The Outsiders
Summary of Chapters 1 – 3
Chapter 1
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Ponyboy Curtis walks out of a movie theater and heads home.
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Ponyboy notices a red Corvair following him. The car stops and five Socs get out.
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The group of Socs taunt Ponyboy and threaten to cut off his hair with a switchblade. They then and
pin him down and beat him up.
Pony’s brothers and other greasers hear his cries and come to his aid. The Socs flee.
Once they are back at home, Ponyboy thinks about the sacrifices that Darry has made: passing up a
college scholarship and working construction to support the Curtis family after their parents died.
As they fall asleep, Sodapop tells Ponyboy that Darry is only looking out for him and that he doesn’t
mean anything by his harsh words.
Chapter 2
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Pony, Johnny and Dally sit down behind two Soc girls at the drive-in, and Dally harasses them with
dirty talk.
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After being told-off by Cherry Valance, Dally leaves and Cherry and Ponyboy start talking.
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After Dally returns, Johnny tells him to leave Cherry alone. Shocked, Dally, storms off.
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Two-Bit joins Johnny and Ponyboy. He sits down and banters with Cherry and Marcia.
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When Pony and Cherry go off to buy popcorn, Pony describes the night that Johnny was attacked by
the group of Socs.
Chapter 3
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Two-Bit talks Cherry and Marcia into accepting a ride home from the movies, and they all walk to
Two-Bit's house to get his car.
Marcia notices a blue Mustang coming down the street. The car passes but keeps going.
Ponyboy gets upset after talking to Cherry about Darry. He lashes out at Johnny, commenting on
Johnny's own dysfunctional family.
The Mustang approaches again and this time stops beside the group.
Insults fly between the Socs and greasers, and the tension builds: Two-Bit hands Ponyboy a broken
bottle and pulls out a switchblade.
To avoid a fight, Cherry and Marcia agree to leave with the Socs.
After falling asleep in a vacant lot, Ponyboy returns home. Darry is furious at him for losing track of
time and arriving so late.
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Sodapop tries to intervene, but Darry silences Soda and, losing control, slaps Ponyboy.
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Ponyboy returns to the lot, where he finds Johnny and tells him that wants to run away.
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Ponyboy realize that his own situation isn't actually so bad, and the boys decide to take a walk to the
park and back before deciding whether to run away.