Chapter Three

Vocabulary - Find the meaning for the following words in this chapter and write one paragraph that uses all 4 words correctly:

Aloof p. 38
Impersonally p. 38
Ornery p. 39
Resignedly p. 44

Aloof- uninvolved or unwilling to become involved with other people or events, often out of a sense of lofty superiority to them.

Impersonally- not referring to individuals or reflecting personalities but focusing on events and facts

Ornery- uncooperative and irritable

Resignedly- agreeing in something unwillingly, but without protest.

When I was going out for a walk in the park with my friends there were many aloof birds near by, scared to come to close. We had a picnic and when we went to go feed the birds they became very ornery with us. Suddenly I felt a very distinguished pain in my back. I asked my friends “Is pain impersonally bad?” My friends said “Let’s take you back home” and I said resignedly, “okay, fine” knowing that the pain was not that bad and would go away easily.

1. What does Cherry explain as the difference between the Socs and the Greasers?

What Cherry explains the difference between the Socs and the Greasers is that Socs are too cool and aloof to acknowledge their emotions and that they live their live trying to fill up their emotional void, while the Greasers feel everything too intensely.

2. What does Ponyboy mean on p. 39 when he says "Johnny and I understood each other without saying anything"? Have you ever had a relationship with someone who you understood, or who understood you, without having to say anything?

When Ponyboy says “Johnny and I understood each other without saying anything” he meant that even when they don’t say anything they know what each other are going to say next. Yes, I have had a relationship with someone who understood me and who I understood with out saying anything because of a certain face that the person makes or I can just tell what they are going to say next.

3. When and how did Pony's parents die?

The way that Pony’s parents died was from a car-accident. Ever since Pony’s parents died, he had to live with his two older brothers, Darry and Sodapop, but only as long as they all behave or else they will be taken to foster homes. Their father died when he was only forty years old, although he only looked twenty-five, and exactly like Darry except had the complete opposite personality. People had often mistaken Darry and their dad of being brothers instead of father and son, although they were pretty close. Pony’s parents died when he was still 14 which were only 8 months ago. Pony’s mother loved to bake, especially chocolate cakes.

4. What happens when Pony comes home after his curfew?

When Ponyboy comes home after his curfew Darry ends up hollering and him, threatening him and hitting him. When Ponyboy came home after his curfew as shown on page 49 Darry and Ponyboy got into a big fight. The biggest fight they’ve ever had, and that’s the loudest that Ponyboy has ever heard Darry yell, after living with him for fourteen years. He doesn’t like it when Darry yells or fights with anyone, especially if he were to yell at Soda. Pony felt that Darry had pushed it too far and had no need to yell at Soda because Soda was the only one who would ever really understand. So, it should be the other way around, Darry should be listening to Soda for once and let people speaking instead of hollering at them with out even giving them a chance to explain their selves.

5. Why does Johnny like it better when his father is hitting him?

Johnny likes it better when his father is hitting him because Johnny would hate it if he had a sibiling that would hit him because if his father hits him he would have his siblings to turn to for advice and help or just to talk to, to make him feel better, but Johnny doesn’t have that. Johnny wishes he had siblings that he could turn to. But Ponyboy wishes that he had a father, so everything would be back to how it used to be when everyone would get along together. In the past before their parents died, everything would be okay and they would feel safer. But Johnny is lucky enough to have “the gang” and Ponyboy.

6. At the end of the chapter, how does the author foreshadow that bad things are to come?

At the end of the chapter the way that the author foreshadows that bad things are to come is when the author talks about how Darry and Pony got into a big fight. Pony felt like running away because he didn’t understand. And he has never been so furious and mad with Darry before, which could lead to a bad event coming up.