The Outsiders

  • Ponyboy had a talk with Soda

    Soda said that Darry meant nothing when he hollered at Pony, and he also said Darry loved Pony a lot. Soda decided to get married with Sandy and help Darry with the bills and stuff.
    It is important because although Ponyboy couldn't understand what did Darry usually mean, Darry still cared about him and loved him a lot. It shows the deep love between those brothers.
  • Ponyboy was jumped by the Socs.

    In the afternoon, after he went to the movies, he was chased by a group of Socs. He was jumped. The Socs threatened him to have a haircut below his chin. Finally, a group of Greasers, including Sodapop, Darry, Two-bit, Steve, Dally, and Johnny, helped him and rescued him.
    It is important because it introduced the main characters and showed that the Greasers and Socs had serious relationships, and they lived in a violent environment.
  • Ponyboy talked to Cherry about the sunset.

    Cherry said what separated Greasers and Socs was not just money. Greasers had a different set of values and more emotional, felt too violently. Socs didn’t feel anything. However because they saw the same sunset, maybe the two different worlds they lived in weren’t so different.
  • Johnny, Ponyboy, and Dally went to see a movie.

    In the cinema, Dally molested two girls by saying bad words to them. The girls got angry with Dally. Johnny stopped Dally from molesting the girls again. Ponyboy and Cherry had a pleasant conversation about different attitudes of Greasers and Socs about the fight. Greasers advocated fair fights, while Socs supported rough fights.
    It is vital because it introduced another important character, Cherry, and it showed not all Socs were bad and cruel.
  • Johnny, Ponyboy, and Dally went to see a movie.

    Moreover, it emphasized the conflict between Greasers and Socs based on they had different views about the fight.
  • The Greasers met the grils' boyfriends.

    The girls’ boyfriends showed up and wanted to take them home. The girls went with them to avoid having the boys conflicts and fights. Later, at around 2 a.m. of the next day, Pony went back home. Darry was angry and hit Ponyboy. Pony was sad, and he ran out of the house to find Johnny.
    It is the turning point of the novel, and this part of contents does foreshadowing for the death of Bob.
  • Johnny killed Bob

    In the early morning, Ponyboy and Johnny met Randy, Bob and three other Socs. They had fight. Bob shoved Pony’s face into the fountain. Then, Johnny stabbed Bob with a knife in order to save Pony. The clash between Socs and Greasers became more serious and it was the beginning of their escape.
  • Johnny and Pony cut their hair.

    When they got up, Johnny bought food, he persuaded Ponyboy to cut their hair in order to prevent them from being caught. Both of them felt miserable.
    They lost their symbol of the Greasers, it was a psychological challenge. It told readers indirectly that they must pay for what they did.
  • Pony and Johnny went to find Dally and ask for help.

    They decided to get out of where they were, then they went to see Dally to ask for help. Dally told them to hope the freight to the abandoned church. He also handed them a gun, a roll of bills and a leather jacket. Finally they got church.
    It shows the deep love between the Greasers, and Dally really cared his brothers. They had to run away and hide the police and their families. It also means Pony and Johnny had lost their normal life.
  • Johnny decided to go back and turn themselves in.

    Dally came to see Pony and Johnny. Dally also gave Pony a letter from Soda. Then, Johnny said to Dally that they decided to go back and turn themselves in, Dally pleaded Johnny not to get into the jail. It is because he didn't want the hardened jail time that Dally experienced happened to Johnny.
    It showed that Dally really loved Johnny and he didn't want him to get hurt, and it also suggested the precious friendship between brothers.
  • Ponyboy remembered a poem he had read once.

    The sentence that he said from the book was "nothing gold can stay". That was exact what Johnny meant. Pony always remembered the poem because he never quite got what the author meant by it.
    It is relative to the theme that people should value the good time before the good time passes by. Ponyboy and Johnny didn’t value it ,and now they missed the time that they spent with their brothers. It maybe also hinted that the "gold time" had gone, and the tragedy was coming.
  • Darry and Soda came to see Pony and Johnny.

    Darry cried and said sorry to Pony. Pony understood what Soda and Dally and Two-Bit tried to tell him. He realized that Darry did care about him, and because Darry cared he was trying too hard to make something of Pony. They were finally reconciled.
  • The church was on fire.

    It showed the kindness of Johnny, Ponyboy and Dally. The rescue of the children let people know the warm-hearted and kind inside of the Greasers. The Greasers were not as bad as people thought. People had changed their mind about Greasers.
  • The church was on fire.

    The church was on fire. Johnny and Ponyboy ran to the church to see what happened. They went through the church to save the children who were trapped by the fire. Johnny shoved Ponyboy to get out of the church. Finally, they were badly hurt by the fire, and Johnny might have a broken back.
  • The rumble took place. Johnny died.

    The conflicts between the two groups finally came to an end. Johnny still worried about Pony even he was going to die. Johnny's death was the reason why Dally committed suiside. The "gold time" of the brothers passed away with death of Johnny. The deep friendship, even we can tell it was the love between brothers, also touched readers. The endgame of the story was getting closer.
  • Ponyboy had a conversation with Randy.

    Ponyboy finally got home. The newspaper was covered with stories about Pony and Johnny . They were considered as heroes. Then he met Randy. Randy said he was not going to show at the rumble, he was sick of fights because it didn't do any good. Pony realized that Randy was not a Soc, he was just a guy. He started to know that Socs were also people with own annoyance. Ponyboy started to know that Socs were also people with their own annoyances.
  • Dally died.

    Dally was so sad that he couldn't stand the grievous news. He robbed a grocery store. Finally, Dally was shot by the police. Ponyboy knew that it was Dally wanted. Suddenly Ponyboy sank into a deep coma. It showed how Dally cared about Johnny, and how vulnerable greasers were.
  • Two-BIt and Ponyboy went to the hospital to see Dally and Johnny.

    Johnny was burned pretty severely, but he really wanted to live longer. They all had a feeling that Johnny would die soon. They were all in bad mood and upset.
    That foreshadowed the death of Johnny. Dally's bad emotions might lead him to commit suicide.
  • The rumble took place. Johnny died.

    The rumble between Greasers and Socs took place at 7 p.m. Pony got cerebral concussion while they were fighting. Dally got out of the hospital and joined the fight. The Greasers won. Dally and Pony went to the hospital to tell that good news to Johnny. After Johnny told Pony to stay gold, he died.
  • Randy went to visit Ponyboy.

    Pony didn't believe that Dally and Johnny had died. Randy came to visit him. Pony told Randy that it was him who killed Bob, it wasn't Johnny, and Johnny didn't die. Pony loved Johnny a lot. He wanted Johnny to die innocently, to die as a a hero. This was the part that Ponyboy showed great care of Johnny, and he wanted Johnny to stay gold forever
  • Ponyboy went to the court.

    The greasers and Cherry went to the court, and the judge asked them some questions. The judge finally decided that Pony was innocent. Moreover, Pony could still stay with his brothers instead of sending to the Boy's home because the doctor testified to Ponyboy.
    It suggested that maybe the story would have a happy ending, and the story was drawing to an end.
  • Ponyboy had an argument with Darry.

    Finally, they decided that they would not fight anymore and would stick together against everything. They made it up. All bad things and memories had passed away, and they had to move on and enjoy the "gold time" they had again.
  • Pony started to do his assighment.

    The Outsiders is the essay he wrote. He wanted to tell each boy that there are hopes and all kinds of good things to experience before it was too late. People should also value and appreciate good things they experienced. This is the main purpose that he wrote this book. He wanted to help more boys to see and keep seeking the hope.
  • Ponyboy had an argument with Darry.

    Pony couldn't concentrate on his study after he went through so much different things. Darry was not satisfied with Pony's attitude of the study. Therefore, they had a quarrel. Soda couldn't stand anymore, and he ran out of the room. Pony realized that he had never paid much attention to Soda's problems.Finally, they decided that they would not fight anymore and would stick together against everything. They made it up. All bad things and memories had passed away, and they had to move on and enjo
  • Pony started to do his assighment.

    After they got home, Ponyboy read the letter from Johnny. Johnny understood that the author of the poem meant you're gold when you're a kid, and Johnny wished Pony can stay gold forever. Then Ponyboy decided to write something about his experience in order to help others who led a same life and had same experiences.