Narrative Elements
What is the narrative voice of the novel?
1st Person Point of View from Ponyboy's perspective
Who is the narrator of The Outsiders?
Ponyboy
In what decade does the story take place?
The 1960s
What happened to Ponyboy's parents?
They died in a car accident.
What is the setting at the start of the novel?
Daytime, outside the movie house.
Who are Ponyboy's brothers?
Darry and Sodapop
Who is the author of The Outsiders?
S.E. Hinton
What weapon gets mentioned the most in Chapter 1?
A knife, aka a blade.
What is the primary conflict in Chapter 1?
The Socs target Ponyboy because he's a Greaser and they jump him.
Which brother does Ponyboy get along with best and why?
Sodapop. (Reasons may vary) He doesn't holler at Ponyboy the way Darry does. He's happy-go-lucky. He tries to understand Ponyboy. Ponyboy doesn't think Darry loves him.
What actor does Ponyboy mention at the start of the story?
Paul Newman
What does the group do to ease the tension and relax?
Smoke a cigarette (A nasty habit. Don't do it.)
"He would have run away a million times if we hadn't been there" is an example of what kind of figurative language?
Hyperbole
What separates Socs from Greasers?
Greasers are poorer. They are like hoods, often stealing, holding up gas stations or getting into fights. Socs have money. They're viewed as assets to society even if they get in trouble sometimes.
How old was the author when she wrote The Outsiders?
15 years old
Ponyboy says to Dallas, "I didn't know you were out of the cooler..."
What is "cooler" slang for?
Jail
"I knew I was as white as I felt and I was shaking like a leaf" is an example of what kind of figurative language?
Simile
Which member of the gang does Ponyboy like least and why?
Dallas.
"He had been arrested, he got drunk, he rode in rodeos, lied, cheated, stole, rolled drunks, jumped small kids--- he did everything."
Name any actor who played a member of Ponyboy's gang in the movie adaptation of The Outsiders.
C. Thomas Howell (Ponyboy), Patrick Swayze (Darry), Rob Lowe (Sodapop), Emilio Estevez (Two-Bit), Ralph Macchio (Johnny), Matt Dillon (Dally), Tom Cruise (Steve).
What is the difference between "tough" and "tuff", according to Ponyboy?
"Tough" means the same as rough. "Tuff" means cool.