Ch. 1-2
What is Ponyboy doing at the start of the novel that leads to him getting jumped?
Walking home alone from the movie theater.
What are the names of the two Socs who get out of the Blue Mustang to confront the greasers for walking with their girlfriends?
Bob and Randy
Bonus (100): Which one is Cherry's boyfriend?
What do the boys do to disguise themselves? Why is Pony so resistant to doing this?
They cut their hair and Pony bleaches his hair. Pony is resistant because his hair is his pride as a Greaser.
During which decade is the novel set?
The 1960s
Why is Sherri Valance called "Cherry?"
Because of her red hair.
What side of town do the Greasers live on?
The East side.
Why does Darry hit Ponyboy at the end of Chapter 3?
Ponyboy fell asleep in the lot, came home late, then yelled at Darry for yelling at Sodapop.
How did Dally mislead the police?
He told the police that Pony and Johnny were heading to Texas.
How old was S.E Hinton when she started writing The Outsiders?
15
Which of the Greasers was jumped as a result of a war brewing between the Greasers and Socs (as told in Chapter 5)?
Two-Bit
What are the names of the TWO girls that Dally starts bothering at the Drive-in?
Cherry Valance and Marcia
Why does Johnny kill Bob?
Bob and his friends attacked Ponyboy and nearly drowned him in the fountain.
Before they reach the burning church, what does Johnny announce that he and Pony are going to do? Why does he think it is best?
He wants to turn himself in to the police. He thinks it is best because he doesn't have a prior record, it was self-defense, and Ponyboy doesn't deserve to hide away from his family.
What does the "S.E." stand for in the author's name?
Susan Eloise
Bonus (100): Why did she use those initials?
In Chapter 5 when Dally says that his heater "sure does help a bluff..." what does he mean?
He means that people don't know that his gun isn't loaded or that he doesn't intend to use it, so they back off and are afraid of him.
What does Ponyboy tell Cherry about that makes her so shocked?
He tells her about the time when Johnny got beaten up really badly by the Socs.
Bonus (100): Why is she so shocked (knowing what you learn in Chapter 3)?
Identify three things that Dally gives Ponyboy and Johnny when they come to him for help.
Clothes, 50 dollars, a gun, and a hideout.
Bonus (100): Where is the abandoned church that he tells them to hide out at?
Why does Dally club Pony across the back and knock him out?
Pony was on fire, and he was trying to put out the flames.
Which popular artist of the time inspired the Greasers' look?
Elvis Presley
Dally gives Johnny a lesson about family in Chapter 6. What lesson does he give?
That family is not necessarily your parents, but the people who show that they really care about you (in their case, the gang).
What is the name of the leader of the other group of Greasers mentioned in Chapter 2?
Tim Shepard.
Bonus (100): What does Dally do that leads to him getting into a fight with Tim Shepard?
Who talks to the farmer for directions and why?
Ponyboy. He could pass as more as someone from the country than Johnny, according to Johnny. He insists he looks too much like a "hood."
Who is Jerry Wood?
The teacher of the kids who were at the church who rode with Ponyboy in the ambulance and stayed with him for a while in the hospital.
What is the label for the generation of people who were teenagers when the author wrote and set this novel?
Baby Boomers
What realization does Ponyboy have in Chapter 6 that helps him understand Darry more (when he sees Darry crying)?
He realizes that Darry is scared of losing him and Sodapop, so he's really tough on them (especially Ponyboy) to make sure that they stay safe and out of trouble.