Chapter 12

Chapter Twelvie ---~%$#!?[][][][]

1. What 'circumstances' do Ponyboy's teacher refer to? What circumstances does Ponyboy think his teacher is referring to?
The circumstances that Ponyboy's teacher was referring to were the fact that Pony has had a last couple of rough weeks. He just lost two of his friends, ran away with his friend for murder and saved these kids from a fire. He needed time to do some damage control. Pony thought that his teacher was referring to all the trouble he's been in. Pony looked at what happened and assumed that thats what his teacher meant.

2. Why doesn't Ponyboy feel scared when the socs approach him and he threatens them with a broken bottle (p.170-171)? How is this a dramatic change from the Ponyboy we have seen up until this point?
Ponyboy didn't feel scared when the Socs came up to him because he was to sick to be scared. After all the trouble the Socs had caused him he didn't want to deal with them. He didn't want to waste his emotions on them. He was always scared of them and this time he didn't see the point of being scared, he just wanted them to leave him alone. This is different from the Ponyboy we usually read about because normally he would have been worried about what they were going to do to him. But this time he felt like they've already done so much to him that he should just stop worrying about it.

3. What does Darry mean when he says, "you don't just stop living because you lose someone" (p.173)?
When Darry says that you don't just stop living because you lose someone, he means that you can't just sit there as a depressed hermit when something bad happens. You have to learn to get back up on your feet and continue with life or else it will pass you by. Life's to short to be depressed about something you can't change so you have to move on.

4. How do we know Sandy didn't love Soda as much as he loved her?
We know that Sandy didn't love Soda as much as he loved her because she returned his letter unopened. He poured his heart and soul into that letter, telling her his emotions and feelings and she didn't even take the time to hear what he had to say. If she really loved him, she would have at least written back. Soda truly cared about her, he wanted to marry her and spend the rest of his life with her but she didn't feel the same way.

5. Explain how Darry and Ponyboy play tug of war with Soda.
Darry and Ponyboy play tug of war with Soda because they're always fighting and Soda is stuck in the middle of it all. Soda hates to see them fight, he can't handle it and they are always arguing back and forth with each other forcing Soda to take sides. Thats hard for Soda because he sees both sides, its too hard to chose between his brothers.

6. What do we learn was so special about Johnny (p.178)?
We learned that Johnny was truly a special and rare person. He was someone that had more problems than you could think of, but instead of complaining about it like everyone else, he would be there and listen to other people complain about their problems. Johnny really listens to you and really cares about what your saying. Someone like that, someone who always put other's problems before his on, is someone truly rare.

7. What does Ponyboy end up doing for his English assignment?
Pony ended up doing his English assignment on three people who were all very different, but at the same time similar in many ways. His theme was Bob, the handsome, dark boy with a reckless grin and a hot temper; Dallas, a tough tow-headed boy with a cigarette in his mouth and a bitter grin on his hard face; and Johnny, a quite, defeated-looking sixteen-year-old whose hair needed cutting badly and who had black eyes with a frightened expression to them.
He was going to write about how over just a short period of time, all three of their lives changed. And their stories, how it really happened. He would write from the beginning, where it all unfolded. He would tell all those boys who may appear, hot tempered, tough and bitter, or defeated and frightened, that there was something better out there, that they could have better than they have, that theres still hope. He was going to help them, tell them before it was too late. He would tell their side of the story and help others not to judge so quickly about those types of boys. To teach others that we're all people who are very different, but at the same time similar in many ways.