Characters
Who narrates the story?
Ponyboy Curtis
What causes Ponyboy to run away from home?
Darry hits/slaps him after he comes home late.
I am the Soc girl Ponyboy meets at the drive-in. Who am I?
Cherry Valance.
What is the main difference between the Greasers and Socs?
Their social class/economic status.
What do Ponyboy and Cherry discover they both like to watch?
Sunsets.
Which character helps Ponyboy and Johnny after Bob is killed?
Dally
Why does Johnny kill Bob?
Bob is helping attack Ponyboy and is drowning him in the fountain, so Johnny acts to save Ponyboy.
I am the place where Ponyboy and Johnny hide after Bob's death. What am I?
The abandoned church in Windrixville.
Why is Ponyboy surprised that Cherry enjoys sunsets?
He assumes someone from the Socs could not have much in common with someone like him.
What does Ponyboy's long hair represent to him?
His identity and pride as a Greaser.
Why does Johnny carry a switchblade after being attacked by the Socs?
He is traumatized by the attack and carries it to protect himself.
Why must Ponyboy change his appearance while hiding?
The police are looking for him and Johnny, so changing his appearance makes him harder to recognize.
I am something Ponyboy and Cherry realize that both Greasers and Socs can enjoy. What am I?
A sunset.
Why is it significant that Cherry says, “Things are rough all over”?
It challenges Ponyboy's belief that Socs have perfect lives just because they have money.
What does the shared sunset suggest about Greasers and Socs?
They may belong to different social groups, but they share experiences and are more alike than they think.
Cherry likes Ponyboy but says she probably will not talk to him at school. What does this reveal about her?
She feels pressure to follow the expectations of her social group, even though she realizes Greasers and Socs are not completely different.
Ponyboy and Johnny originally enter the church because they believe the fire might be their fault. Why do they stay inside even when it becomes dangerous?
They realize children are trapped and choose to risk themselves to save them.
I am something Ponyboy is extremely proud of, but he must give me up in order to protect himself. What am I?
His hair.
Why is cutting Ponyboy's hair more than just changing his appearance?
His hair represents his identity and pride as a Greaser, so cutting it feels like losing part of himself.
How does Johnny's behavior during the church fire challenge what we have learned about him earlier in the novel?
Johnny is usually frightened and nervous because of his past trauma, but he acts courageously and risks his life to save the children.
How does Ponyboy's understanding of Darry change when they reunite in Chapter 6?
Ponyboy realizes that Darry’s strictness comes from love and fear of losing him. Seeing Darry cry helps Ponyboy understand how much Darry cares about him.
How does the church fire change Ponyboy and Johnny's situation from the beginning to the end of Chapter 6?
They go from hiding as fugitives after Bob's death to being viewed as heroes because they risk their lives to save children.
I am a poem Ponyboy remembers while watching the sunrise. My message connects to the idea that beautiful and innocent things do not last forever. What am I?
“Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost.
Ponyboy says he had never thought about Darry crying. Why is this moment an important turning point in their relationship?
Ponyboy finally recognizes Darry's emotional pain and realizes that Darry loves him. It changes Ponyboy's belief that Darry sees him only as a responsibility or burden.
Hinton repeatedly challenges stereotypes about Greasers and Socs. Give one example from Chapters 1–6 and explain how it challenges a stereotype.
Answers can vary. For example, Ponyboy and Johnny are Greasers who are viewed as troublemakers, yet they risk their lives to save children, showing that being a Greaser does not make someone a bad person.