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Mrs. Jodi Miller » The Outsiders Book Club

The Outsiders Book Club

Welcome to The Outsiders Book Corner!!
outsiders
 
 
Online reading of "The Outsiders" can be found HERE.
 
 
Chapter 1 Part 1, Chapter 1 Part 2
 
Chapter 2 Part 1, Chapter 2 Part 2, Chapter 2 Part 3
 
Chapter 3 Part 1, Chapter 3 Part 2
 
Discussion Questions:
 
1. What is your opinion of Darry? What details or examples in the story support your opinion? Did it change when Darry slapped Pony? What do you think needs to happen in order for Pony and Darry to have a better relationship? Do you think that this will happen in the book? How? (NO SPOILERS IF YOU’VE READ IT!)

2. Cherry and Pony are able to have a very open and honest conversation, despite being complete strangers. Why do you think it’s sometimes easier to be honest with a stranger than it is to be honest with a friend? Do you think people change their personalities based on who they’re with?

3. If Chapter 2 and 3 were written from Cherry’s perspective, what do you think her impression of Dally, Ponyboy and Johnny would’ve been? What do you think she would be thinking about? What would she say to Bob on the drive home?
 
Connection Questions:
 
1. Socs and Greasers are separate groups based on many things—background, neighborhoods, and beliefs. Why do you think people divide themselves up in a society? What purpose does it serve? What are the disadvantages?

2. Darry is the oldest, Soda is a middle child, and Pony is the youngest. Do you think their personalities match their birth order? Which of the brothers’ roles do you relate to most, and why?
 
3. What message does the story send about stereotypes? What do Ponyboy and Cherry discover about stereotypes in their community? Do you think this is still true today?
 
 
 
 Discussion Questions:
 
1. What do sunsets and sunrises represent in the novel? When are they mentioned, and which three characters talk about them? (Why those three?)

2. How have Ponyboy and Johnny changed after their time away from the gang while hiding out at the church? What do you think each of them learned about life in that week?

3. Ponyboy’s perceptions about his brother Darry, and the Greaser Dally, change over the course of these chapters. What was the turning point for Ponyboy in realizing Darry loved him? When did he come to respect Dally? What caused the changes? (Did Darry & Dally change, or did Ponyboy change?)

4. Why do you think Johnny decides to turn himself in? Why was Dally upset by this news? Do you think that if Johnny and Ponyboy's actions were switched, if Ponyboy would have turned himself in? Why or why not?
 
Connection Questions:
 
1. Even though The Outsiders takes place in the 1960s, how do the actions or thoughts of the Greasers & Socs relate to teenagers in today’s society? What is similar or different?

2. We meet Johnny’s mother in this scene. What is your impression of her? Do you think the nurse was right not to let her see Johnny? What would you have said to Johnny’s mom?

3. Have you ever been surprised to find out something about a person (someone you’ve met, or a celebrity) that changed your opinion of them in a positive or negative way? Share the experience and what you learned from it.

4. If you read about what happened to Ponyboy and Johnny in the newspaper, what would you believe? Would you think people would more sympathetic to the Socs or the Greasers? How might the newspaper article swayed people’s opinions?
 
 
 
 
 
Chapter 12 coming soon!
Discussion Questions
 
1. When Darry and Pony are arguing, what makes Soda finally refuse to choose sides?
As a result, what did Darry realize about Pony & Soda? What did Pony realize about Darry & Soda?
What do you think will change in the future for these brothers? (What won’t change?) How have your opinions about the characters of Darry, Soda and/or Pony changed? Why?

2. What was the reason for Randy’s visit to Pony while he was sick at home? What new things did Randy find out about Pony? What might Randy have learned about Greasers over the course of the novel?

3. Do you think that Ponyboy made the right decision to participate in the rumble? Why or why not? What might have happened differently if he’d stayed home sick?

4. How might the outcome of the book been different if Dally had a chance to read the letter that Johnny wrote to Pony? (Page 177: “Tell Dally, I don’t think he knows…”) Do you agree that Johnny “died a hero” and Darry “died gallant”? (“Dally didn’t die a hero. He died violent, young, and desperate, just like we all knew he’d die someday”) How were their deaths similar and different? How did Dally’s death affect the other characters differently than Johnny’s death?
 
Connection Question
 
S.E. Hinton says that she wrote this at 15 because there weren't any realistic fiction books for teens at the time. If you wrote a novel as a teenager, what would you write about? Which topics would be important to you; which topics do you think teenagers want to read about?