Characters
The protagonist; a round, dynamic character who narrates the story
Who is Ponyboy?
Two immediate outcomes of the conflict between Ponyboy/Johnny and Bob/the other Socs in the park...
What are...
-Bob's death
-Going to Dally to get a gun, a plan, and some money
-Fleeing Tulsa
The meaning behind the poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay"
What is nothing good/beautiful/perfect/youthful/etc lasts forever?
How are Darry and Dally similar? (List at least two similarities)
They are both...
-protective
-bad at expressing their feelings
-initially viewed by Pony as "hard," "cold," and "unfeeling"
-Have a "little brother" figure that they care deeply about
An antagonist; a flat, static character who meets an untimely end early in the story
Who is Bob?
Two physical impacts of the church burning on Dally, Ponyboy, and Johnny.
What is...
-Johnny has third degree burns
-Johnny has a broken back
-Dally has severely burned arms
-Ponyboy is knocked unconscious
-Everyone suffers from smoke inhalation
What does it mean when Johnny tells Ponyboy to "Stay gold"?
He wants Ponyboy to "stay good", to continue to see the good in others, to not allow himself to be corrupted/hardened, etc
How are Darry and Dally different? (List at least two differences)
Differences:
-Dally has a criminal record; Darry (despite his Greaser status) stays out of trouble
-Darry focuses on working hard at legal employment; Dally mostly makes his money through riding in rodeos and gambling
-Darry grew up with a stable, loving family, and Dally did not
A round, dynamic character who is initially misunderstood by the narrator. His overly protective big brother instincts get in the way of expressing his emotions.
Who is Darry?
The reason why Johnny and Ponyboy run into the burning church
What is to save the burning children?
Alternative answer: guilt over being responsible for the fire
How is Ponyboy different from the other Greasers?
He..
-is a loner
-enjoys books and movies
-likes to watch the stars/sunrises/sunsets
-makes connections with the Socs and sees the good in people other than the Greasers
What is an internal conflict that Ponyboy faces?
Possible answers:
-dealing with the grief/trauma of (take your pick) his parents' death, Bob's death, Johnny's death, Dally's death
-his tenuous mental health/stability
-his embarrassment over being a Greaser
-trying to connect with the Socs as people, while still resenting them for their privilege
Our other main character. He is a round, dynamic character who grows braver and more assertive... until he also meets an untimely end.
Who is Johnny?
The winner of the rumble between the greasers and the socs
Greasers
What is a lesson Ponyboy learns in The Outsiders?
Some options...
-Socs are just people, too
-Darry really does love him; people do not always express love in the ways you would expect
-Fighting is not going to solve major social issues
-Healing from the death of a loved one/friend takes time and processing
What is an external conflict that Ponyboy faces?
-Greaser vs. Soc
-Darry vs. Pony
-Ponyboy/Johnny vs. the law
-The Curtis brothers vs. CPS
Another round, dynamic character. Though he "dies gallant" he is portrayed as a hard, unfeeling criminal for most of the story.
Who is Dally?
The reason why Ponyboy isn't asked about Bob's death at his trial
What is...
because the doctor told the judge he was not in his right mind?
Alternative answer: he falsely believed he had killed Bob/ after-effects of a brain injury
How do the social classes (Socs and Greasers) affect how society perceives them?
Socs: Society assumes they are in the right and they did not start the problem; they are able to buy their way out of trouble
Greasers: Society assumes they are at fault; they are viewed as troublemakers and criminals; they are assumed to be violent
Choose a dynamic character other than Ponyboy and explain how that character changes over the course of the novel.
Answers will vary