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.

Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven!! :P

Vocabulary: Find the meaning of the following word from the chapter and use it in a sentence correctly.

acquitted p.168 Law. To free or clear from a charge or accusation.

Taylor was accused for robbery, and then after the witness placed her point of view Taylor was acquitted.

1. Explain why Pony might rather have anyone's hate than their pity (p.162)?
Pony would much rather have someones hate than their pity because he feels that when someone gives you pity its like they feel sorry for you because they have something and you don't. They feel sorry for you because of something negative about you and not them. When someone gives you pity, it makes Pony feel helpless or like hes hit rock bottom. Pony never wants to feel like that. He would rather have someone hate him and be jealous of him then make him feel powerless and dependent.

2. What do you think is going on with Ponyboy when he says, "Johnny didn't have anyhing to do with Bob's getting killed" (p.166)?
When Pony says that Johnny didn't have anything to do with Bob being killed, I think that hes somewhat right. Johnny was the murderer, but it wasn't totally his fault Bob was killed. Johnny never wanted to kill anyone, he didn't want to cause any harm. It was Bob that attacked him while he was intoxicated. But i still think Johnny did have somthing to do with him being killed even if it was only self-defense

Chapter 10

Chapter Ten ^^^%#!!!

Vocabulary: Find the meaning of the following word from the chapter and use it in a sentence correctly.

indignantly p.159 Feeling or showing anger.

Kaileigh went to the other side and made Rayann look at her indignantly.

1. How does Pony's dreaming, or lying to himself, finally work in this chapter?
In this chapter, Pony was lying to himself by thinking that Johnny wasn't dead. Johnny was back at the vancant lot and things were just how they always were. He kept telling himself that and wouldn't let any other thoughts come into his mind. This was helpful It distracted him from reality. He convinced himself that his dreams were the truth, that Johnny wasn't dead.

2. Why was Johnny's dying so difficult for Dally to handle?
Johnny's death was extreamly difficult for Dally. Normally, Dally is a tough and hard kid who can handle anything. But in the case of Johnny's death, things were extra hard for him. Dally really cared and loved Johnny. It was Difficult becase Johnny was everyone's kid brother and Dally loved him alot.

3. Why do you think Dally would have wanted to die?
I think that Dally would have wanted to die because the only thing that he ever loved was gone. He felt there was nothing left to live for. he felt, There was no reason for him to live anymore. Dally wanted to die because in his heart, he felt his life was already over.

Chapter 9

Chapter Nine =)))

1. On the bottom of p.133, when Pony asks what kind of a world it is, what comment is he making about how society judges people?
Pony is commenting about how the world judges people. He comes from a certain part of town. Where he's poor and he's a Greaser. And he gets labeled "a fighting, greasy, drunk hood." Pony doesn't steal anything, mug people, and doesn't get drunk every night. But yet he is marked as one of those people who do, just because he is a Greaser. Pony is saying that society judges people based on what they see, hear and what they think. They never take the time to know people before they get to know them.

2. Why do the boys fight? Why is Pony different?
Boys fight because they think it's a contest to see who's the most masculine, strongest, toughest. The gang likes to fight. They fight because they build up so much rage against the other person that they need to take it out on the other person by beating their head in. Soda thinks that Darry likes to fight to show off his muscles and nice physic. Boys either fight for fun, or to prove something to everyone else, pride. Pony is different because he doesn't enjoy fighting. He doesn't want to hurt anyone and thinks that violence just leads to more violence. Pony doesn't like to fight, but he will if he has to.

3. What is the difference between Tim Sheppard's gang and Ponyboy's? Explain how Pony feels this difference might give his group the upper hand?
The difference between Tim Shepard's gang and Pony's gang is that Tim Shepard's gang was tough as nails. Each and everyone of them enjoyed being a hood and causing trouble. Till the day Tim Shepard's gang dies, each and every one of them will be a hood. Thats where their gang and Pony's differs. Pony and Darry and other members of the Greaser don't want to be hoods all their lives. They want to get out of that part of town and do something with their lives. They don't want to be hoods when they are older. The Greasers want to go somewhere and do something with their lives while Tim Shepard's gang are happy where they are. Also Tim's gang had a leader who made them strong and tough. Tim was their leader and they did what he said. The Greasers didn't have a specific leader, they all were their own leaders. They were just buddies who stuck together. This could give the Greasers an advantage because seeings as they stuck together, they always had each other's back.

4. What do you think Johnny's last words to Pony mean?
Johnny's last words were "Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold..." These words were extra special for Pony because of the time they had in the church. Pony was telling Johnny about the poem 'Stay Gold'. Johnny and Pony were discusing it, and Pony got to see the deeper side of Johnny. This meant to Pony that Johnny never wanted him to "fade away" or change in anyway
because the poem meant that everything won't 'stay gold' forever. so Johnny wants him to stay gold forever.

Chapter 8

Chapter Eiight **~

1. How does what the doctor first says, on page 119, foreshadow Johnny's condition?
The doctor says to "let them go in. He's been asking for them. It can't hurt now." When the doctor says "it can't hurt now," he is foreshadowing that "now" is too late. That The damage has already been done, and there no point in keeping them in the waiting room, before Johnny's dead. The doctor is saying that he's pretty much giving up on him. He says that they can go in, in such a negitive way that he is foreshadowing that Johnny's condition can't be very good.

2. "We needed Johnny as much as he needed the gang. And for the same reason" (p.121). What do you think Pony means, and what is the reason?
When Pony says that they needed the gang as much as he needed the gang he means that they are all family and when a family is seperated it affects not just the person being seperated, but the whole entire family. This means that it will not only affect Johnny but the rest of the gang also. Johnny needed love and affection, and got it from the gang, and the gang needed someone they could always talk to, and give that love and affection too.

3. What does Pony mean on p. 123 when he says, "we could get along without anyone but Johnny"?
When Pony says "we could get along without anyone but Johnny." he means that Johnny has a connection with every single member of the gang that they all don't have with eachother. They ALL need Johnny in their lives. If it were another member of the gang, they could get along, because Johnny is everyones kid brother/gang pet, you could say that they all love Johnny the most, and for him to be gone, it would make everyone sad.

4. If Darry didn't have Soda and Pony, why would he be a soc?
Darry could have ben a Soc if it wasn't for Soda and Pony because he had the whole "Soc" package. Aside from not a having alot of money, Darry was 'too smart to be a Greaser'. He was great at football, and could have gone on to university or collage. But becuase of the gang, and because of little money, he had to take care of Soda and Pony since their parents had died, he didn't go to collage and was a Greaser.

5. What does Cherry mean when she says Bob "wasn't just anyone" on p.129?
When Cherry says that Bob wasn't just anyone, she meant that Bob didn't just only have a bad side, the side that the gang saw, he was also a really nice sweet, kind guy with a good side. Bob was special. He had a special somthig about him that made people like him and follow him. Bob had something that made him different than anyone else. He had a leadership quality.

Chapter 7

Chapter Seven ***

1. Explain what Pony means when he says Soda "reminds me of a colt" on p. 101.2. What condition is Johnny in after the fire?
When Pony says that Soda "reminds me of a colt" he means that Soda enjoys things that are action-packed and exciting. a colt is like a horse. When exciting things happen like this, colts are the first ones to see whats going on, Soda does the same thing.

2. What condition is Johnny in after the fire?
Johnny was in critical condition and suffered from 3rd degree burns from he fire. His back had been broken when the peice of large wood fell on him. there is a high chance he might not survive.

3. Why would being crippled be worse for Johnny than someone else?
If Johnny would be crippled, it would be the worst because he has gone through so much, being abused by his father to being jumped by the socs to murdering someone, Johnny has been through TOO much for such a young kid and he is a good sensative kid and deserves better.

4. "Maybe people are younger when they are asleep" (p.104). what do you think about this comment?
The comment, "maybe people are younger when they are asleep" makes me think of how quiet and helpless a person is when they are asleep, like a baby. when the person is awake they are full of energy and loud and crazy. but when you sleep you are restoring your energy and peacefully sitting still.

5. What is a juvenile delinquent (p. 107)?
Find a definition on the internet, in a dictionary, or create your own based on your own knowledge.
JUVENILE DELINQUENT: a young person or minor who commits criminal offenses, vandalism, violence and cant not be controlled by parental authority.

IN MY OWN WORDS: to me a juvenile delinquent is a young child who is going in the wrong path. Either they dont know right from wrong or they do and is just asking for attention and they act out to get that attention. If kids like this don't get help they could grow up to be a bad criminal.

6. Why would Two-Bit think Johnny, Dally, and Pony were heroes all along; before they saved the kids?
Two-Bit thought of Johnny Dally and Pony as heroes before they saved those kids because he knew that they had it in them all along. After all the things that they have done for the gang. They all have qualities that make a hero, and Two-Bit knows them so much that he knew they were heroes all along.

7. What was Bob's 'real' problem, according to Randy (p.116)?
According to Randy, Bob's "real" problem is his parents. Bob was a good kid, good looking, good grades but His parents gave into him all the time. They always thought things were their fault and thought their son was too perfect to screw up. He would to do something so bad that other parents would flip, but his parents did nothing to him and blamed themselves. This made Bob do even more stupid things and ended up in his death.

8. Why did Pony think it was better to see socs as "just guys" on p. 118? What do you think he means by this?
Pony would rather see the Socs as "just guys" because that makes it seem like they are all the same. They are all just humans with problems and hard times. This made the Socs seem more real, that they had something in common with the Greasers. Socs are still Socs and Greasers are still Greasers, but they both have feelings, they both need someone to talk to and someone to love them. But their both just people, they both only human. Every single one of us is only human after all. Pony means that when the Socs are "just guys" they aren't Socs anymore. They aren't people who hate the Greasers and who the Greasers hate. When they are "just guys" everyone can relax.

Chapter 6

Chapptterr Six *

Vocabulary: Find the meaning of the following word from this chapter and use it in a sentence correctly.

bewildered p. 88 completly confused, unaware, or puzzled.

Hayley was playing soccer one day with Rayann and then a girl from the other team schooled hayley and then Rayann came out of nowhere and kicked it over real far and scored. Hayley was left with a bewildered expression on her face as rayann jumped and danced around the feild.

1. Do you think Dally's parents have influenced the way he is; his personality? Explain.
Yes, I strongly do think that Dally's parents have influenced his personality. I think this because Dally, not having his parents around made it hard for him to deal with things, and he never really learned right from wrong. He had to live by himself, therefore making him hard and tough all the time. His parents didn't care about him, so that made it hard for him to care about anything else. This attitude made him get in trouble with the law, relationships and with school.

2. Why doesn't Dally want Johnny to turn himself in?
Dally doesn't want Johnny to turn himself in because he doesn't want Johnny to get hurt. Dally has experience in this type of situation. Being in jail can be very hard and for someone as sensitive as Johnny, it might affect him for the rest of his life. Dally says that you get "hardened" in jail. you have to become tougher to survive and your personality changes. Dally doesn't want jail to change him, like it did to himself. Plus Johnny had already gone through enough with his parents abusing him and Johnny being jumped and all. Dally loved Johnny too much to have him go through all that hardship, thats way too much for a 16 year old.

3. What "other side" of Dallas is revealed in this chapter?
The other side of Dally that is revealed in this chapter is the more sensitive and heartful side. Dally comes off as this though person who doesn't care and can take on anything. When he talks to Johnny and Pony about his time in jail and what it does to you, his softer-side comes out. We learn that Dally isn't just a crazy unsensative machine, hes an actual human being with emotions and feelings. This was a shock for Johnny and Pony because they've only ever seen the tough side of Johnny.

4. What's your own definition of a hero? Do the three boys prove themselves to be heroes, according to your definition? Explain.
My definition of a hero is someone who risks their own life to try and save someone elses, putting others before themselves. Someone who knows what the right thing to do is, and they do it.
I think that Pony, Johnny and Dally are the definatly my definition of a hero. They risked their own lives to try and save the children in the burning church. They were fearless and tried to save others. they put themselves aside and focused on others in danger.If it wasn't for them, the kids would have died. They are true heroes.

5. Why do you think Johnny wasn't scared, despite the obvious danger, on page 92?
I think that Johnny wasn't scared, despite the obvious danger because he was too focused on what he had to do, being scared was his last thought. Ever since he had gotten jumped, he'd been to scared to do anything. but now he was in this burning building with nothing to do but save the children that needed help. He had so much adrenaline running through his body, he just wanted to enjoy it. He wasn't scared for the same reason as Pony, there was no time to be scared. No time to think, the only thing they had time for was to get everyone out.