"I could picture hundreds of boys living on wrong sides of cities, boys with black eyes who jumped at their own shadows. Hundreds of boys who maybe watched sunsets and looked at stars and ached for something better." -Ponyboy
Ponyboy is struggling to find a topic for his theme for English class. He is analyzing his life, searching for the topic. While he is doing this he realizes that he isn't the only person with social class problems and there are other people, even socs, who face similar problems. At this point, Ponyboy thinks that his problem isn't that big of a deal. He has moved on. This leads to him to making his paper about his story and the events that have led up until now. He proabaly chose these events because they have made the most impact on his life. The chapter starts out in the hearing. Everyone is questioned, even the socs, and Ponyboy starts to get anxious. When it is his turn to speak, the judge asks questions about his personal life rather than the previous events. Ponyboy starts becoming depressed and detached. Things seem to be taking a turn for the worse. His grades are dropping and he is starting to fight with Darry again. Mr Syme, Ponyboy's English teacher says that he is failing. He can pass his class if he writes a paper on an auto biographical theme. The next day, Two Bit and Ponyboy go to the grocery store and a group of socs threaten them. Ponyboy, no longer afraid, busts his coke bottle and threatens the socs. His sudden hostility scares Two Bit and Steve. They tell him not to grow up hard like Dally. In the night, Darry and Ponyboy start to fight about his grades and him slacking in school. Sodapop, sick of their fighting, runs out of the house. They later find out that Sandy returned Sodapop's letter. They chase after Sodapop and apologize. When they arrive home, Ponyboy finds a note from Johnny in his Gone with the Wind copy. He then reazlizes what he wants his paper to be about. His main goal was to tell the story of other hoodlums everywhere. Ponyboy starts his story like this “When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home.” and tells the story of the Outsiders.
"Maybe you could be neater? Huh Little Buddy" - He had never called me that before. Only Sodapop called me Little Buddy." -Darry/Ponyboy
Darry says this after Randy's visit when he is in Ponyboy's room. This shows that the relationship between Darry and Ponyboy has changed since the accident. Before, it was filled with hatred and bitterness but now they are like brothers rather than "father and son". By calling him a nickname that only Soda used probably made Ponyboy very happy. A series of tragic events actually brought Darry and Ponyboy closer, showing that everything happens for a reason. While Ponyboy is in bed, he finds an old yearbook with a picture of Bob. Randy comes to the house to talk with Ponyboy. He tells him about his worries of being associated with the violence and how it will impact him. Ponyboy starts to freak out, still in a delirious state, saying that he was the one who killed Bob. He also states that Johnny is still alive. Darry sees that Randy's presence is scaring Ponyboy and asks him to leave. At the end of the chapter, Darry calls Ponyboy "Little Buddy" something only Sodapop did.
"Even Dally had a breaking point" -Two Bit
Two Bit says this when Ponyboy tells the greasers about Johnny's death and how Dally ran away. Dally could best be described as a hoodlum whose only emotion was acting tough and violent. But, since Johnny's death another side of Dally has emerged. There is a soft side filled with affection and love. Johnny was the only person he truly loved. While he cared for the other members of the gang, he loved Johnny. This might explain why he helped the two of them in running away and in the fire. Dally died because he couldn't live in a world without Johnny, this is why he wore a smile when he died in the shooting. Ponyboy is wandering the streets after Johnny's death until a man offers him a ride home. When he arrives home, he tells the greasers about Johnny and how Dally bolted off. Then a call from Dally tells them that he robbed a grocery store and is coming to the lot; the greasers bolt out of the house to see him. They see the police chasing him and Dally draws an unloaded gun for bluffing, but the police shoot him anyway. Ponyboy knows that that it what Dally wanted, to die. He starts to contrast how Johnny and Dally both left the world, one left as a hero, the other left as a hoodlum. Ponyboy starts to feel disoriented and dizzy. Overwhelmed, he passes out. When he wakes up he learns that he had a concussion from the rumble. Darry tells him that he was calling for Mom, Dad, and Sodapop. Ponyboy worries that he wasn't calling for Darry.
"Johnny's eyes glowed. Dally was proud of him. That was all Johnny ever wanted." -Ponyboy (Narration)
Johnny's character shines through this quote especially. To me, an average greaser's main priority would be to always look tough because that is what greasers are known for. This quote shows that Johnny has principles and more emotion. Like Ponyboy, he is different from the gang. This might have been why the two were so close and were able to understand and relate to each other. Johnny was happy when he realized that Dally was proud of him and I think that this was a good feeling to die to. Johnny always seemed to want to seek approval not from his parents but from the gang. This is mainly because he while he wanted to care about his parents, he only really cared about his friends because of the affection they showed him. Two Bit, Steve, and the Curtis Brothers head over to the rumble. Ponyboy is thinking about a lot of important things including why the members of his gang fought and how he felt out of place for not having a good reason for fighting except for self defense. They arrive at a lot with Tim Shepperd's group already there. He congratulates Ponyboy on killing boy and despite the sick feeling in his stomach, Ponyboy pretends to be proud. The Socs arrive and Ponyboy thinks of how their clothes and appearance hide their real personality. Darry steps up ready to take a soc and the fight starts. Dally arrives saying that he used the switchblade to get out of the hospital. In the end, the socs run away letting the greasers win the fight. Dally and Ponyboy get a ride from a cop to go to the hospital to see Johnny. Using his switchblade he threatens the doctor to let them see Johnny. Dally starts talking about how if the two were tough like him, they would only look after themselves and not have saved those kids in the fire. They tell Johnny about the fight and Johnny says that fighting isn't good. Dally continues to tell him about how proud everyone is of him for being a hero. Johnny's eyes glow and he uses his last ounce of strength to say his last words "Stay gold Ponyboy." Johnny is dead.
"I could see that even a few words were tiring him out, and he was as pale as the pillow and looked awful. Two Bit pretended not to notice." -Ponyboy (Narration)
This is narrated when Two Bit and Ponyboy go see Johnny at the hospital. The quote provides us with imagery on Johnny's condition and through context, it greatly upsets Ponyboy and Two Bit. Johnny's injury is hard according to Ponyboy. Johnny was the most vulnerable out of the gang and because of his living conditions and personality, he needs protection from the gang. They were the only real family he has ever had and they provided him a space where he felt like he belonged. The gang can't function without him because in a sense, he links them together. They show him affection and respect which causes them to feel lost without him. When Two Bit pretends not to notice this shows that it is hard for him to accept that Johnny is dying. |