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.