The Outsiders Chapter 1

1. Describe each of the characters in this chapter and their relationship with one another.
Ponyboy- youngest brother of Sodapop and Darry, light brown, almost red hair,greenish grey eyes, fourteen years old.
Sodapop- High school dropout, Ponyboy's and Darrys brother, handsome, dark gold hair, dark brown eyes,
Darrel (Darry)- Soda's and Ponyboys brother, oldest brother, muscular, dark brown hair, tough cool and smart.
Dallas Winston (Dally)- Elfish face, high cheek bones, icy blue eyes, arrested at ten years old, tough, cold and mean.
Steve Randal- Sodas best friend, helps run gas station with soda, seventeen, tall, lean, cocky and smart.
Keith (Two-Bit Mathews)- Shoplifts, always has to put his two-bits worth in.
Johnny Cade- Shy, beaten by his parents, big eyes dark tanned face and jet black hair.

2. Who are the Socs? Who are the Greasers?
the Socs are a group of rich kids who live on the West-side. They jump the greasers for fun and try to hurt them just to get a laugh. The greasers are a group of kids living on the East-side or poor side of town. They steal, drive souped up cars, hold up gas station and have gang fights. But the one thing that the greasers do is stick together like a family.

3. How do Ponyboy's relationships with Darry and Sodapop differ? Explain.
Ponyboys relationship with Darry his older brother is weak. Darry works a lot and tries to take care of his brothers. He does not like it when his brothers cry because it shows that their weak and that is why Ponyboy and Darry are not close. Sodapop and Ponyboy are closer because Soda lets Ponyboy hang out with Steve and him and they get along better.

4. Why is the 'gang' important to Johnny?
The "gang" is important to Johnny because his father is always beating him and his mother ignores him or yells at him when something small happens. Johnny would have run away many times but he knew that the gang was like the family he never had.

5. How does Ponyboy react to what Sodapop tells him about Darry?
When Sodapop tells Ponyboy that Darry only treats him badly because he cares about him, Ponyboy thought that Soda was just saying that to make him feel better but somewhere inside Ponyboy knew he was right.

6. Do you think Darry loves Ponyboy? Why does he treat Ponyboy the way he does? Yes. I think that Darry loves Ponyboy. He is only a little tougher on him because he wants him to have a good life. Darry does not want Ponyboy to become a dropout like his brother and wants him to be able to grow up and have a normal life without getting in trouble with the law.

7. What does Ponyboy mean on page 8 when he says, "I lie to myself all the time"? Do you ever lie to yourself? Why?
When Ponyboy says that he lies to himself all the time he means that he tries to make something better even in a bad situation or he tells himself something is OK when its not. No. I do not lie to myself because after a long time of doing so you begin to believe in your own lies.