The Outsiders: Chs. 1 - 2
Do the four “starred” questions and choose THREE MORE.
Use the back or another sheet of paper so your answers
are complete and thorough.
Chapter 1
1. Make a Venn diagram on the back of this paper showing the
similarities and differences between greasers and Socs (SOshiz).
2. What words would you use today in place of “tuff”?
are some connotations of “tuff”?
What
3. Describe the relationship so far between Ponyboy and Darry.
Include both points of view.
4. Which character is most like you so far, and why?
5. Which character is least like you?
this character? Describe.
What is your opinion of
6. “I can understand why Sodapop and Steve get into drag
races and fights so much, though—both of them have too much
energy, too much feeling, with no way to blow it off” (16).
What does Ponyboy mean by “too much energy”? If you were
the guardians of people like this, what would you do? What
examples do you have of people you know getting into
trouble for similar reasons?
Chapter 2
1. Describe the groups we have at our school (similar to
greasers/Socs). What hangouts do the groups at our school
have?
2. Does Ponyboy respect Socy girls more than greaser girls?
Why/why not? Why do they “try to be nice to…girls in
class” but say “lousy stuff” about a girl going by on the
street? (20-26)
3. Why does Ponyboy tolerate it when Cherry calls Dally a
greaser? (21-24)
4. Why did Johnny speak up to Dally about the way he was
treating the girls? Why didn’t Dally say anything back?
(24-25)
5. Do you agree with Two-Bit about what a “fair fight” is?
(29)
The Outsiders: Chs. 3-4
Do all six of the “starred” questions and choose ONE
MORE. Use another piece of paper or the back if
necessary.
Chapter 3
1. What does Ponyboy’s being younger and a greaser have to do
with how Cherry was able to talk to him? (38)
2. What is it about their different settings that makes the
Socs cold, aloof, and non-feeling? What makes the greasers
“feel violently”? (38)
3. What made Ponyboy lash out at Johnny? (42)
4. How could Cherry fall in love with Dally? (46)
5. Add more information to your Venn diagram from last week
about the Greasers and the Socs (37-47).
6. Do you think the countryside would be free of the conflicts
between Socs and greasers? (48)
7. What particular line(s) of dialogue or incident(s) provoke
Darry to hit Ponyboy? What do you think Darry was thinking
after he hit Ponyboy? (50)
8. Why does Johnny like it when his father hits him? (51)
9. Do you agree with Johnny that having friends care for you
is not the same as having your own folks care about you?
Explain. (51-52)
Chapter 4
1. Why did the “white trash with long hair” comment hit
Ponyboy so hard? What is the connotation of “white trash”?
(55)
2. Did Johnny do the right thing at the fountain? (56)
3. “The fight for self-preservation had hardened him beyond
caring” (59). What does Ponyboy mean by describing Dally
this way?
4. Why do you think Dally is honest about the horse races?
(61)
5. Why do you think Ponyboy and Johnny liked going to church
even after Ponyboy’s parents died? (66)
The Outsiders: Chs. 5-7
Do all five of the “starred” questions and choose TWO
MORE. Use another piece of paper or the back if
necessary.
Chapter 5
1. What does Johnny mean by “it’s just a way of trying to
break us” when he talks about the judges’ cutting their
hair? (71)
2. How do you think crying affected Johnny and Ponyboy?
75)
(74-
3. Do you agree with Johnny that Dally is gallant, like the
Southern gentlemen in Gone With The Wind? (75-76) Explain,
citing at least one quote from the book to support.
4. Choose a line or more from “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” and
explain what it means in your own words. (77)
Chapter 6
1. Dally refers to Cherry as a “broad” (84-85). How is the
connotation of this word different from the word “woman”
and “girl”? Explain why the character Dally would choose
that particular word.
2. What are the pros and cons of “picking up your own kind”
when choosing friends or loved ones? (85)
3. What has changed Johnny, and why? Use particular lines of
dialogue, the setting, and/or other characters in your
explanation. (92)
4. Why did Ponyboy “confess” to Jerry in the car? (95)
5. What do you think made Ponyboy finally realize that Darry
cared about him? (98)
Chapter 7
1. How could people be younger when they are asleep? (104)
2. Why did Soda have to marry Sandy, or let her go to Florida
with her grandmother? (111)
3. How was Bob’s relationship with his parents similar to
Johnny’s? (116)
4. How are things that are “rough” for a Soc different from
things that are “rough” for a greaser? How are they the
same? (117)
The Outsiders: Chs. 8-9
Do all five of the “starred” questions and choose TWO
MORE. Use another piece of paper or the back if
necessary.
Chapter 8
1. Explain what Ponyboy means when he writes “I figured that
Southern gentlemen had nothing on Johnny Cade” (120).
2. Why does the gang “need” Johnny? (121)
3. What is your reaction to Cherry’s not going to see
Johnny? Do you agree with what Ponyboy says to her about
being a traitor, etc.? (128-129)
4. Why does Ponyboy ask Cherry about the sunset on the West
Side? (129-130)
Chapter 9
1.
Why would the gang get “spruced up” if they were just going
to get dirty and bloody? (131)
2.
Study the comments in parentheses in the last paragraph on
page 132. How would you answer these questions?
3.
Do you think “bop action” or “rumble” sounds more
educated? Why? How do you think the Brumly boys are
different from Ponyboy’s group, if at all? (140)
4.
Do you think Ponyboy and the gang are better than the
“bunch of future convicts”? Why/why not? (140-141)
5.
Do you think Dally really believes what he says on page 147
about wanting Johnny to be tough? Use evidence from the
book to back up your answer.
6.
What did Johnny mean by “stay gold”? (148)
7.
Why do you think the author chose to have Johnny die at
that particular moment? Explain. (148)
The Outsiders:
Chs. 10-12
Chapter 10
 Ponyboy convinces himself Johnny is not dead because he
can’t accept something so horrible.
 Dally is even worse off than Ponyboy because Johnny was the
only person he loved. Dally intentionally robbed the store
and pulled out a gun in the streetlight because he wanted
the police to notice him and kill him; he couldn’t stand to
live once Johnny was dead.
 Ponyboy’s experience has made him want to show Darry that
he loves him, too, not just Sodapop.
 Ponyboy doesn’t realize Dally’s “gallantness” until he
dies.
 Ponyboy said he didn’t like baloney because he thought he
was still in the church with Johnny. It’s painful for him
now to realize that Johnny isn’t really there.
Chapter 11
 Ponyboy doesn’t care what Randy thinks of his house because
they already had come to understand that they were both
just guys—rich and poor didn’t matter.
 Ponyboy tells Randy he killed Bob because he thinks if he
changes the story out loud, Johnny won’t be dead. He’s mad
at Randy for saying Johnny killed Bob, because that reminds
Ponyboy that Johnny is dead.
Chapter 12
 Ponyboy is “out of it” after he returns to school because
he is grieving.
 Ponyboy was trying to follow Dally’s advice (by being tough
with the broken bottle) but he’s not tough (shown by
picking up the glass/worrying about other people’s flat
tires).
 Sodapop’s breakdown is important because it shows that the
Curtis brothers are different from other greasers—they have
each other, and they care about others besides themselves.
 Even though Johnny couldn’t change Dally in time, Ponyboy’s
story gave the same messages—“stay gold” and “saving people
is worth it” and “there’s lots of good in the world”—to all
the readers (including other “Dallys”) of The Outsiders.
Test Review
The test will have character matching, modified true/false, and
short answer (one sentence) questions, as well as one “essay
question” (paragraph response). It will be worth 50 points!
Here are some hints for focused studying:



Make a list of the characters in the book. Be able to
describe each person in a short phrase. Include all the main
greasers and Socs. You should also know any characters
mentioned in the weekly question sheets (e.g. Jerry). Don’t
worry about very small parts (e.g. Paul).
Review some of the main points from the book by looking over
the chapter questions, your literature packet, and the book
itself. For example:
 How does Ponyboy’s relationship with his brothers change,
and why?
 Which kids all go to the same school?
Which kids are from
outside the main group?
 What is the relationship between the greasers and the Socs?
Why do they fight?
 What happened to Ponyboy’s parents?
Why isn’t Darry in
college?
 What happened at the fountain?
 Where do Ponyboy and Johnny go after the stabbing?
What do
they do while they’re there?
 How does the church fire start?
 How does Bob’s death affect the other Socs?
 What happens after Johnny dies?
 What is the relationship between Ponyboy, Dally, and
Johnny? (Be able to describe it.)
 What happens to Ponyboy in court?
Expect an essay (one paragraph) question related to a deeper
theme in the book. Look over the questions sheets for hints
on what I might ask you about.