Chapter 1 Questions
Who are the Socs? Who are the Greasers?
The Socs are a group of people who go around and beat up anybody they see by themselves and who, I'm guessing are the rich kids in town. The Greasers are a group of boys who are more poor than most people, and their hair is usually greasy, which is why they are called Greasers, and they are usually target to the Socs attacks.
How do Ponyboy's relationships with Darry and Sodapop differ?
Ponyboy's relationship with Darry is confusing. They care for each other a lot, but they try not to show it. Ponyboy tries to avoid Darry sometimes because it seems like he doesn't care. Ponyboy's relationship with Sodapop is a lot better than the relationship between Ponyboy and Darry, because Sodapop and Ponyboy laugh and talk with each other, and they even hug, unlike Darry and Ponyboy.
Ponyboy's relationship with Darry is confusing. They care for each other a lot, but they try not to show it. Ponyboy tries to avoid Darry sometimes because it seems like he doesn't care. Ponyboy's relationship with Sodapop is a lot better than the relationship between Ponyboy and Darry, because Sodapop and Ponyboy laugh and talk with each other, and they even hug, unlike Darry and Ponyboy.
Why is the 'gang' important to Johnny?
The gang is important to Johnny because his father constantly beats him up, and his mother ignores him. The gang first picked up Johnny when they found him badly beaten up by the Socs. The gang is his family and he would be lost without them. Without them, he would have no one there to watch his back or help him.
How does Ponyboy react to what Sodapop tells him about Darry?
When Sodapop tells Ponyboy about how tough it is for Darry to look out for them, and that he really does care for Ponyboy, he says a sarcastic thing to Sodapop, but he really does hear what Sodapop is trying to tell him, but he doesn't understand at that moment. He thinks that Darry doesn't care or love anyone or anything, but he knows that he is lying to himself when he thinks that.
Do you think Darry loves Ponyboy? Why does he treat Ponyboy the way he does?
I think that Darry actually does love Ponyboy, because Ponyboy and Sodapop are the only real family he has left. I think that Darry treats Ponyboy the way he does because all of the Greasers probably look up to him because he is the oldest in the group, and he wants to look like one of those really tough leaders, who don't care about anything, so he acts like he doesn't care about Ponyboy.
What does Ponyboy mean on page 18, when he says, "I lie to myself all the time."? Do you ever lie to yourself? Why?
Ponyboy lies to himself that he doesn't care about Darry, when he actually does. He means that if you tell yourself that something isn't true, you could be able to handle certain situations you might not have been able to handle if you kept telling yourself the truth. I lie to myself sometimes to help me get through some of the things that happen in my life. I think we all lie to ourselves at some point in our lives.