Characters
Who is the narrator of the story?
Ponyboy Curtis
What happened to the parents of the Curtis brothers?
They were killed in a car accident.
Why do Dallas, Ponyboy, and Johnny sneak into the Nightly Double (the movies)?
Dallas likes to do things the illegal way.
Why do Ponyboy and Johnny run away?
They run away because Darry slapped Ponyboy and nobody in the family had ever done that before.
aloof
A tough guy from New York who likes to break the law
Dally (Dallas Winston)
Why must Darry, Sodapop, and Ponyboy stay out of trouble?
So the brothers can stay together
How do Cherry and Marcia respond to the insults from Dally at the movies?
They stand up to him and tell him to stop. Cherry throws her coke in his face to "cool him off".
According to Cherry, why are Socs so hard to please?
They already have more than they could ever want.
persistent feeling of ill will or resentment from a past insult of injury
grudge
Brutally beaten up by the Socs and Sodapop's best friend
Johnny
Why does Ponyboy like to go to the movies alone?
He appreciates movies and the acting, unlike the rest of the Greaser gang.
Why did Cherry and Marcia not have a ride home from the movies?
Explain this quote by Cherry - "...if I see you in the hall at school or someplace and don't say hi, well, it's not personal"
Cherry wants Ponyboy to know that if she doesn't say hi to him at school it's because they are from different social classes and it is unacceptable, not because she doesn't like him.
unwilling or unable to believe something
incredulous
What is the difference between a Greaser and a Soc?
Greasers are poor kids from the East Side and Socs are rich kids from the West Side
Why did Ponyboy take out his switchblade in biology class?
To dissect a worm because the razor wouldn't cut
Why was Johnny's face in such bad shape after getting jumped by the Socs?
One of the Socs wore rings on every finger.
With whom does Cherry say she can easily fall in love with?
Dallas Winston
incapable of being fully explored or understood
unfathomable
Describe Ponyboy's two brothers
Darry is Ponyboy's oldest brother and is hard on him. Sodapop is Ponyboy's high school dropout brother and treats him with love and affection.
What two distinguishing features do the Socs have?
Madras and nice cars
What rule do the Greasers follow besides "stick together"?
Their other rule is "don't get caught".
Explain the reference to watching the sunset. How is this symbolic of the relationship between Ponyboy and Cherry?
Even though they are from different parts of town and different social classes, Cherry and Ponyboy each watch the same sunset. This shows they have something in common and aren't all that different.
a slight grimace or shrinking movement caused by pain or distress
wince