The Outsiders, Chapter 1 quiz

Questions and answers

1. 1

   Question 1. Where is Ponyboy walking home from at the beginning of Chapter 1?

   • A friend's house
   • The school library
   • A football game
   • Correct answer: A movie theater

   Ponyboy has just left a movie theater and is walking home alone when the Socs jump him.

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2. 2

   Question 2. How many Curtis brothers are there, and what happened to their parents?

   • Correct answer: Three brothers; their parents died in a car accident
   • Three brothers; their parents are both in prison
   • Two brothers; their mother is sick in the hospital
   • Two brothers; their parents divorced and moved away

   There are three Curtis brothers — Darry, Sodapop, and Ponyboy — and their parents were killed in an automobile accident.

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3. 3

   Question 3. Why did Darry give up his college scholarship?

   • He wanted to stay in town and run with the gang
   • He lost his scholarship by failing his classes
   • Correct answer: He needed to work to support his younger brothers
   • He was hurt playing football his senior year

   Darry won an athletic scholarship, but the family didn't have the money for college even with it, so he works long hours roofing houses to keep the three brothers together.

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4. 4

   Question 4. Which gang member is described as having spent three years on the streets of New York?

   • Two-Bit Mathews
   • Correct answer: Dallas Winston
   • Johnny Cade
   • Steve Randle

   Dallas (Dally) Winston spent three years on the streets of New York and is described as the toughest, most hardened member of the greaser gang.

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5. 5

   Question 5. What do the Socs threaten to do to Ponyboy when they catch him?

   • Force him to switch gangs
   • Beat him with a chain
   • Correct answer: Cut his long greased hair
   • Steal his wallet and jacket

   One Soc pulls out a blade and threatens to give Ponyboy a haircut, which would strip away a key marker of his greaser identity.

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6. 6

   Question 6. What role does Sodapop play between Darry and Ponyboy?

   • He encourages Ponyboy to fight back
   • He usually sides with Darry against Ponyboy
   • He stays out of their arguments entirely
   • Correct answer: He acts as a mediator and peacemaker

   Sodapop serves as the peacemaker between his brothers, trying to help Ponyboy understand Darry's strictness while also defending Ponyboy.

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7. 7

   Question 7. What makes Ponyboy different from other greasers?

   • He is the tallest and strongest member
   • Correct answer: He loves reading books and watching movies
   • He comes from a wealthy West-side family
   • He refuses to fight under any circumstances

   Unlike the greaser stereotype, Ponyboy is a bookworm who earns good grades and has a sensitive, reflective nature.

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8. 8

   Question 8. Why is Johnny Cade especially nervous and fearful in Chapter 1?

   • Correct answer: He was badly beaten by a group of Socs
   • He just got out of jail on good behavior
   • He was badly hurt in a car accident
   • He recently moved here from New York

   Johnny was jumped and severely beaten by Socs months before the story begins, leaving him fearful and easily startled.

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9. 9

   Question 9. Which of these events actually happened in this chapter?

   • In Chapter 1, Ponyboy is attacked by Socs while walking home from a movie theater.

     Happened

     This is the inciting incident of the chapter. A group of Socs in a red Corvair follow Ponyboy and jump him a few blocks from his house.

   • In Chapter 1, Ponyboy gets into a physical fight with his brother Darry.

     Didn't happen

     While tension exists between Ponyboy and Darry in Chapter 1, they do not have a physical confrontation. Darry scolds Ponyboy but they do not fight.

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10. 10

    Question 10. What does the slang term 'Socs' stand for in The Outsiders?

    • Southerners
    • Soldiers
    • Correct answer: Socials
    • Society members

    'Socs' is short for 'Socials' — the wealthy, privileged teenagers from the West Side who are the greasers' rivals.

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11. 11

    Question 11. In greaser slang, what does 'tuff' mean?

    • Correct answer: Cool, sharp-looking, or impressive
    • Broken, shabby, or badly worn out
    • Rough, hard, and physically strong
    • Angry, hostile, and confrontational

    'Tuff' is greaser slang for something cool or sharp-looking, distinct from 'tough' which means strong or resilient.

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12. 12

    Question 12. What does 'hood' mean as used by the characters in The Outsiders?

    • A head covering attached to a coat or jacket
    • Correct answer: A short form of hoodlum — a young troublemaker
    • The hinged metal cover over a car's engine
    • A short form of neighborhood — a part of town

    'Hood' is slang for hoodlum, a young troublemaker. When Ponyboy flicks out his switchblade to dissect a worm in biology, a girl beside him gasps and calls him a hood, and it doesn't make him feel so hot.

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