Reading Response #1 Chapter 1 (Pages 1-18)

Delaney Patterson The Outsiders Journal English 1 6/8/11

In the first chapter I noticed that there is a lot of racism between the East and West sides of Tulsa, Oklahoma. In this book the Greasers where the kids from the East side and the Socs were the kids from the West side. I noticed that the Greasers where cool and laid back about everything. Well they were at least until the Socs or someone else started messing with them or their gang. The Socs where the kids from the West side who were rich and spoiled with no discipline. Who liked to through big parties, get drunk, and beat people up for no reason. I realized that Ponyboy and Sodapop close and they stick up for each other a lot and would do anything for each other no madder what. The way the group or gang stick together reminds me of how families should stick together. Always there for each other, they stick up for each other, and love each other no madder what. You can tell that the gangsters dont like to see the good in the world. All they see is the evil in the world. If they actually looked for the good then there wouldnt be all fights and killings in the streets. I also realized that if the Socs or the rich kids had a little more discipline in their lives. Then they might not go around acting like they are better than ever body else and beating up the gangsters for fun. The whole conflict between the Greasers and Socs is really a thing of not knowing what to do with your life. The Socs dont know what do because they have no discipline. Where the Greasers have to fight to keep their reputation alive so put them together and you get this big racism kind of conflict.

Works Cited Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders. New York: Viking, 1967

Reading Response #2 Chapters 2-3 (Pages 19-52)

Delaney Patterson The Outsiders Journal English 1 6/8/11 In these few chapters I realized that there is always competition between the Greasers and the Socs. Dally, Ponyboy, and Johnny go to the movies. There they meet Cherry and Marcia who are Socs Girls. They were going to take the girls home and then the girls boyfriends showed up. They got mad so the girls went with their boyfriends. After the girls left with their boyfriends Ponyboy, Dally, and Johnny went back to their lot where they love to hang out. After a few minutes Dally left to go home. Then Ponyboy and Johnny where sitting there staring at the stars when they fell asleep. When they woke up it was about 2 o clock in the morning so Ponyboy went home. When Ponyboy went home is brother Darry got mad because he was out so late. Then Darry slapped Ponyboy across the face for back talking him. After that Ponyboy ran out of the house, then he found Johnny and the two of them ran off to the park. I retold what happened in these chapters because I noticed throughout these chapters there was a lot of emotion. The emotion in these chapters really wasnt expressed in the text. You had to really get into the characters and try to feel what they felt. That is what you had to do to really get all of the meaning and emotion in these chapters. Once you got into the characters shoes you could realize that all the emotion in this chapter was really over whelming. Works Cited Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders. New York: Viking, 1967

Reading Response #3 Chapters 4-5 (Pages 53-84)

Delaney Patterson The Outsiders Journal English 1 6/8/11 I am surprised that quite, shy, little Johnny could and did kill someone. Even though it was to save his friends life, it is still shocking that he did this tragic event. This shows how tight the bonds between brothers or gang brothers really are. Johnny killed someone for the sake of his friend Ponyboys life. Then when Dally helped them get away after murdering someone. They way Dally rattled off a plan to help them get away was kind of scary. It was like he knew something like this was going to happen at some time. To me it seemed like he had had this plan for some time. It was also wired how the boys where just able to live on bologna sandwiches for a whole week without getting sick. Then after only eating that for a week and Dally showing up and taking them out to eat where they ate a lot of things really quick. I was kind of shocked when the boys knew to change their look and attitude so they didnt match the description in the paper. They died there hair and cut it so they didnt look the same. They acted one way when they werent in trouble or around there groupies, but a totally different way when they had to so they could keep disguised. It reminds me of life now days, so it is really easy to relate to them. People act like one person but they are really a totally different on the inside. These chapters really are the ones that build suspense for the rest of the story. It kind of builds a foundation for the rest of the book. Works Cited Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders. New York: Viking, 1967

Reading Response #4 Chapters 6-7 (Pages 85-118)

Delaney Patterson The Outsiders Journal English 1 6/9/11 Throughout these chapters I realized that Ponyboy and Johnny are really sweet, and no madder what they have done wrong they will do anything to fix it. Even though they ran away after killing the boy they still would do anything to fix what they did. They risked their lives to save some kids they didnt even know. They were on their way to turn their selves in when they got stopped by the church building burning down. Ponyboy and Johnny went into the burning building to save some kids that where in there. Then Dally rescued Ponyboy then went in to rescue Johnny who was trapped by a burning board hitting him in the back. So Dally went in after him but in the process Dally got his arm badly hurt. It takes a lot of courage to do what they did. Because of them doing what they did it made the bounds between there gang stronger than ever. Even though Johnny and Dally got hurt it made them all stronger than ever. In life the stronger the bonds are between you and you friends the stronger your whole life is will be. I also realized that even with all the difference between the Socs and Greasers there all actually soft and kind inside, even if they act all tough on the outside. The Socs are actually really sweet they just have so much; they dont know what to do with their lives so they take it out on the greasers. I think this whole story is about them getting over their differences and stopping or at least making all the violence kind of go down and settling their differences. Works Cited Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders. New York: Viking, 1967

Reading Response #5 Chapters 8-9 (Pages 119-149)

Delaney Patterson The Outsiders Journal English 1 6/9/11 This book is a lot about brother hood. What I mean by that is no madder what happens those boys always take up for each other. Even though the Greasers act all tough on the outside they are really soft and care about each other on the inside. I know I have said this before but this is a really major thing. These people who act all tough really are not that tough. They did this when Johnny got hurt and was in the hospital dying. I also realized that no madder how hurt or sick the boys are they still fight in rumbles. After the Greasers won the rumble Dally and Ponyboy went to the hospital to see Johnny. Dally and Ponyboy were there when Johnny died. If it was me who had been there when my best friend died I would have lost it and gone crazy right there in the hospital. I think being there when Johnny died really tore up Dally and Ponyboy. But being there I think helped them to in a way that they wont take life for granted anymore. Because of Johnny I think Ponyboy will be led gang like so he doesnt get hurt badly enough to get him put in the hospital or die at such a young age like Johnny did. With all that has happened I think they all will change not just Ponyboy but all of them will change, but not for the worst but for the better. I think they will all change their lives around. They wont take everything for granted any more after three deaths in one week, two of which are close friends to them. Works Cited Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders. New York: Viking, 1967

Reading Response #6 Chapters 10-12 (Pages 150-180)

Delaney Patterson The Outsiders Journal English 1 6/10/11 I think after Johnny died Dally just went crazy, just like I said I would. He purposely robed a store and got the cops to chase him, and kill him. I think part of his reason for staying out of jail or killed was for Johnnys sake. So after he died he had nothing to live for. It sounds like Johnny was like a brother to Dally. So when he died Dally didnt know what to do so he go himself killed. What I dont understand is why he wanted his friends there when he got himself killed, why he would want to have them there when he died. (Page 153-154) I realized also that after Johnny and Dally died Ponyboy lost it. He started failing and acting different. All of the things that happened in the book lead up to Sodapop breaking. (Page 175-177.) Sodapop just broke when Darry and Ponyboy started fighting. Darry and Ponyboy where always way too busy to realize that Sodapop depressed and not his normal self anymore, they never looked at him or paid any attention to what Sodapop felt. The thing I realized is after the deaths of Darry, Johnny, and Bob and Sodapop breaking down; it brought Ponyboy, Darry, and Sodapop closer together than they ever were before in their lives. After kind of getting over everything and getting closer to his brothers, Ponyboy was able to let the death of his friends go and start living again. With all that Ponyboy went through helped him wright his theme for school. (Page 179-180) Works Cited Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders. New York: Viking, 1967