The Outsiders - Chapters 11 & 12

Questions and answers

1. THE OUTSIDERS Chapter 11&12 Questions & Answers December 2018 Miss Riddell

2. 1. True or false? Bob’s parents are partly responsible for their son’s death. Explain your answer. Both Randy and Ponyboy have commented that Bob’s parents were too lenient with their son, which made him act out in worse and worse ways. In this chapter, Ponyboy wonders if Bob’s parents loved him too much or too little. Over-indulging Bob is equated with neglect here, making us think that Bob and Johnny had more in common than it would seem at first glance.

3. 2. Ponyboy compares Bob to several of the members of the Greaser gang, noting Bob’s smile was like Sodapop’s , his eyes might have been like Johnny’s, and his recklessness and hot-temper were certainly like Dally’s. What is Hinton’s point in drawing such clear connections between Bob and the Greasers?

4. Again , Hinton is emphasizing the idea that these boys have much more in common than they realize. They are all individuals and contain far more sides/complexities than any label can accurately portray. The foolishness of their hatred is emphasized here.

5. 3. Why, do you suppose, would Ponyboy rather have someone’s hate than his/her pity? Playing the victim is not Ponyboy’s style. He’d rather be hated and still hold some power than to be emasculated by pity. Remember in the ambulance how he told Jerry he was a Greaser and he didn’t just let him label Pony as a hero.

6. 4. Ponyboy has been a thoughtful voice of reason as the narrator of the story, but at the end of this chapter he’s changed and is now what is called an “unreliable narrator.” What’s going on with Ponyboy here in the last few pages of the chapter? Put on your psychologist’s hat as you answer this question.

7. In his deep grief over Johnny’s death, his mind has slipped into the defense mechanism of denial. He isn’t able yet to fully face the events of the last few days, so he’s lying to himself to try to ease his pain. This is interesting when we look at his statement in the first chapter, when he said, “I lie to myself all the time. But I never believe me.” On some level, Ponyboy knows that Johnny really is dead and that Johnny was, indeed, the one who stabbed Bob. He’s just not ready to deal with everything.

8. 6. What do you suppose the doctor told the judge? He probably mentioned that Darry was a good, loving guardian and that Ponyboy was still in shock and processing his grief. The judge goes easy on Ponyboy and allows him to stay with Darry; this is very likely because of the doctor’s influence.

9. 7. Define the word, “acquitted .” (verb) to relieve from a charge of fault or crime; declare not guilty

10. Why is this the correct sentence for the judge to issue? It is true for Ponyboy , who didn’t really do anything wrong.

11. 8. When Ponyboy’s English teacher takes “into consideration the circumstances” of the past few weeks and gives Ponyboy a special assignment to help him raise his grade, what does Ponyboy think the teacher means? Ponyboy thinks the teacher is going easy on him because of all the trouble he caused.

12. What does the teacher actually mean? The teacher actually means that Ponyboy’s been through an emotionally traumatic time and lost his good friends, so he deserves a break/alternative assignment. The teacher doesn’t think that Ponyboy is a screw-up, even though Ponyboy suspects that he does.

13. 9. Why doesn’t Ponyboy feel scared when he’s approached by the Socs in the parking lot? Ponyboy’s emotionally numb at this point and no longer fears the threats of the wealthy boys. He’s at the end of his rope, so to speak.

14. In what way does this passage echo the sentiment expressed by Dally before his death? There’s an echo of Dally’s philosophy when Ponyboy narrates that “if you got tough you didn’t get hurt.”

15. 10. In the parking lot scene, what piece of evidence shows that Ponyboy’s still a good kid at his core and will never be as tough as Dally? He cleans up the glass from the bottle he broke because he doesn’t want somebody to get a flat tire. This shows Ponyboy still has some of his purity.

16. 11. Darry says that “you don’t just stop living because you lose someone.” Explain how this is true.   Life doesn’t stop for everyone else when someone dies. Even though our hearts are broken, life continues around us and we must keep moving forward. Humanity is meant to continue moving forward.

17. 12. After Sodapop gets Darry and Ponyboy to realize what their squabbling does to him emotionally, how does the weather reflect the mood of the characters and the scene? The air was clean, just as the air has been cleared amongst the boys. The night is sparkling and the stars light up everything; these are symbols of hope. These are all positive signs for the future of the Curtis boys.

18. 13. According to Ponyboy , what was especially rare and wonderful about Johnny?   He really listened to you when you spoke and he cared about you. This, Ponyboy says, is a rare thing. The implication is that we should all be a bit more like Johnny.

19. 14. What does Ponyboy write for his English assignment?   The assignment for Mr. Syme is the book we’ve been reading all along.

20. 15. How do you feel about the ending of this book?   I think it’s a beautiful way to bring the story full-circle and creates a satisfying ending to a bittersweet tale.

21. 16. What is the overall theme in the novel? Discuss the importance of the point of view in the novel. Explain how it helps develop the theme. I’ll take these answers in.