Thoughts
What does Cherry think about Ponyboy?
Cherry thinks that Ponyboy is smart and sweet; she does not think he is like the other Greesers.
What incident causes Ponyboy to feel scared while walking home?
Ponyboy is scared to walk alone because Johnny had gotten beaten up pretty badly by the SOCs. Plus, he knows that the SOCs have cars and will pass by yelling "Greeser" at him if they see him.
What makes the SOCs different from the Greesers?
The SOCs are the rich kids; they live in nice houses, have new cars, dress in khaki pants with madras shirts and ski jackets. The Greesers prefer dark, heavy, and rebellious clothes with their greased long hair.
What happened to Ponyboy's parents?
His parents were killed in a car accident.
Why are the SOCs called SOCs?
Soc is an abbreviation of "Social" which means that they have a rich social life, almost like they are celebrities.
What is Ponyboy thinking about when he leaves the movie theater?
Ponyboy is thinking about Paul Newman, the American actor who was popular at the time, and he is thinking about having a ride home so that he doesn't have to walk alone and worry about the SOCs.
How does Ponyboy feel about his brother Darry's expectations of him?
Ponyboy feels that Darry's expectations are unfair. For example, Darry wants Ponyboy to play football outside when he is home doing homework, and when Ponyboy is playing outside, Darry will tell him to go inside to do his homework. Lastly, Darry expects only A's on his grades so Ponyboy feels forced.
How does Ponyboy descrive his own physical apperance.
Ponyboy says he has long light-brown, almost-red hair and greenish-gray eyes, and his looks aren’t so bad
Why does Johnny prefer to hang out with the Greesers instead of going home?
Johnny prefers to not go home because his dad beats him for no reason and his mom is an alcoholic who does not defend him.
What does Ponyboy mean when he says he prefers to "lone it" when going to the movies?
Ponyboy means to say that he prefers to go to the movies alone because he enjoys watching the film without people disrupting him, since he feels awkward when the others go with him.
How does Ponyboy describe Johnny's character after he was beaten by the Socs?
Johnny is described as scared and traumatized, having a nervous, suspicious look in his eyes.
What emotional response does Ponyboy have when he is attacked by the Socs
He feels scared and helpless, wishing for someone to come to his aid because he knows what happend to Johnny.
What is the significance of Ponyboy's hair in the context of his identity as a Greaser?
Ponyboy has longer hair than most of the other Greesers, who like to have long hair and apply hair grease to slick it back so that they know who is part of their gang.
How does Ponyboy's relationship with his brothers differ?
Ponyboy feels closer to Soda Pop because Soda tries to understand him, looks out for him, and is nice to him. Ponyboy struggles to get along with his older brother Darry because Darry is hard on Ponyboy, doesn't try to understand him, and has high expectations for Ponyboy. Darry also treats Ponyboy like he is a child.
What does Cherry Valance imply when she says, "Things are rough all over"?
She suggests that both Socs and Greasers face difficulties, challenging the stereotype that only Greasers have problems.