Student Study Guide for The Outsiders Test

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Student Study Guide for The Outsiders Test
Name: __________________
To help prepare for the final test for the novel, please complete and use this sheet to focus
your studying. Completing this study guide will earn you 5 points on the end of the novel
test
Characters:
Ponyboy-first-person p.o.v.; the narrator of the story; wished he looked like Paul
Newman; parents died in a car accident; he is a good, sensitive, compassionate person; he
grows and matured when he stops dividing people into groups (Socs and Greasers); PB
transforms and can tell the story of the boys hiding behind stereotypes
Dally-hated to do things the legal way; he is sensitive and heartful when dealing with
Johnny b/c he loved Johnny; he doesn’t want Johnny to get hard and turn out like he did;
he can’t handle Johnny’s death
Johnny-abused; jumped by the Socs and beat badly so he is afraid and carries a
switchblade; he is scarred by the Socs rings when he is jumped
Sodapop-is being pulled apart by Darry and PB fighting; PB realizes he is hurting him, so
he stops fighting with Darry
Cherry-tells PB that even Socs have troubles and things are rough all over; this
contradicts the Socs stereotype and how PB views the Socs at this point in the novel
Darry-his fighting with PB is tearing Soda apart
Bob-Randy tells PB that Bob’s parents spoiled him rotten; he just wanted them to tell him
no for once
Terms: Be sure to know what these mean.
Tough vs. tuff-tough means tough/rough but “tuff” means something is cool
“Nothing Gold can Stay”-the title is an example of personification; rhyme scheme is
AABBCCDD; message for PB is that good things don’t always last
Social class-Socs are the rich elite west side kids; Greasers are the poor east side kids;
both the Socs and Greasers are faced with similar problems and have it “rough all over,
but it’s better that way” means that PB finally realizes that Socs are human too
Greasers-greasy hair was their trademark and showed their defiance
Socs-PB learns that they have trouble and are human too
Theme-understanding and kindness can overcome prejudice; everyone needs to feel
accepted; loyalty is a necessary quality in human relationships; sub-theme is power of 3(3
die;3brothers fight to stay together;3 rings on Bob’s fingers scar Johnny for life
These plot events also play a role; make sure you know them and the order in which
they happened.
-Ponyboy is attacked by Socs-PB is attacked on his way home from the movies
-Ponyboy and Johnny meet Cherry Valance-PB uses a flashback at the drive-in to tell the
reader about the time Johnny got jumped
-The Socs attack Ponyboy and Johnny-the boys are jumped at the water fountain; PB is
being drowned by the Soc
-Bob is murdered-Johnny stabs Bob to save PB
-The church fire-after Bob died Johnny and PB hide at the abandoned church with the
help of Dally; the church catches fire and PB and Johnny rescue the kids caught in the
fire; the boys are labeled “Juvenile Delinquents turned Heroes” by the press and all this
coverage may split the brothers up
-The rumble-the Socs and Greasers fight and the Greasers win ”Look at the Dirty Socs
Run”
-Johnny’s death-devastates Dally and he makes sure that he is killed because Johnny was
the only thing that meant anything to him
-Dally’s death-he was so upset by Johnny’s death that he made sure he died also b/c
Johnny was the only thing he cared about
-The hearing-he kept insisting that he killed Bob b/c he was in denial about Johnny’s
death; the brothers get to stay together
-Ponyboy’s “assignment”-basically the novel is PB’s class assignment or essay
Misc.
Vocabularyaghast;vaguely;idolize;desert;indignant;resemblance;sullenly;gallant;mourning;reputation
;aloofness;sympathetic
SummaryPonyboy can’t stand the conflict between the Socs and Greasers. Johnny kills a Soc and
he and PB hide out at an abandoned church. The church catches fire and the tow save
some of the kids. Johnny is hurt in the fire and later dies. Dally can’t stand that Johnny is
dead, so he makes sure that he dies also. Ponyboy realizes that he can count of his family
and friends.
Novel-S.E. Hinton wrote the book to help readers understand that we shouldn’t judge
others before we get to know them.
Randy’s visit-Ponyboy insists he killed Bob b/c he is in denial about Johnny’s death; he
also realizes that things aren’t black and white but instead grey and life relationships are
multilayered; Randy decides not to fight in the rumble
Gone With the Wind-is similar to the novel b/c the Civil War is a fight between two
different groups in the same community (country); the book is unfinished by Ponyboy
just like Johnny’s life is unfinished; both stories have casualties
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