KINTZ
Honors The Outsiders Independent Study Part II
CHAPTER 5
1.
Read about hair on pages 71-73 and use evidence from the text to answer the following questions:
a) What does hair symbolize for the Greasers?
NQ
b) Johnny mentions that the first thing a judge will do to a criminal is cut their hair in order to “break” them
(Hinton, 71). What does he mean by “break” them? Break them of what? Why?
c) Ponyboy says that having his haircut is “…like being in a Halloween costume [he] can’t get out of (Hinton,
73). What is meant by this analogy? What is he feeling in this moment and how do you know?
2. Re-read pg. 76.
a) Why does Johnny believe that Dally is “gallant”? Do you agree or disagree with this?
b) How does Ponyboy feel about Johnny’s perception of Dally as a sort of hero and why?
NQ c) What makes someone a hero to another person? Who’s a hero in your life and why?
3. Interpret the line “nothing gold can stay” from the poem on pg. 77.
NQ
a) What does it mean to Ponyboy? And what does this reveal about his character?
b) What does it mean to all people in general? Why would Hinton put this poem in the book?
Poem Analysis
Nothing Gold Can Stay
Robert Frost, 1874 - 1963
Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
1. What kind of figurative language is used in the first line?
2. How can green be gold?
a) What is meant by the line “Her hardest hue to hold”?
b) Who is “her” referring to, and what type of figurative language is this?
3. What is the significance of lines 3-4 (her early leaf’s a flower/but only so an hour)? What is Frost saying
here and what is he communicating on a deeper level about life or human nature?
4. When Frost says “Then leaf subsides to leaf”, what is he really saying?
5. Frost makes an allusion (reference to something outside of the poem) in line 6 to something, do you
know what he is alluding to?
6. When Frost repeats the title “Nothing gold can stay” at the end of the poem, does it take on a new
meaning? How? Why?
NQ 7. Think of something in your own life that you once valued, but has passed away. What might be passing
away in Ponyboy’s life that would cause him to think of this poem?
KINTZ
CHAPTER 6
1.
Explain Hinton’s intended purpose for integrating the church/fire conflict into the novel.
a. How does is help to further characterize Ponyboy & Johnny?
b. How is our understanding of each of these boys deepened and for what purpose?
c. What is the underlying theme being communicated here about poverty, crime, or society in
general?
CHAPTER 7-8
1.
Compose an objective summary of these two chapters: an explanation of the 5-6 MOST important
events (shortened version of text in your OWN WORDS)
a) Begin by stating the TITLE (UNDERLINED) and the AUTHOR’S FULL NAME
b) And then state the MAIN IDEA (one sentence that tells what these two chapters are mainly
about)
c) Then, in YOUR OWN WORDS, talk about the 5 supporting/important points that you
highlighted
* NO QUOTES FROM THE TEXT! 
EXAMPLES for Integrating evidence from the text
In the text, Ponyboy explains that “__________________________” (Hinton 25), which demonstrates that he is
feeling…
 When Cherry responds by saying “__________________________” (Hinton 36), it is clear that she believes…