The Outsiders
Study Guide Chapters 7‐9 1. What additional problem did the three brothers face after Pony's return?
They faced the possibility of being separated into foster homes.
2. Why did Randy want to talk to Pony?
He wanted to tell him that he would not be at the rumble, to try to call off the rumble by
convincing Pony that there could be no winner.
3. When Johnny's mother came to visit him at the hospital, what was Johnny's reaction?
He rejects her visit; he tells the nurse he does not want to see his mother.
4. Why wouldn't Cherry go visit Johnny?
"He killed Bob. . . . I could never look at the person who killed him."
5. Compare and contrast the boys' reasons for fighting. (Darry, Steve, Soda and Two-Bit)
Darry fights for pride (to show off his strength);
Steve fights for hatred (to stomp the other guy);
Soda fights for fun (a contest);
Two-Bit fights for conformity (Everyone fights.).
6. What did Pony say was the difference between Tim's gang and his?
". . . they had a leader and were organized; we were just buddies who stuck together–
each man was his own leader."
7. Identify Paul Holden.
Paul was Darry's old football team buddy. He stepped up to begin the rumble representing
the Socs against Darry who represented the Greasers. He threw the first punch when
Darry wasn't looking.
8. Who "won" the rumble?
The Greasers "won."
9. Where did Dally take Pony after the rumble?
He took him to the hospital to see Johnny.
10. How do we know Dally felt at least partially responsible for Johnny's fate?
He said, "I was crazy, you know that, kid? Crazy for wantin' Johnny to stay outa trouble,
for not wantin' him to get hard. If he'd been like me he'd never have run into that church."
Also, remember that Dally sent the boys to the church in the first place.
11. What advice did Dally give to Pony on the way to the hospital after the rumble?
". . . You'd better wise up, Pony . . . you get tough like me and you don't get hurt. You
look out for yourself and nothing can touch you."
12. What were Johnny's last words to Ponyboy?
"Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold. . . ."
The Outsiders Study Guide
Vocabulary Chapters 7-9
Part I: Using Prior Knowledge and Contextual Clues
Directions: Below are the sentences in which the vocabulary words appear in the text. Read the sentence.
Use any clues you can find in the sentence combined with your prior knowledge, and write what you
think the underlined words mean.
1. He'd . . . walk around interviewing the nurses and mimicking T.V. reporters.
2. . . . it stopped recurring so often, but it happened often enough for Darry to take me to a doctor.
3. "Work?" Two-Bit was aghast. "And ruin my rep?”
4. Two-Bit was telling me about one of his many exploits while we did the dishes.
5. Turning abruptly, he said, "Let's go see Dallas."
6. She was a little woman, with straight black hair and big, black eyes like Johnny's. But that was as far
as the resemblance went.
7. I could tell that he was debating whether to tell Dally the truth or not.
8. It was the reward of two hours of walking aimlessly around a hardware store to divert suspicion.
9. Tim grinned ruefully probably thinking of his roughneck, hard-headed brother.
10. We mostly stuck with our own outfits, so I was a little leery of going over to him.
Part II: Determining the Meaning
Directions: Match the vocabulary words to their dictionary definitions. If there are words for which you
cannot figure out the definition by contextual clues and by process of elimination, look them up in a
dictionary.
__F___
1. mimicking
A. heroic acts, adventures
__G___
2. recurring
B. regretfully, sorrowfully
__J___
3. aghast
C. wary, suspicious
__A___
4. exploits
D. likeness, similarity
__H___
5. abruptly
E. without direction, without purpose
__D___
6. resemblance
F. imitating, ridiculing
__I___
7. debating
G. returning, repeatedly
__E___
8. aimlessly
H. suddenly
__B___
9. ruefully
I. deciding
__C___
10. leery
J. amazed, stupefied