Monday, June 4, 2007

Chapter 12

1. What 'circumstances' do Ponyboy's teacher refer to? What circumstances does Ponyboy think his teacher is referring to?
Ponyboy's teacher is referring to Ponyboy's concussion and stress from the hearing but Pony thinks that he teacher is talking about the death of Johnny and Dally.
2. Why doesn't Ponyboy feel scared when the socs approach him and he threatens them with a broken bottle (p.170-171)? How is this a dramatic change from the Ponyboy we have seen up until this point?
Pony is not scared of the socs because he is fed up with the way that they treat him. I also think Johnny's death took a part min hardening him. This is a drastic change from the scared Pony we knew up until this point. Pony used to tremble at the sight of socs, but now he doesn't even care.
3. What does Darry mean when he says, "you don't just stop living because you lose someone" (p.173)?
Darry means that after you lose someone you have to get on with your life and move on or you'll never be happy.
4. How do we know Sandy didn't love Soda as much as he loved her?
Sandy didn't love Soda ad much as he loved her because she moved to florida to be with another man.
5. Explain how Darry and Ponyboy play tug of war with Soda.
When Darry and Pony fight, Soda gets stuck in the middle and is asked to take one side over the other thus tugging him in two different directions.
6. What do we learn was so special about Johnny (p.178)?
The most special thing about Johnny was his abilty to listen to your problems and relate to them. Johnny's special talent was listning and actually caring about what you were talking about.
7. What does Ponyboy end up doing for his English assignment?
Ponyboy ends up writing his story about his gang and the events that happened in the last two weeks.

Chapter 11

Vocab

acquitted- to declare not guilty

1. Explain why Pony might rather have any one's hate than their pity (p.162)?
Pony would rather have hate then pity because he sees pity as an insult because he is very independent and sees pity as a disrespect. Ponyboy doesn't like to be treated like a baby. He doesn't want pity because he believes that everything he is now is because of choices he made, not his environment.
2. What do you think is going on with Ponyboy when he says, "Johnny didn't have anything to do with Bob's getting killed" (p.166)?
Ponyboy lies to himself saying that he was the one that killed Bob because he doesn't want to face the pain of Johnny's death

Chapter 10

Vocab

indignantly- the act of feeling displeasure towards something unjust.

The judge's ruling was very indignant

1. How does Pony's dreaming, or lying to himself, finally work in this chapter?
Ponyboy convinces himself, finally, that Johnny is not dead because of the immense pain that he wants to avoid and because of his head injury.
2. Why was Johnny's dying so difficult for Dally to handle?
Dally was the most upset when Johnny died, because Johnny was the only thing that Dally ever loved.
3. Why do you think Dally would have wanted to die?
All of Dally's life, he had been repressing emotions and when Johnny died it brought out everything he had been burying for so long, because Johnny was the only thing he ever loved.. Dally could not cope with all of his emotions so he found a quick fix to his problems.

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Chapter 9

1. On the bottom of p.133, when Pony asks what kind of a world it is, what comment is he making about how society judges people?
Ponyboy realizes that people stereotyoe him just because of the way he dresses or by how much hair oil he uses.
2. Why do the boys fight? Why is Pony different?
Soda for fun, Steve for hatred, Darry for pride, and Two-Bit for conformity. Pony saw no point in fighting except for self defense.
3. What is the difference between Tim Sheppard's gang and Ponyboy's? Explain how Pony feels this difference might give his group the upper hand?
Tim's gang was organized and had a leader while Pony's was just a bunch of friends who were all their own leaders. Pony sees this as a strength because everyone in his gang thinks for themselves.
4. What do you think Johnny's last words to Pony mean?
I think Johnny was telling Pony to live beyond his hood-like status and keep trying to fulfill his full potential.

Chapter 8

1. How does what the doctor first says, on page 119, foreshadow Johnny's condition?
The doctor says that the gang can see Johnny because it wont hurt now, which means that Johnny is past help.
2. "We needed Johnny as much as he needed the gang. And for the same reason" (p.121). What do you think Pony means, and what is the reason?'
Pony means that Johnny is a part of their family, just as much as the gang is Johnny's family. The reason is that Johnny need the gang because of his lack of a home life.
3. What does Pony mean on p. 123 when he says, "we could get along without anyone but Johnny"?
Pony means that Johnny is the pet of the gang and that he keeps everyone together. Pony sees Johnny as the favorite of the gang.
4. If Darry didn't have Soda and Pony, why would he be a soc?
Darry is smart and athletic, and hates being a hoodlum. He would be a soc if he didn't have to stick up for his brothers because of it.
5. What does Cherry mean when she says Bob "wasn't just anyone" on p.129?
Cherry saw in bob that special leadership quality that set him out from the group.


Monday, May 28, 2007

Chapter 7

1. Explain what Pony means when he says Soda "reminds me of a colt" on p. 101.
Pony means that Soda is like a Colt because he is always getting his nose into everything and is always excited.
2. What condition is Johnny in after the fire?
Johnny's back was broken, he had third degree burns, and was in severe shock.
3. Why would being crippled be worse for Johnny than someone else?
Being crippled for Johnny, would mean that he would have to stay in his house which he hated so much because of his father's beatings and his mother's negligence
4. "Maybe people are younger when they are asleep" (p.104). what do you think about this comment?
I believe that people seem younger when they are sleeping because when you sleep you do not have to worry about all the problems in your life, problems which make you seem older and more mature.
5. What is a juvenile delinquent (p. 107)? Find a definition on the Internet, in a dictionary, or create your own based on your own knowledge.
A juvenile delinquent based on my own understanding, is a young person who breaks the law or who frequently gets in trouble.
6. Why would Two-Bit think Johnny, Dally, and Pony were heroes all along; before they saved the kids?
Two-Bit knew that Dally, Johnny and Ponyboy had the courage and hero ship even before the fire, because of the loyal way they acted in the gang.
7. What was Bob's 'real' problem, according to Randy (p.116)?
Bob's real problem was that nobody ever denied him anything and nobody ever told him no or restricted him by setting down rules.
8. Why did Pony think it was better to see socs as "just guys" on p. 118? What do you think he means by this?
Pony knew that greasers and socs were pretty much the same, because both had their own set of problems to deal with, so he sees them as 'just guys'.

Chapter 6

Vocab
bewildered- surprised or in awe
The man was bewildered when the dog started barking.

1. Do you think Dally's parents have influenced the way he is; his personality? Explain.
I believe that Dally's parents hardened him into the tough criminal he is now by making him fend for himself as a child.
2. Why doesn't Dally want Johnny to turn himself in?
Dally does not want Johnny to turn himself in because he knows from his own experiences how jail changes a person and does not want that to happen to Johnny.
3. What "other side" of Dallas is revealed in this chapter?
In this chapter, we see a more caring side of Dally when he tries to comfort Johnny and give him advice from his past.
4. What's your own definition of a hero? Do the three boys prove themselves to be heroes, according to your definition? Explain.
My definition of a hero is anyone who puts another before themselves so i would say the boys were heroes for saving the children.
5. Why do you think Johnny wasn't scared, despite the obvious danger, on page 92?
I think Johnny was taking pride in him risking his own life for someone else's, and that is why he wasn't scared.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Chapter 1

1. Pony- smart, youngest, looks up to Soda

Soda- handsome, dropout, works at the gas station

Darry- cold, non-sensitive, strict on Pony

Johnny- nervous, bad home life, pet of the gang

Steve- Soda's best friend, not liked by Pony.

Dally- mean, tough, from new york, always in trouble

Two-Bit- comic relief, never serious, always joking

2. Socs- rich, westside, fast cars, like to jump greasers

Greasers- poor, eastside, long hair, keep tp themselves

3. Ponyboy gets along well with Sodapop but Darry is to hard on him.

4. The gang is very important to Johnny because it makes up for his neglectful and abusive family at home.

5. Ponyboy thinks that for once, Sodapop is wrong and that Darry doesnt love him.

6. I think Darry loves Pony but expresses it in the wrong way by being to strict on him. He just wants what is best for Ponyboy.

7. Pony means that he makes himself believe that something is'nt happening like that Darry doesnt love him even though deep down he knows he does. I sometimes lie to myself for a burst of selfconfidence.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Chapter 5

Vocab

reluctantly: unwilling or disinclined

sullen: gloomy or sluggish

eluded: to avoid imprisonment

imploringly: to beg urgently

gallant: brave or corageous

indignant: expressing displeasure at something injust

Larry was sullen after failing to elude the police. Larry was reluctantly forced to act imploring against his gallant nature.



1. Why does Pony have a problem with Johnny's idea to disguise themselves?

Ponyboy really cherished his hair because it made him look like his brother Soda and it distinguished him as a greaser so he did not want to cut it off.

2. What does Pony mean when he says, "I was supposed to be the deep one" (p. 75)?

Ponyboy is believed to be the brains of the gang because of his good grades so Ponyboy is surprised at how interpretive Johnny is.

3. Why does Johnny think he is a hero (p. 76)? Do you think Dally is a hero based on what he did?
Johnny sees Dally as a hero because acts loyal and gallant to his fellow greasers even if it means going in for anothers crime. I see Dally as less of a hero because of his criminal nature but more of a good friend.

4. Why does Pony realize he doesn't like Dally? Can you explain what he means by this?
Pony realized that he didn't like Dally because he was too "real". By this he meant that he was not the same kind of hero that Pony looked up to in his books, Dally was just ordinary.

5. Examine Robert Frost's poem, Nothing Gold can Stay. What do you think the poem is saying? How might this apply to the characters in the novel?
I think the poem means that in life everything changes, sometimes for the best and sometimes for the worse. In the book, Pony's life is always changing, first with his parent's death and then with the murder of the Socs.

6. On page 78, Johnny compares Pony and his brothers to their parents. Which one of your parents are you most like? What similarities do you share?
I see myself having both of the qualities between my mom and dad. My mom gave me brown eyes and the habit of reading while my dad taught me how to fix things.

7. What does Pony mean when he says he drinks Pepsis like a fiend (p.78)?
Pony is saying that he drinks Pepsi quite alot.

8. What's a 'heater'? Why does Dally have one?
I believe that a heater is a gun but am not sure. Dally would carry one because of the gang war going on between the socs and greasers in case he was jumped.

9. Why are the socs and the greasers going to fight in the vacant lot?
The socs and greasers were fighting in the lot to settle the war, if the socs win things go on as usual, if the greasers win the socs stay out of their territory for good.

10. Who's the spy for the greasers? Does this surprise you? Why or why not?
Cherry Valence is the spy for the greasers and this does not surprise me because she said she envied the greasers for the way they could show their true emotion.

Chapter 4

Vocab
ruefully: to feel pity or sorrow
hermit: a person who lives in reclusion
premonition: to feel anxious about a future event, a forewarning
The lonely hermit lives a life that many see as rueful. The hermit has premonitions of the Apocalypse.

1. What does Pony mean when he says the socs were "reeling pickled" on page 54?
Pony means that the socs were drunk or wasted.
2. What major event happens in this chapter?
Johnny and Ponyboy were jumped by a gang of socs' and Johnny stabbed and killed one of them. Pony and Johnny then saw Dally who gave them a gun and some money and told them to leave for a place called Jay Mountain in Windrixville.
3. How did the author foreshadow that Johnny would use his knife in Chapter 2?
Pony said that after Johnny's incident he carried a switchblade in his pocket and would use it if anyone ever jumped him again.
4. What would your advice be to Johhny and Ponyboy if they'd come to you for help instead of Dally? Explain.
I would have told them the same thing, to leave town, because the cops would believe that Johnny had killed the socs in cold blood and would execute Johnny.


Chapter 3

Vocab
aloof: at a distance, shy.
impersonally: not personal
ornery: stubborn or unpleasant
resignedly:to do something submissively
John is very ornery and impersonal, but can be seen as aloof when asked to do a task resignedly.


1. What does Cherry explain as the difference between the socs and the greasers?
Cherry explains that the greasers are more expressive with their emotions while the socs hide behind a veil of coolness to the point of feeling nothing.
2. What does Ponyboy mean on p. 39 when he says "Johnny and I understood each other without saying anything"? Have you ever had a relationship with someone who you understood, or who understood you, without having to say anything?
Ponyboy meant that him and Johnny knew each other so well that they could transmit expressions feelings and thoughts without even talking. I myself have never had a relationship with someone where I understood them to that extent.
3. When and how did Pony's parents die?
Ponyboy's parents died in an auto wreck the previous year.
4. What happens when Pony comes home after his curfew?
When Pony comes home past his curfew, his older brother Darry becomes very angry at him and starts yelling and screaming. He then slaps Pony because he screamed at Darry for yelling at Soda. Pony then ran out of the house back to Johnny.
5. Why does Johnny like it better when his father is hitting him?
Johnny likes it more when his father hits him because other wise his family pays no attention to him at all.
6. At the end of the chapter, how does the author foreshadow that bad things are to come?
The author states at the end of the chapter that Pony thought that things could not get worse but that he was wrong.



Thursday, May 17, 2007

Chapter 2

Vocab:
Incredulous- skeptical, showing unbelief
Vaguely- Not clearly seen or stated
Nonchalantly- casual or non-excited
Dean acted nonchalantly, because of Joe's Incredulous behaviour about the Vague meaning of the poem

1. Who is the fuzz
The fuzz is another word for the police.
2. Are the names Ponyboy and Sodapop nicknames? Explain.
Ponyboy explains that Sodapop and Ponyboy are the names printed on their birth certificates, just that their father was a very creative man.
3. Who are Cherry and Marcia?
Cherry and Marcia are two Socs girls who Johnny, Pony, Dally and Two-Bit met at the drive in.
4. Why doesn't Ponyboy like referring to Sodapop as a dropout?
Pony thinks the world of Soda and thinks that he is very smart. Ponyboy sees a drop out as a steet hudlum who goes around breaking street lights.
5. What is Ponyboy comparing Two-Bit to when he calls him a "chessy cat" on page 27? What figure of speech is this besides a simile?
Ponyboy is comparing Two-Bit to the Chessy cat from alice in wonderland, who smiles all the time. This is also a form of Animal Imagery.
6. What is "a weed" slang for in 1967?
A weed is a cigarette.
7. Why does Dally look sick now (p. 33)?
Dally knew Johnny well and seemed to hate to see him hurt because he was the gang's pet.
8. What literary device does the author use to describe Johnny's mugging (pgs. 31-34)?
The author uses narration and characterization.