Literary Terms
Who is the protagonist of the novel?
Ponyboy Curtis
Who is Cherry Valance?
A Soc girl the boys meet at the drive in
tall with red hair
loves sunsets
dating Bob
Greaser's spy
Who is the author of the Outsiders?
S.E. Hinton
How does the book begin?
Ponyboy is walking home from the movies when he gets attacked by Socs. The Greaser's come to save him.
Explain the conflict between the Socs and the Greasers
Greasers: poor, leather jackets, greasy hair, East Side, feel too much, always stick together
Socs: rich/priveledged, drive mustangs, wear formal clothes, West Side
Who is the antagonist of the novel?
The Socs
Who is Tim Shepard and what is different about his gang?
He's the leader of the Shepard gang
also from the East Side
His gang has a structure
Where does the Outsider's take place?
Oklahoma
Why do Ponyboy and Johnny run away?
Johnny killed Bob to save Ponyboy. They run away out of fear of being arrested.
Explain the conflict between Darry and Ponyboy.
Darry is hard on Ponyboy because he had to take the role of the parent. He pushes Ponyboy to protect him and because he loves him. Ponyboy thinks Darry hates him.
What is one example of an allusion in the novel?
Paul Newman
Nothing Gold Can Stay
Gone with the Wind
How is Ponyboy different from the rest of the Greaser gang?
Book Smart not Street Smart
Only fights for self-defense
daydreamer
still sees the good
How old was S.E. when she wrote the Outsiders?
15
What happens in Windrixville?
Johnny and Ponyboy hide out in a church.
They eat baloney and read Gone with the Wind.
Dally comes to see them.
The church catches fire and Johnny and Ponyboy run in to save the children stuck inside.
Bob acted out because he wanted his parents to care enough to say no.
What is he following piece of text an example of:
"Things gotta get better, I figured. They couldn't get worse. I was wrong."
Foreshadowing
Explain Johnny's personality and why he is the way he is.
In what decade is the Outsider's set?
1960s
What happens after the rumble?
The Greasers win
Dally takes Ponyboy to the hospital. He says he should have been less overprotective of Johnny. He tells Ponyboy to "wise-up."
They got to the hospital just before Johnny dies.
Describe Ponyboy's internal conflict.
Ponyboy lies to himself about Darry, Johnny, and Dally to make himself feel better. He struggles to find his place within the Greasers and at school.
Give an example of a flashback in the novel.
Johnny's attack
Ponyboy's nightmares
Explain the dynamic between the three Curtis brothers.
The boy's parents died suddenly in a car accident. Darry became their guardian and is extremely hard on Ponyboy. Sodapop often gets caught in the middle between the two of them. Ponyboy is convinced that Darry does not care about him. He tells himself that Sodapop is the only person he cares about.
What was the inspiration for the Outsiders?
A similar event at S.E. Hinton's high school
What does Johnny's letter say?
Johnny tells Ponyboy to Stay Gold and to make Dally watch a sunset. He tells him to tell Dally there is still good in the world.
What is Sodapop's "silent conflict" throughout the book?
Soda has his own struggles that he deals with internally. He finally opens up about the fact that he feels stuck between his brothers and hates their fighting.