outcomes for Johnny, which would be the best and why?
2) Why do you think people look younger than they think when they sleep?
3) Why was Ponyboy’s house always left open?
4) What were some of the negative outcomes of saving the kids in the burning church? (include what the newspaper article insinuated)

1. page 90: radiates
Vocabulary
Write the definition of each word, follow it by writing the sentence it is used in in the book, and then create a sentence of your own using the same meaning.
2. page 96: cocksure
3. page 100: exploits
4. page 101: contemptuously

1) What did Ponyboy mean when he said he figured Southern gentlemen had nothing on
Johnny Cade?
2) “….don’t get all juiced up, because the doctor won’t let you see us again.” What does juiced up mean in this sentence?
3) What was wrong with the sixteen years that Johnny lived?
4) What had they taught him?
5) Why did Johnny’s mother upset Two-Bit so much?
6) What was so bad about her?
7) What do you think Dally’s going to do with the switchblade?
8) How did Soda and Ponyboy keep Darry from being a Soc?
9) What was it in Dallas that was what Cherry found so attractive?
10) Who was Cherry blaming for Bob’s drinking problem?
11) Whose problem was it really?

1. page 107: faltered
Vocabulary
Write the definition of each word, follow it by writing the sentence it is used in in the book, and then create a sentence of your own using the same meaning.
2. page 107: quivering
3. page 109: abruptly
4. page 111: reluctantly
5. page 112: doggedly
6. page 114: scarce

1) Why did the boys get all spruced up for the rumble?
2) Ponyboy questions his thinking of the source of his pride, why do you think he’s proud of being a greaser?
3) What do you think is the differences between Pony and the others that makes them like to fight and
Ponyboy not?
4) What kind of stuff did the greasers do to start pumping up their adrenaline for the rumble?
5) Why didn’t Pony drink?
6) Everyone had a reason for fighting, what was Ponyboy’s?
7) How was Darry and Ponyboy’s vision different than the rest of the greasers?
8) What is the connection Ponyboy makes between education and language?
9) How is it that the greasers could end up like the Brumly boys?
10) Which greasers probably would not end up that way and why?
11) What did Johnny mean when he told Ponyboy to stay gold?

1. page 117: mortal
Vocabulary
Write the definition of each word, follow it by writing the sentence it is used in in the book, and then create a sentence of your own using the same meaning.
2. page 118: wearily
3. page 119: menace
4. page 120: conformity
5. page 120: stifled
6. page 122: leery

1) Why did Johnny’s death cause Dally to go rob a grocery store? What was his ultimate goal?
2) Ponyboy was trying to block out all the facts of the two deaths, what would this do for him?
3) Why did Ponyboy think he hadn’t called for Darry while he was sick?
4) Ponyboy didn’t mind what his house looked like to Randy but he did care towards his middle-class friends, why?
5) What was happening to Pony when he told Randy that he had killed Bob?
6) The doctor talked to the judge before he questioned Ponyboy, what could he have told him?
7) Why did Ponyboy write this book?

1. vague (p.135)
Vocabulary
Write the definition of each word, follow it by writing the sentence it is used in in the book, and then create a sentence of your own using the same meaning.
2. delirious (p.136)
3. indignantly (p.138)