Where is Ponyboy coming from at the beginning of the story?
He is coming home from the movie theater.
Why does Ponyboy like watching movies by himself instead of with other people?
He likes to concentrate on the movie and imagine himself in the story without distractions.
What are the names of Ponyboy’s two brothers?
Darry (Darrel) and Sodapop.
Why do the three brothers live together without their parents?
Their parents died in a car accident.
What is a Greaser? Describe how they usually look or act.
Greasers are poorer boys from the East Side. They often have long, greasy hair, wear jeans and T-shirts, and are seen as troublemakers.
Who are the Socs, and how are they different from the Greasers?
The Socs (short for Socials) are rich kids from the West Side. They have nice clothes, cars, and money, and they often bully Greasers.
What happens to Ponyboy when he is walking home alone from the movies?
Five Socs get out of the car and attack him. They threaten to cut his hair.
Who comes to help Ponyboy when the Socs attack him?
His brothers and the rest of the Greaser gang arrive and scare the Socs away.
Where do Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally go to watch a movie?
They go to the Nightly Double drive-in movie theater.
How do the boys get into the drive-in movie theater?
They sneak in over the fence instead of paying.
What are the names of the two girls Ponyboy and Johnny meet?
Cherry Valance and Marcia.
Why does Cherry become angry with Dally?
Dally is being rude and saying inappropriate things to the girls.
What surprising thing does Johnny do when Dally is bothering Cherry?
Johnny tells Dally to leave her alone, even though Dally is much tougher than him.
Why are the girls at the drive-in without their boyfriends?
Their boyfriends brought alcohol, and the girls did not want to drink, so they left them.
What story does Ponyboy tell Cherry about Johnny being attacked in the past?
He tells her that Johnny was badly beaten by a group of Socs and it made him scared and nervous.
Cherry says “Things are rough all over.” What does she mean by this?
She means that both Socs and Greasers have problems in their lives, even if they seem different.
