Ch. 1
1. Who is the narrator?
2. What two groups of teenagers does Ponyboy describe? Compare the two groups.
3. Why did the Socs beat up Ponyboy?
4. Why did Ponyboy have a hard time with his oldest brother?
5. How are Ponyboy and his friends like you? Different than you?
6. Is it true that Darry is never sorry for anything he does, like Ponyboy says?
7. What does Ponyboy mean when he says Sodapop "gets drunk on just plain living?"
8. Where do you think that names like "Greasers" and "Socs" came about?
9. How would this story be different if Ponyboy and his gang were part of the Socs?
10. Do you think Darry loves Ponyboy? Explain.
Ch. 2
1. Where do the Socs and the Greasers hang out?
2. What does each group do for fun?
3. How do Greasers learn more about the Socs?
4. What kind of rules do gang members follow in fights?
5. How could Cherry be a problem for Dally?
6. Why did Dally want to embarass Marcia and Cherry by saying inappropriate things?
7. What does Ponyboy mean when he describes Johnny as the "gang's pet?"
8. Why is it so important to Ponyboy's gang to take up for each other no matter what someone does?
9. Why do you think Dally, who had seen people killed on the streets of New Youk, looked sick when Johnny was beaten up by the Socs?
10. Do you think Cherry was right when she told Ponyboy, "Things are rough all over?" Explain.
Ch. 3
1. Why do you think Ponyboy and Cherry became good friends?
2. Do the characters in this book seem "real?" Why or Why not? How does the author try to make them believable?
3. Why did Cherry and Marcia leave their dates?
4. Why do you think Darry hit Ponyboy?
5. Why are the Socs cold and unfeeling?
6. Is Ponyboy right when he says that Darry would like to put him in a home?
7. Ponyboy describes how the different boys in the gang handle the fact that they are greasers. Soda ignores it, Dallas is hard and mean, and Two-Bit pretends to enjoy it. Why do they all respond so differently?
8. In this chapter, Ponyboy talks about how his mom and dad had always had a hard time making ends meet. He says, "When you're thirteen in our neighborhood, you know the score." What does he mean?
9. At the end of the Chapter, Ponyboy says, "Things gotta get better, I figured. They couldn't get worse. I was wrong." Based on what's happened so far in the story, predict what will happen next.
Ch. 4
1. Who (Greasers or Socs) do you think was wrong in the situation in this chapter?
2. If you had been one of the Socs, how would you have felt after Bob was stabbed?
3. If you had been one of the Greasers, how would you have felt after Bob was stabbed?
4. Why did Ponyboy turn to Dally for help?
5. Dally is kind to Johnny and Ponyboy when they come to him for help. Explain why Dally, who is usually unkind, would help the boys?
6. Describe how you would feel if you were Ponyboy on the train to Windrixville.
7. Suppose Ponyboy and Johnny had come to you for help on the night Johnny stabbed the Soc. What advice would you give the boys?
Ch. 5
1. What did Johnny buy at the store?
2. Describe how the boys changed their appearances.
3. How did Ponyboy and Johnny pass their time at the church?
4. What was the cause of Ponyboy's illness on the 5th day at the church?
5. How do you think Soda and Darry are feeling about Ponyboy being gone?
6. Describe an internal conflict that Soda and Darry may be having at this time.
7. What does Dally tellthe boys about home?
8. Who is the spy Dally tells Pony about?
9. What are the results of Dally's visit with the war council?
Ch. 6 - 8
1. What was Darry's biggest fear?
2. Why does Cherry agree to spy for the Greasers?
3. What does Johnny announce to the group?
4. What do the Greasers find when they return to the church?
5. How do the boys respond?
6. Who is Jerry Wood and how does he treat Ponyboy?
7. What happened to Pony when he sees Darry? How have Ponyboy's feelings changed about Darry?
8. How does the newspaper handle the story about the Greasers and the fire at the church?
9. What is the extent of Johnny's injuries?
10. What do Darry, Soda, and Ponyboy like for breakfast?
11. What does Randy tell the newspapers about the fight in the park and the death of Bob?
12. What is Randy trying to make Ponyboy understand during their conversation before the rumble?
13. How does Dally react to Johnny's illness?
Ch. 9 - 10
1. Give the reason why each of the gang members likes to fight:
a. Sodapop
b. Steve
c. Darry
d. Two-Bit
e. Ponyboy
2. Why do Darry, Ponyboy and Soda clean up before a rumble?
3. Explain why Darry is concerned about Ponyboy participating in the rumble.
4. What were the rules for the rumble?
5. Who started the rumble?
6. What advice did Johnny give Ponyboy?
7. What does this advice mean?
8. What did the rumble between the Greasers and the Socs accomplish?
9. Why did Dally rob a grocery store?
10. Why do the Curtis boys leave the door to their home unlocked?
Ch. 11 - 12
1. Why did Randy visit Ponyboy at his house?
2. Why didn't Ponyboy want kids from school to come to his home? Have you ever felt this way? If no, tell why you don't mind kids coming over. If yes, explain why you feel this way.
3. What reaction did Ponyboy have when Randy mentioned that Johnny had killed Bob and that Johnny was dead?
4. Why do you think Ponyboy reacted this way?
5. What happened at the hearing?
6. When Ponyboy encounters the Socs at school, he breaks a soda bottle and remarks, "I've had about all I can take from you guys." What do you think Ponyboy is feeling internally at this point?
7. Two-Bit responds with, "Ponyboy, listen, don't get tough. You're not like the rest of us and don't try to be." Explain what you think Two-Bit means by this comment.
8. What does Soda mean when he says he can't take sides in the aruuments?
9. How does Johnny's note help Ponyboy change his attitude toward himself, his future, and his friends?
10. Who is Paul and why does Darry feel hatred toward him?