Study Questions &
Essay Topics
Study Questions
1. Compare and
contrast Johnny and Dally. What roles do they play in the novel?
What roles do they play In Ponyboy's life?
2. Discuss Ponyboy's
evolving conception of the Socs. How does his opinion of the Socs
at the end of the novel differ from his opinion at the beginning?
3. How is “Nothing
Gold Can Stay,” the Robert Frost poem that Ponyboy recites to Johnny
at the church, relevant to Ponyboy and Johnny's story?
Suggested Essay Topics
1. What draws Cherry to the greasers?
Why is she with Bob? Why does she say she could fall in love with
Dally?
2. Discuss the role of the novel's
physical setting. How does the division between the East Side and
the West Side represent the conflict within the novel itself?
3. Compare and contrast the Curtis
brothers, Darry, Sodapop, and Ponyboy. How does their relationship
change over the course of the novel?
4. Think about the role of physical
violence in the novel. Is the violence shocking, predictable, boring,
or melodramatic? Do you think such violence has a different effect
on readers today than it did when the novel was first published?
