CHAPTER 9:
1. What were the reasons that the various boy gave for fighting?
1. Everybody fights and it's their reputation.
2. Why did Dally take Ponyboy to see Johnny after the rumble?
2. Johnny was dying and wanted to make him happy.
3. What did Johnny mean when he told Ponyboy to “stay gold”?
3. He should stay as himself.
4. Think about yourself. Do you ever label someone as a hood, a scum, a nerd, a dork, because of the way someone is dressed or groomed? Have you been guilty of believing a stereotype and then found out later that the person just didn’t fit that perception? What does that tell you about first impressions?
4. No, I label someone on what they wear or how they act.
5. Do you agree or disagree with Ponyboy when he said that people usually go by looks so hoods will always be the bad guys and the clean shaven, neatly dressed kids will always be considered the good guys? Why?
5. I agree because there are many examples in the modern world.
6. Who are the good guys and bad guys in The Outsiders? Explain.
6. The greasers because they have no choice to live how they live. The Socs decide to live a life as bad people because they feel that their parents don't take care of them.
7. What are the two things Greasers have to be proud of?
7. Their hair and their reputation.
8. Who is the only Greaser who doesn’t like fights?
8. Ponyboy.
9. Why is Tim Shepard’s kid brother, Curly, not going to be at the rumble?
9. He's tired of all the fighting.
10. Why does Ponyboy feel he and his gang don’t belong with Tim Sheperd’s gang and the Brumley boys?
10. They feel that they are only Greasers, not hoods, and that they don't belong with the bunch of future convicts.
11. What are the rules for the rumble?
11. You can't use weapons, only skin.
12. Who joins the rumble at the last minute?
12. Ponyboy joins to help Darry in the fight.
13. How did Dally get out of the hospital?
13. He went running and crying through the halls.
14. How does the fight end?
14. The Socs run away from the fight.
15. Where do Ponyboy and Dally go after the rumble?
15. They go to visit Johnny in the Hospital.
16. How do they get there so quickly?
16. Darry tells the police that Ponyboy is injured and that they need an escort to the hospital.
17. What does Johnny tell Ponyboy to do?
17. He tells him to stay gold.
CHAPTER 10:
1. Do you think the rumble was worth the trouble?
1. No, because it only caused more trouble. It didn't even solve anything.
2. Why did Dally want to die?
2. The only person he likes was Johnny and once Johnny had died he didn't have a reason for living anymore.
3. How do you think the other Greasers will end up?
3. I think that they are going to split up and go their separate ways.
4. Why was Ponyboy concerned with whether or not he had asked for Darry while he was unconscious?
4. He might feel bad that he didn't want Darry's help. He doesn't want to leave Darry out.
5. How does Ponyboy get home from the hospital?
5. He was driven home by Dally.
6. Why is Dally so upset about Johnny’s death?
6. Johnny is the reason that Dally wanted to live. Since Johnny is dead, Dally doesn't have a reason for living anymore.
7. Who phones Darry, and what does he want?
7. Dally because he tells them that he's in trouble with the law and that he needs back-up.
8. What did Johnny leave for Ponyboy?
8. The book, "Gone with the Wind."
9. Why wouldn’t Ponyboy eat anything when he was sick?
9. He doesn't like baloney. Everything he tasted tasted like baloney.
10. Why is Ponyboy worried about whether or not he called for Darry when he was sick?
10. He might feel bad that he didn't want Darry's help. He doesn't want to leave Darry out.
CHAPTER 11:
1. Why do you think Ponyboy was ill?
1. He got kicked in the head and got a concussion.
2. Why did Randy come to visit Ponyboy when he was ill? Why did Ponyboy not care that Randy was seeing his house in a messy condition?
2. Randy and Pony have an understanding. They both have to go to court.
3. Why do you think Ponyboy said he’d killed Bob and that Johnny wasn’t dead? (p.g. 165-166)
3. He's in denial. He doesn't want Johnny to be remembered as a killer, but as a hero.
4. Why was Ponyboy concerned about his friends seeing his house but not about Randy seeing his house?
4. Randy and Pony have an understanding. They both have to go to court.
5. Why did Ponyboy say he’d killed Bob and that Johnny wasn’t dead?
5. He's in denial. He doesn't want Johnny to be remembered as a killer, but as a hero.
CHAPTER 12:
1. Why was the court hearing important? What were possible decisions of the court?
1. It was important because this could've determined his entire life. He could have been found guilty or not guilty.
2. Why do you think Ponyboy’s life was still troubled after the court hearing?
2. It could've determined the rest of his life. What he had went through messed up his head. He wasn't the same.
3. What message did Johnny leave in the book?
3. He just left an explanation about Johnny saying, "stay gold." He was explaining the poem.
4. What do you think the doctor told the judge before the hearing?
4. Ponyboy is going through emotional distress.
5. Why did Ponyboy’s life seem so different after the hearing?
5. His grades went down and he stopped eating because it all tasted like baloney. He didn't feel anything, he felt absolutely nothing. He was emotionally numb.
6. Why did Soda think that being like Dally before he died was worse than being dead?
6. Dally lived not having anything or anyone to love.
7. What do you think Ponyboy will write about in his theme? Why? What will be the result of his having written about events of the past week? (Hint: Look at the first two sentences of the novel.)
7. Referring to Paul Newman and his experience becoming a tougher person.
8. Why does Ponyboy think that his experiences as a Greaser are important for everyone to read about?
8. To show us what happened to them and what their points of view were. To show that they are people too.
9. What is one of the stereotypes in this novel? How is it INACCURATE?
9. Greasers only care about their hair and that they are white trash.
10. What is the theme of The Outsiders? There is definitely more than one right answer.
10. The theme is that everyone is not different and everyone is the same. No one is different.
11. What is Darry’s motivation throughout the novel?
11. Johnny.
12. Why is the last sentence of the book unusual?
12. It's referring to Mark because that's when it's supposed to be about Johnny and he's moving along too quickly.
1. What were the reasons that the various boy gave for fighting?
1. Everybody fights and it's their reputation.
2. Why did Dally take Ponyboy to see Johnny after the rumble?
2. Johnny was dying and wanted to make him happy.
3. What did Johnny mean when he told Ponyboy to “stay gold”?
3. He should stay as himself.
4. Think about yourself. Do you ever label someone as a hood, a scum, a nerd, a dork, because of the way someone is dressed or groomed? Have you been guilty of believing a stereotype and then found out later that the person just didn’t fit that perception? What does that tell you about first impressions?
4. No, I label someone on what they wear or how they act.
5. Do you agree or disagree with Ponyboy when he said that people usually go by looks so hoods will always be the bad guys and the clean shaven, neatly dressed kids will always be considered the good guys? Why?
5. I agree because there are many examples in the modern world.
6. Who are the good guys and bad guys in The Outsiders? Explain.
6. The greasers because they have no choice to live how they live. The Socs decide to live a life as bad people because they feel that their parents don't take care of them.
7. What are the two things Greasers have to be proud of?
7. Their hair and their reputation.
8. Who is the only Greaser who doesn’t like fights?
8. Ponyboy.
9. Why is Tim Shepard’s kid brother, Curly, not going to be at the rumble?
9. He's tired of all the fighting.
10. Why does Ponyboy feel he and his gang don’t belong with Tim Sheperd’s gang and the Brumley boys?
10. They feel that they are only Greasers, not hoods, and that they don't belong with the bunch of future convicts.
11. What are the rules for the rumble?
11. You can't use weapons, only skin.
12. Who joins the rumble at the last minute?
12. Ponyboy joins to help Darry in the fight.
13. How did Dally get out of the hospital?
13. He went running and crying through the halls.
14. How does the fight end?
14. The Socs run away from the fight.
15. Where do Ponyboy and Dally go after the rumble?
15. They go to visit Johnny in the Hospital.
16. How do they get there so quickly?
16. Darry tells the police that Ponyboy is injured and that they need an escort to the hospital.
17. What does Johnny tell Ponyboy to do?
17. He tells him to stay gold.
CHAPTER 10:
1. Do you think the rumble was worth the trouble?
1. No, because it only caused more trouble. It didn't even solve anything.
2. Why did Dally want to die?
2. The only person he likes was Johnny and once Johnny had died he didn't have a reason for living anymore.
3. How do you think the other Greasers will end up?
3. I think that they are going to split up and go their separate ways.
4. Why was Ponyboy concerned with whether or not he had asked for Darry while he was unconscious?
4. He might feel bad that he didn't want Darry's help. He doesn't want to leave Darry out.
5. How does Ponyboy get home from the hospital?
5. He was driven home by Dally.
6. Why is Dally so upset about Johnny’s death?
6. Johnny is the reason that Dally wanted to live. Since Johnny is dead, Dally doesn't have a reason for living anymore.
7. Who phones Darry, and what does he want?
7. Dally because he tells them that he's in trouble with the law and that he needs back-up.
8. What did Johnny leave for Ponyboy?
8. The book, "Gone with the Wind."
9. Why wouldn’t Ponyboy eat anything when he was sick?
9. He doesn't like baloney. Everything he tasted tasted like baloney.
10. Why is Ponyboy worried about whether or not he called for Darry when he was sick?
10. He might feel bad that he didn't want Darry's help. He doesn't want to leave Darry out.
CHAPTER 11:
1. Why do you think Ponyboy was ill?
1. He got kicked in the head and got a concussion.
2. Why did Randy come to visit Ponyboy when he was ill? Why did Ponyboy not care that Randy was seeing his house in a messy condition?
2. Randy and Pony have an understanding. They both have to go to court.
3. Why do you think Ponyboy said he’d killed Bob and that Johnny wasn’t dead? (p.g. 165-166)
3. He's in denial. He doesn't want Johnny to be remembered as a killer, but as a hero.
4. Why was Ponyboy concerned about his friends seeing his house but not about Randy seeing his house?
4. Randy and Pony have an understanding. They both have to go to court.
5. Why did Ponyboy say he’d killed Bob and that Johnny wasn’t dead?
5. He's in denial. He doesn't want Johnny to be remembered as a killer, but as a hero.
CHAPTER 12:
1. Why was the court hearing important? What were possible decisions of the court?
1. It was important because this could've determined his entire life. He could have been found guilty or not guilty.
2. Why do you think Ponyboy’s life was still troubled after the court hearing?
2. It could've determined the rest of his life. What he had went through messed up his head. He wasn't the same.
3. What message did Johnny leave in the book?
3. He just left an explanation about Johnny saying, "stay gold." He was explaining the poem.
4. What do you think the doctor told the judge before the hearing?
4. Ponyboy is going through emotional distress.
5. Why did Ponyboy’s life seem so different after the hearing?
5. His grades went down and he stopped eating because it all tasted like baloney. He didn't feel anything, he felt absolutely nothing. He was emotionally numb.
6. Why did Soda think that being like Dally before he died was worse than being dead?
6. Dally lived not having anything or anyone to love.
7. What do you think Ponyboy will write about in his theme? Why? What will be the result of his having written about events of the past week? (Hint: Look at the first two sentences of the novel.)
7. Referring to Paul Newman and his experience becoming a tougher person.
8. Why does Ponyboy think that his experiences as a Greaser are important for everyone to read about?
8. To show us what happened to them and what their points of view were. To show that they are people too.
9. What is one of the stereotypes in this novel? How is it INACCURATE?
9. Greasers only care about their hair and that they are white trash.
10. What is the theme of The Outsiders? There is definitely more than one right answer.
10. The theme is that everyone is not different and everyone is the same. No one is different.
11. What is Darry’s motivation throughout the novel?
11. Johnny.
12. Why is the last sentence of the book unusual?
12. It's referring to Mark because that's when it's supposed to be about Johnny and he's moving along too quickly.