The Outsiders: Chapters 10-12
Name: __________________
Hour: _______
Reading Guide (Chapters 10-12)
1. After Dallas confronts the police at the vacant lot, why does Ponyboy say, “I knew that was what
Dallas wanted.”? Explain. (Chapter 10)
2. Why doesn’t Ponyboy want to think about Dallas or Johnny? (Chapter 10)
3. How does Ponyboy view Bob after looking at an old school yearbook? (Chapter 11)
4. What is the outcome of the hearing for Ponyboy and the Curtis brothers? (Chapter 12)
5. What does Ponyboy realize about his past relationship with Sodapop? (Chapter 12)
6. How does Johnny’s note help change Ponyboy’s attitude toward himself, his future, and his friends?
Explain. (Chapter 12)
Characterization
Ponyboy gives you his opinions about the other characters in The Outsiders. What is his reaction to
each of the characters listed below by the end of the story? Put an “X” on the line next to the word
that best describes Ponyboy’s attitude toward each character.
Sodapop
____ resentment
____ love
____ disinterest
Johnny
____ anger
____ fondness
____ impatience
Dallas
____ loneliness
____ trust
____ amusement
Cherry
____ hatred
____ dislike
____ indifference
Darry
____ disinterest
____ sorrow
____ respect
Choose a character’s name from the previous list. Tell how Ponyboy’s attitude toward that character
changes during the course of the novel. (Support with 2 examples.)
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What kind of attitude does Ponyboy have toward himself in the end? Give your impression of
Ponyboy’s ideas about himself as a person. (Support with 2 examples)
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Theme
Johnny’s letter to Ponyboy states, “There’s still lots of good in the world.” Which of the following
events from the novel seem to prove Johnny’s belief? Put an “X” on the blanks next to the
statements that do.
____ 1. Dally’s robbery of the grocery store
____ 2. Johnny’s decision to turn himself in for the sake of a friend
____ 3. Cherry’s and Randy’s truthful testimony at the hearing
____ 4. Johnny’s beating by Bob
____ 5. the advice Two-Bit gives Ponyboy about not getting tough
____ 6. Randy’s decision not to take part in the rumble
____ 7. the sacrifices Darry made for his younger brothers
____ 8. the rumble fought by the Greasers and Socs
____ 9. Sodapop’s loss of Mickey Mouse
____ 10. the Greasers’ behavior at the church fire
In Robert Frost’s poem, Nothing Gold Can Stay, the poem presents a theme much different than
Johnny’s belief while in the hospital. What is the theme to the poem and how does it relate to the
Greasers’ lifestyle? (Support with several examples in paragraph form)
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Point of View
[Rate the book out of 5 stars:
]
What is your view of the book? Did you like it? Please give 2 reasons to support your response.
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