The Outsiders
About
Rivalry between rich and poor gangs in 1960s Oklahoma leads to the deaths of three teenagers and intense soul-searching for one of the kids involved, a sensitive 14-year-old writer named Ponyboy. The plot contains profanity, violence, and alcohol use.
Read one section at a time, then discuss the questions to review understanding. These questions are a starting place for conversation, not a complete test of the chapter.
Chapter 1
Comprehension questions
Describe the main character.
Page 1 — 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
1
How did Ponyboy get out of his tough situation with the Socials?
Page 6 — He yelled and fought; Darry heard him and ran over
6
Why do you think Darry only gets after Ponyboy and has high expectations for him?
Page 13 — Because Ponyboy is smart and can make something of himself; he has school smarts, but not street smarts
13
What did Soda say that Pony had a hard time believing?
Page 18 — That Darry loved him
18
Chapter 2
Comprehension questions
Why did the girls invite Johnny and Pony to sit with them at the drive-in?
Page 26 — they didn’t talk dirty and stood up to Dally
26
Why are the girls alone at the drive-in?
Page 27 — 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
27
What did Cherry notice about Johnny?
Page 31 — That he’d been hurt and scared by others
31
What did Cherry say about the Socs after Pony told her Johnny’s story?
Page 34 — That not all Socs are like the ones that jumped Johnny and they have it rough too
34
Chapter 3
Comprehension questions
Why did Cherry and Pony feel comfortable talking about personal things?
Page 38 — They could trust each other; they connected with each other
38
Who was in the blue mustang that drove by the kids as they talked?
Page 41 — Socs Randy and Bob; Cherry and Marcia’s boyfriends; the guys who beat up Johnny
41
Why did Pony want to live in the country?
Page 48 — There weren’t gangs and different social statuses to get stuck in
48
What made Pony decide to run-away?
Page 50 — Darry hit him
50
Chapter 4
Comprehension questions
Who pulled up to the park while Johnny and Pony were hanging out?
Page 54 — The blue mustang full of Socs
54
Why did Johnny kill Randy?
Page 57 — They were drowning Pony and were going to beat Johnny up
57
What did Dally get for the boys to help them get out of town?
Page 60 — $50 and a loaded gun
60
Where did the boys take cover and hide?
Page 65 — In a church at Jay Mountain
65
Chapter 5
Comprehension questions
How did the boys disguise themselves?
Page 72 — They cut each other’s hair and Pony put peroxide in his hair so he’d look blond
72
Why was Johnny upset when Pony talked about the previous night?
Page 74 — Because he’d killed a guy and didn’t want to think about it
74
How did Johnny and Pony pass the time in the church?
Page 75 — Reading Gone with the Wind, playing poker, talking
75
What are the two pieces of news Dally told the boys?
Page 83 — There was going to be a war between the Socs and the Greasers, and Cherry is their spy
83
Chapter 6
Comprehension questions
Why was Johnny thinking about turning himself in?
Page 87 — he doesn’t have a record and he killed the guy in self-defense
87
How did Dally feel about the boys turning themselves in?
Page 89 — he was upset; he didn’t want Johnny to spend time in prison since it would change and harden him
89
Why was Johnny happy when they were saving the kids from the fire?
Page 92 — He had purpose; he liked to do good and had an opportunity
92
What did Pony’s metaphor mean, “I had taken the long way around, but I was finally home. To stay.”?
Page 99 — He had finally understood his brother and knew he accepted and loved him
99
Chapter 7
Comprehension questions
Why was Pony so upset about Johnny’s condition?
Page 102 — 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
102
What made Pony worried that he and Soda might go to a boys’ home?
Page 108 — The newspaper had talked about how the boys worked so hard to stay together
108
Why did Pony feel like he needed to clean his house?
Page 113 — He wanted it to look like their family was put together, so he and Soda wouldn’t need to go to a boys’ home
113
What did Randy tell Ponyboy when he wanted to talk?
Page 116 — That he wasn’t going to the rumble that night and that he was sick of things
116
Chapter 8
Comprehension questions
Why did Johnny change and not want to die anymore?
Page 121 — Now that dying was close, he realized he was too young and still had things he wanted to do
121
Why didn’t Johnny want to see his mom when she came to visit him in the hospital?
Page 123 — She always made him feel bad and rejected
123
Why couldn’t Cherry go see Johnny in the hospital?
Page 128 — She couldn’t look at the person who killed her boyfriend
128
Chapter 9
Comprehension questions
Why didn’t Darry want Pony to fight in the rumble?
Page 134 — He’d lost weight, wasn’t in shape and didn’t look very good
134
Why did Pony think Darry wouldn’t be a hood all his life?
Page 138 — Because Darry wanted to make something of himself
138
Why was it such a big deal that Paul spoke up to fight Darry?
Page 142 — They used to be buddies on the football team and in high school. Now they hated each other
142
What was Johnny referring to when he told Pony to stay golden?
Page 148 — It was a reference to when they talked about gold in the sunset and in the poem
148
Chapter 10
Comprehension questions
Why had Dallas robbed a grocery store?
Page 153 — He was upset Johnny had died and he wanted to die too
153
How had Pony been feeling all night and what finally happened to him?
Page 157 — Sick; went unconscious for 3 days
157
Why was it bothering Pony that he might not have asked for Darry while he was sick?
Page 158 — He didn’t want Darry to feel bad; he realizes he’s uncomfortable being alone with him
158
Chapter 11
Comprehension questions
Who did Ponyboy see in the yearbook and what did he think about?
Page 161 — Bob, the Soc who Johnny killed; he thought about what he was like and that he was a real person
161
What did Randy say during his visit?
Page 164 — He mentioned they were going to see the judge the next day and talked about how his dad wanted Randy to tell the truth
164
What did Pony say when Randy brought up Johnny?
Page 165 — That he killed Bob and that Johnny wasn’t dead
165
Chapter 12
Comprehension questions
What was the result of the hearing?
Page 168 — Pony was acquitted and the case was closed
168
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?
Page 171 — 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
171
What two things was Soda upset about?
Page 174 — A letter he’d sent to Sandy came back unopened and he didn’t like to hear his brothers fight
174
What did Johnny explain being gold was?
Page 178 — You’re gold when you’re a kid and everything’s new, like the dawn
178
How did Pony begin his theme paper?
Page 180 — The same way this story began
180
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