The Outsiders - Chapters 4 and 5

Before commenting on either of our questions for Chapters 4 and 5, enjoy a video clip from the 1983 movie version of The Outsiders. As you watch, don't click on the pop-ups that ask you to subscribe to anything or to rate the clip. Just watch and enjoy:



Now, feel free to comment on any one of these three questions. Proofread what you post before posting it and correct as many spelling and grammar errors as possible:

• Even though Johnny killed Bob the Soc, it seems that this act might be justified in that the Socs were drowning Ponyboy. Do Johnny and Ponyboy do the right thing in escaping to the countryside, or did they have a better choice? Explain why you feel the way you do.
  

• As we get to see more of Dally in Chapters 4 and 5, do you see any positive character traits in him, or is he simply bad news? Justify your answer with an example or two from the story so far.
  

• Many readers are surprised to suddenly encounter a poem in Chapter 5. It's a good guess that the message of this poem is important to this novel. What do you think is the message of the poem?:

Nature's first green is gold

Her hardest hue to hold

Her early leaf's a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

The Outsiders - Chapter 2

In Chapter 2, Ponyboy says, "You take up for your buddies, no matter what they do. When you're a gang, you stick up for the members." Do you agree with this philosophy? Why or why not? From what we know of Ponyboy's gang, should he stick up for their behavior?

The Bookless Library!?!

Now that you have had the chance to read about (with pleasure? with horror?) Cushing Academy's vision of the bookless library, what do you think? There's a term for people who resist the coming technology tide, and it's generally not meant as a compliment: Luddites. Does Cushing have it right? Is this indeed the way to engage students in reading? Is Cushing totally off base? Or, as many students suggested when asked, is there a compromise path that would be best?

Chapter 3 - The Ecstasy of Life

As Buck becomes involved in hunting down rabbits, he feels great joy: "There is an ecstasy that marks the summit of life, and beyond which life cannot rise...this ecstasy comes when one is most alive, and it comes as a complete forgetfulness that one is alive." Have you ever felt so focused on what you're experiencing that you forget everything else and simply take joy in the moment? Tell us about it!

Chapter 3 - Buck Stirs Up Trouble

Despite Buck's pride in his work with the sled dog team, he begins to cause trouble with the team, including starting fights and causing the sled to become tangled. Why does Buck cause this mischief, despite his pride in his work? Do you admire this troublemaking of Buck's? Why or why not?

Striking it Rich

In The Call of the Wild, we're learning that what with cold, snow, and ice, searching for gold in Alaska is tough work. What would you be willing to do just for the remote chance of suddenly striking it rich?

It's a Dog's Life!

From what you know of dogs, do you think that author Jack London has done a good job so far in letting us see how Buck thinks and feels? Give an example to support your opinion.

Chapter 2 - Being Good in an Evil Environment?

As chapter 2 comes to a close, we learn that Buck's sense of what is good and bad is changing. When he lived with the Judge and his family, "it was all well enough...to respect private property...but in the Northland...whoso took such things into account was a fool..." What does Buck do in this chapter that he would have considered morally wrong before he was kidnapped? Do you think Buck was right or wrong to stop behaving morally? Why or why not?

Chapter 1 - Responding to Power

Buck's various efforts to fight back with his captors end up causing him only more pain. After the man in the red sweater thrashes him brutally with a club, Buck "was beaten...but he was not broken." How would you describe Buck's strategy for coping with this terrible situation? Can you give an example of a time when you had to deal with someone more powerful than yourself?