The Outsiders by S.E.

Hinton

As you read The Outsiders, answer the questions on your comprehension

notebook.

Setting the Stage - Contrast and Foreshadow

Read Chapter 1

Organize the characters in a chart according to which gang they are in; add
information about their appearance, character traits and relationships.

Think about Ponyboy’s role as a narrator. How is it strength? In what ways is it

limiting?

Recurrent Theme - Belonging to a Gang

Read Chapter 2

What do gangs do for individuals? What void might they fill? How is a gang
different from a group or a club?

Recurrent Theme – Life isn’t Fair

Read Chapter 3

In what ways has life dealt various characters an unfair deal? Write about a
time when you felt life was unfair to you or someone you know.

Turning Point

Read Chapter 4

Ponyboy and Johnny have a late night run in with the Socs. This chapter
contains a turning point in the action. How do the chapter’s events change the
characters in the story?
Symbolism:
Find examples of Hinton’s use of color?

Why do you think the author chose to have the boys hide out in a country
church?
Nothing Gold Can Stay

Read Chapter 5

Look for examples of foreshadow and “the power of three”

How does Robert Frost’s poem Nothing Gold Can Stay create a bond between
Johnny and Ponyboy?

Heroism

Read Chapter 6

What constitutes a hero?

How does the fire change Ponyboy’s perception of his brother? How is their
relationship changed by this event?
How has Cherry become an outsider”?
How do Cherry and Dally compare to Romeo and Juliet?

Dreams and Nightmares

Read Chapter 7

Every family has its traditions, which provide a sense of security and
belonging. Ponyboy knows that the first one up in the morning cooks
breakfast; he feels the sense of responsibility to honor this tradition; cooking
breakfast provides him with a sense of security. Steve Randall, Soda’s best
friend experiences painful traditions with his father throwing him out of the
house one day and offering him money to make up for it the next day.

What are some of your family traditions?

Do limits need to be set? How can one be held responsible if expectations are
not met?

Why is Darry so strict with Ponyboy?

Sunsets and Premonitions

Read Chapter 8

The author offers further clues about Pony’s deteriorating physical and
mental health. Give examples of what he says, how he acts or what others say
to him.
Pony tells Two-Bit that he has “the awful feeling that something bad is going to
happen at the rumble.” How does Two-Bit deal with Ponyboy’s premonition
and why? Is Ponyboy’s premonition foreshadow? How do these two terms
differ? How are they the same?

The Outsiders airs a lot of critical and contentious issues that can confront
teenagers (gangs, school dropouts, alcohol, smoking, drug abuse, teen suicide,
dysfunctional families, mental illness, etc…) Does
Hinton handle these “compelling” issues effectively? Support your response
with examples from the text.

Find references to sunsets in the chapter. What do they symbolize?

Give examples of how the lines that separate the Greasers from the Socs are
fading. Why does Hinton make it seem like the gangs seem interchangeable at
times?

Rumble in Oklahoma

Read Chapter 9

Ponyboy questions his identity with the East Side greasers and his motivation
for the gang rumble. Give examples of some of the attitudes and self-
destructive behavior of his gang members. Being an outsider has come almost
full circle. How is Pony beginning to view himself?

How does one acquire identity and why is having one important? What
character would you identify with and why?

Johnny’s wish for Pony is to “Stay Gold”, a reference to Robert Frost’s poem
and Hinton’s color theme. If Johnny were to write a list of rules for Pony to
follow what would they be?

Gone With The Wind

Read Chapter 10

Pony is in a state of denial; give examples of how Pony handles his grief.

Why does Johnny instruct the nurse to give Pony Gone With the Wind?

Dally had a choice. How does his death ask a reader to take a closer look at the
serious themes of the story?
Aftermath

Read Chapter 11 and 12

What is your reaction to the rumble?

Describe how Hinton uses contrast in comparing Randy’s crime, punishment

and repercussions compared to Pony’s.

Why does the judge question Pony only about his family?

How is the movie like “stepping out of a movie house” after seeing a gripping
movie?