ANSWER KEY Study Guide forThe OutsidersTest
Literary Terms: Know what the definitions of these terms and be able to identify how they are used in the novel.
- Similea comparison of two unlike things using the words like or as
- Metaphora comparison of two unlike things in which one thing becomes another
- Imagerydescriptive or figurative language used to create word pictures; imagery is created by details that appeal to one or more of the five senses
- Themethe central idea, message, or purpose of a literary work
- Foreshadowingclues or hints signaling events that will occur later in the plot
- Flashbacka sudden vivid memory of an even in the past; also, an interruption in the sequence of events in the plot of a story to relate events that occurred in the past
- Motif a recurring element, image, symbol, or idea in a work of literature
- Allusiona reference to well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art
- Conflicta struggle between opposing forces (external – character struggles with another character or something in nature; internal – character struggles with his or her own desires, needs, or emotions)
- Protagonistthe leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text.
- Antagonista character, group of characters, institution or concept that stands in or represents opposition against which the protagonist(s) must contend. In other words, an antagonist is a person or a group of people who opposes a protagonist.
Who is the author of The Outsiders? S.E. Hinton
What is the setting of the novel?Oklahoma in the 1960s
Who are the Curtis brothers?Ponyboy, Sodapop, and Darry
Who are the Greasers?The “hoods” who live in a low income neighborhood on the East side of town. Ponyboy, Sodapop, Darry, Dallas, Two-Bit, Steve, and Johnny
Who are the Socs?The rich kids who live on the West side of town; Cherry, Marcia, Bob, and Randy
What are the three main conflicts in the novel?
- Socs vs. Greasers
- Ponyboy vs Darry
- Ponyboy vs himself
Why does Ponyboy live with his two brothers? Their parents dies in a car wreck
Why is Darry so hard on Pony?He cares about him and wants the best for him. He also doesn’t want to love him like he lost his parents
What does Ponyboy “lie to himself” about?His feelings (about Darry, about the Socs, etc)
Why and where do Pony and Johnny run away on the train? Windrixville on Jay Mountain to hide from the police after Johnny killed Bob
What happens to Pony and Johnny while they are away?A fire starts in the church where they are hiding out. They run in to save some children there, and Johnny seems to “be having the time of his life” because he is doing something meaningful and heroic. Johnny is wounded badly when a timber hits his back.
What is the meaning of the poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay”?Nothing can stay in its original, perfect, innocent state
What are the major themes of the novel?
- “Things are rough all over.” / “We both watch the same sunset.” Even people from different backgrounds share similarities
- A hero can have done bad things. Even though Darry has a criminal past, he pulled Johnny from fire and cared for both Johnny and Pony. Johnny killed Bob, but he did it to save his friend, and he saved the children in the fire.
- “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”Pony learns to accept the Socs for more than violent snobs, and the Socs learn to accept some of the Greasers as more than “hoods.”
Be prepared to complete a short response.
Look over your packet questions and annotations to prepare.