The Outsiders

by S.E. Hinton

(Contains gang violence and some swearing)

Grades 7-12; Genre - Fiction; GRL Z; AR pts: 7.0

Ponyboy can count on his brothers and on his friends. But not on much else besides trouble with the Socs, a vicious gang of rich kids whose idea of a good time is beating up "greasers" like Ponyboy. At least he knows what to expect - until the night someone takes things too far.

Chapter 1

1. Describe the main character. His name is Ponyboy and he’s 14 years old; in a gang called the Greasers; parents were killed in a car accident; has two older brothers he lives with; Likes to watch movies alone and read books; has longer light brown reddish hair with greenish-gray eyes p.1
2. How did Ponyboy get out of his tough situation with the Socials? He yelled and fought; Darry heard him and ran over p.6
3. Why do you think Darry only gets after Ponyboy and has high expectations for him? Because Ponyboy is smart and can make something of himself; he has school smarts, but not street smarts p.13
4. What did Soda say that Pony had a hard time believing? That Darry loved him p.18

Chapter 2

1. Why did the girls invite Johnny and Pony to sit with them at the drive-in? they didn’t talk dirty and stood up to Dally p.26
2. Why are the girls alone at the drive-in? their boyfriends brought beer with them and the girls didn’t want to have any part of it, so the boys left angry and the girls decided to stay and watch the movie p.27
3. What did Cherry notice about Johnny? That he’d been hurt and scared by others p.31
4. What did Cherry say about the Socs after Pony told her Johnny’s story? That not all Socs are like the ones that jumped Johnny and they have it rough too p.34

Chapter 3

1. Why did Cherry and Pony feel comfortable talking about personal things? They could trust each other; they connected with each other p.38
2. Who was in the blue mustang that drove by the kids as they talked? Socs Randy and Bob; Cherry and Marcia’s boyfriends; the guys who beat up Johnny p.41
3. Why did Pony want to live in the country? There weren’t gangs and different social statuses to get stuck in p.48
4. What made Pony decide to run-away? Darry hit him p.50

Chapter 4

1. Who pulled up to the park while Johnny and Pony were hanging out? The blue mustang full of Socs p.54
2. Why did Johnny kill Randy? They were drowning Pony and were going to beat Johnny up p.57
3. What did Dally get for the boys to help them get out of town? $50 and a loaded gun p.60
4. Where did the boys take cover and hide? In a church at Jay Mountain p.65

Chapter 5

1. How did the boys disguise themselves? They cut each other’s hair and Pony put peroxide in his hair so he’d look blond p.72
2. Why was Johnny upset when Pony talked about the previous night? Because he’d killed a guy and didn’t want to think about it p.74
3. How did Johnny and Pony pass the time in the church? Reading Gone with the Wind, playing poker, talking p.75
4. What are the two pieces of news Dally told the boys? There was going to be a war between the Socs and the Greasers, and Cherry is their spy p.83

Chapter 6

1. Why was Johnny thinking about turning himself in? he doesn’t have a record and he killed the guy in self-defense p.87
2. How did Dally feel about the boys turning themselves in? he was upset; he didn’t want Johnny to spend time in prison since it would change and harden him p.89
3. Why was Johnny happy when they were saving the kids from the fire? He had purpose; he liked to do good and had an opportunity p.92
4. What did Pony’s metaphor mean, “I had taken the long way around, but I was finally home. To stay.”? He had finally understood his brother and knew he accepted and loved him p.99

Chapter 7

1. Why was Pony so upset about Johnny’s condition? Johnny might be paralyzed, and his family wouldn’t be good to him, and they wouldn’t be able to hang out like they used to p.102
2. What made Pony worried that he and Soda might go to a boys’ home? The newspaper had talked about how the boys worked so hard to stay together p.108
3. Why did Pony feel like he needed to clean his house? He wanted it to look like their family was put together, so he and Soda wouldn’t need to go to a boys’ home p.113
4. What did Randy tell Ponyboy when he wanted to talk? That he wasn’t going to the rumble that night and that he was sick of things p.116

Chapter 8

1.  Why did Johnny change and not want to die anymore? Now that dying was close, he realized he was too young and still had things he wanted to do p.121
2. Why didn’t Johnny want to see his mom when she came to visit him in the hospital? She always made him feel bad and rejected p.123
3. Why couldn’t Cherry go see Johnny in the hospital? She couldn’t look at the person who killed her boyfriend p.128

Chapter 9

1. Why didn’t Darry want Pony to fight in the rumble? He’d lost weight, wasn’t in shape and didn’t look very good p.134
2. Why did Pony think Darry wouldn’t be a hood all his life? Because Darry wanted to make something of himself p.138
3. Why was it such a big deal that Paul spoke up to fight Darry? They used to be buddies on the football team and in high school. Now they hated each other p.142
4. What was Johnny referring to when he told Pony to stay golden? It was a reference to when they talked about gold in the sunset and in the poem p.148

Chapter 10

1. Why had Dallas robbed a grocery store? He was upset Johnny had died and he wanted to die too p.153
2. How had Pony been feeling all night and what finally happened to him? Sick; went unconscious for 3 days p.157
3. Why was it bothering Pony that he might not have asked for Darry while he was sick? He didn’t want Darry to feel bad; he realizes he’s uncomfortable being alone with him p.158

Chapter 11

1. Who did Ponyboy see in the yearbook and what did he think about? Bob, the Soc who Johnny killed; he thought about what he was like and that he was a real person p.161
2. What did Randy say during his visit? He mentioned they were going to see the judge the next day and talked about how his dad wanted Randy to tell the truth p.164
3. What did Pony say when Randy brought up Johnny? That he killed Bob and that Johnny wasn’t dead p.165

Chapter 12

1. What was the result of the hearing? Pony was acquitted and the case was closed p.168
2. How did Pony’s attitude change about fighting from the beginning of the story to when the Socs drove up to him at the grocery store? He used to not like fighting, he didn’t want to mess with the Socs; now he wasn’t scared of them and was ready to fight, he was tough and knew he had to be tough to not get hurt p.171
3. What two things was Soda upset about? A letter he’d sent to Sandy came back unopened and he didn’t like to hear his brothers fight p.174
4. What did Johnny explain being gold was? You’re gold when you’re a kid and everything’s new, like the dawn p.178
5. How did Pony begin his theme paper? The same way this story began p.180