Journal #3

This is my last journal and I am to write a paragraph about an important character in the book and answer questions 1,2, and 3. For my paragraph I chose to write about Sodapop Curtis.

Paragraph:

Sodapop is a seventeen year handsome greaser with nice hair and is more of a “happy go lucky” kind of guy. Sodapop Curtis is a high school dropout who now works at a local gas station because he was failing school. He also had a girlfriend named Sandy but she moved to Florida from New York because she didn’t love him anyone. Soda is very close to both of his brothers and sticks up for Ponyboy when Darry is being too hard on him about his school work or just in general. He would do anything for his brothers but hates to pick sides when it comes to arguments between Ponyboy and Darry. When Ponyboy runs away because Darry hits him Soda writes to Ponyboy about how he should come home and how much Darry is sorry. Soda is very kind and very caring towards both of his brother’s feelings.

Picture:


Sodapop Curtis
Questions and Answers:

1. Why is he important in the novel?
Sodapop is important in the book, The Outsiders, because he is the brother of Darry and Ponyboy. Sodapop is the middleman in the house because he is the middle child and Darry and Ponyboy also want him to take their sides in arguments.

2. Would you like to be the main character? Why or why not?
I wouldn’t want to be the main character because Ponyboy does not have any parents and lives with his two brothers, two of his good friends died recently, and he tends to get into “rumbles” quite a bit with a gang called the “socs.”

3. Would you like the main character for a friend? Give your
reasons.
I wouldn’t want to be close friends with Ponyboy because he is rough and smokes a lot. I would be just a distance friend of his because he is a nice guy.

Picture:


Sodapop Curtis

Literature Circle Role#3

Today is my third lliterature circle role and it is on chapters 10-12. My role today is sumarizer. As sumarizer I have to write a paragraph describing the main events that happened in chapters 10-12. This is my last role in my literature circle unit.

Sumarizer:

In chapters 10-12 Ponyboy is thinking about how he was the one who really killed Bob, and he is also thinking about the death of his friends Dally and Johnny. Ponyboy was really nervous when he showed up for the hearing of the death of Bob because he was afraid he might have to live in a foster home instead of living with his brothers. After the hearing ended Ponyboy was still going to live with his brothers because he did not kill Bob. With all of this to think of Ponyboy is starting to fail English class because his mind is on other things. His mark in that class suddenly goes from an A to a F. His teacher talks to Ponyboy and tells his that if he wants to get a C in the class he needs to write at least a five page paper on anything he likes. Ponyboy was not sure of what to write his paper of until he found the note that Johnny wrote him before he died and placed it in the Gone With The Wind book. Ponyboy then picks up the paper and pen and starts his story off like this, "When I stepped out in the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home..." (Page 180, chapter 12)

Pictures:


Bob Sheldon


Johnny Cade


Ponyboy Curtis

Journal Respnse #2

Second Journal Respone Questions:

1.What point of view is The Outsiders told in?

2. Is the point of view effective?

3. What is one of the most important/memorable events that have happened so far?
(write this event in the point of view of another character in the story)

Answers:

1. The point of view in the book The Outsiders is first person.

2. I think that the point of view in the story is effective because the author does a good job describing what the other characters is the story is going through that the story only needs to be told in the point of view of Ponyboy.

3. “Where the heck have you been? Do you know what time it is?” I said. How could Ponyboy been so careless, doesn’t he know there are people at home worrying about him!? Ponyboy just stood there in Soda’s sweatshirt shaking his head. “It is two in the morning; we were going to call the police if you came home any later. Where were you?” I asked getting mad; Ponyboy is so stupid sometimes he can’t just go around till two in the morning. “I was,” Ponyboy stammered “I fell asleep in the lot” he said. “What!” I said, feeling my blood starting to boil inside. “Well, me and Jonny started talking and we both fell asleep” he said. “What were you thinking Ponyboy? It is freezing cold outside and you’re out worrying your brothers by sleeping in a lot with Jonny.” “I didn’t mean to, Darry” he said. “You say that all the time, I didn’t mean to or I forgot Darry! Don’t you remember anything?” I said shouting. “Darry,” Soda began. “No. I am tired of you sticking up for him let him deal with it himself!” I said. “Don’t you yell at my brother” Ponyboy shouted at me. I turned around and started walking towards Ponyboy and I slapped him real hard that he fell towards the door. I froze. What have I done? I thought. I looked down at my hand where it was red and back at Ponyboy. “Ponyboy I...” I said feeling terrible about what I did nobody has ever hit Ponyboy before. Ponyboy stood up off the ground and ran out of the door tears streaming down his face.

Pictures:


Darry Curtis

Literature Circle Role #2

This week my role is the Vocabulary Enricher. This means that I find unfamilliar words in chapters 5-10, find the definition,record the page number, and the sentence it was in.
Vocaulary Words

1. Fuzz: The cops
Sentence: "Maybe he had already been worked over by the fuzz and was waiting to get the electric chair since he wouldn't tell where I was."
Page: 71

2. Heaters: Gun
Sentence: "We can't walk alone at all.I started carryin'a heater..."
Page: 83

3. Judo Expert: An expert at a sport similar to wrestling
Sentence: "A judo expert?"
Page: 113

4. Rumble: A gang fight
Sentence: "I am not going to show at the rumble tonight."
Page: 115

5. Bopper: (Same definition as a rumble) A gang fight
Sentence: "He a pretty good bopper?"
Page: 140

Journal Response

First journal response questions:

1. Describe the setting in the novel.
The setting in the book the Outsiders takes place year 1950. The exact location of the story is the East Side and the West Side of the story. Ponyboy Curtis lives in a poorer neighborhood than the other gang, the Socs. Ponyboy lives with his two brothers and no parents. It is a rough life, but Ponyboy is able to manage it with the help of his gang, the "Greasers". "Greasers can't walk alone too much or they'll get jumped, or someone will come by and scream "Greaser!" at them, which doesn't make you feel too hot, if you know what I mean. We get jumped by Socs." In this quote Ponyboy explains to the read how life is hard as a "Greaser".

2. Which Characters have you been introduced to so far?
So far I have been introduced to Darry (Ponyboy's oldest brother), Sodapop, (Ponyboy's favorite brother), Ponyboy (a memeber of a gang called the "greasers"), Jonny (Ponyboy's friend who is also a memeber of the gang), Dally (a memeber of the gang who has been in trouble to many times to count), and Cherry (a friend of Ponyboys who is a Soc, they met each other at a drive-in.)Darry is the man in charge of the house, since he is the oldest out of his two brothers, and he works alot to pay the bills. According to Ponyboy Darry is mean. Sodapop is Ponyboy's favorite brother because he understands and listens to him, unlike Darry. Sodapop is goodlooking, dropped out of school, and works at a gas station because he was failing almost every subject. There is a conflict between the Socs and the Greasers because the Socs like to beat up the Greasers for fun.

3. This quotation best fits Sodapop, "Leave my kid brother alone, you hear? It ain't his fault he likes to go to movies, and it ain't his fault the Socs like to jump us, and if he had been carrying a blade it would have been a good excuse to cut him too ribbons." This quotation best fits Darry, "Yeah, since it ain't a school night."

Picture:


Dallas Winton (Greaser)


Steve Randle (Greaser)

About the Author

S.E Hinton was born April 22, 1950 in Oklahoma. S.E Hinton writes fiction, young adult fiction, and childrens literature. She began writing at her junoir year at Wills Roger Highschool. S.E Hinton decided to write the book the Outsiders because of the two divided gangs at her highschool. The book the Outsiders was published year1967 by the Vikings. S.E Hinton decided to use the her first two initials of her name so that the male readers would ingore the fact that she is a girl. S.E Hinton's full name is Susan Elloise Hinton. Year 1970 S.E Hinton earned her B.S degree at the University of Tulsa.

Reviews

Ponyboy Curtis and his gang are tight. From Dally (Dallas) the toughest one, to Johnny, the gang's pet, these pals all have one thing in common; they've all been stereotyped as greasers by the Socs, the rich group. It's a great book.-Mary, Charlotte,

I recently read this book over the summer and I think Pony boy and his friends were heroes. I loved this book and I would recommend this book.
-Stacy, Middletown, NJ

This book is just like explaining how it is in our world right now with all of the gangs and fighting. Some people want it to stop because it does kill all loved ones!
-Tiffany, NY

I really enjoyed this book. My best friend has a life like this. It can show people the other side of life. So I do love this book.
-Parsa M., Colorado

I love this book! It's extremely hard not to cry. My teacher told us to only read one chapter per night, but I read over half of it in one night!
-Mariangella, Durham, NC

I think that this book was excellent. I think that Ponyboy and his brothers, Dally and Sodapop, went through a lot growing up with no parents at their age. If you really think about it they have no one there to feed them. It's all up to Dally. It must have been hard for him. It's hard enough for him to work for himself to eat but to have two brothers to feed too. I think that's why Dally always snapped at Ponyboy. He cared so much for him and didn't want him getting hurt. I think that "Cherry" was right when she said, "Things are rough all over." It goes to show you that although you may think you are the only one with problems that there are other people out there with problems too. I think this was an excellent novel and if you haven't read it yet, head over to the nearest bookstore and READ!!!
-Melissa, Chicago, IL

The same reason I read the outsiders by S.E Hinton is because my cousin told me that it was her favorite book. I thought ahh, whatever. I read the first chapter. I thought so-so. The next day I was hooked! That book was absolutely amazing. It was action packed and made you think about them. I read the book last summer and I loved it.
-Outsiderfan, Wichita, KS

This is one of the BEST books I've ever read! I couldn't put it down last night until i got to the end and I do agree it is like the groups at our schools today and that we do route for the side we more then likely wouldn't route for in real life but this book was SOOOOOOO good I cried! I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!! :)-Jessica, Stokesdale, NC

Picture:


Greasers

Links from reviews

http://www.plcmc.org/readers_club/reviews/tresults.asp?id=997

Literature Circle

I am reading the book the Outsiders in my eighth grade English class for my literature cirlce unit. We were assigned jobs today to find information about the book. My role is discussion director. As discussion director I have to make five questions about chapters one and two that my other group members will answer.

Today in English class we are to write our first jounral respone. In the journal respone I am to describe the setting, the characters, and find a quotation that descibes the characters I have been introduced to so far.
Five Questions about Chapter 1 & 2

1. Why is Jonny afraid accoriding to the story Ponyboy Curtis told Cherry?
2. What was Dally being blamed for at the drive in?
3. Who does Ponyboy like better, Sodapop or Darry?
4. Why did Sodapop drop out of school?
5. Why did Darry not except the athletic scholarship he got?

Answers:

1. Jonny is afraid according to the story Ponyboy Curtis told Cherry because he was found beaten up by the Socs with blood all over his shirt. Jonny doesn't normally cry when he gets beat up, but he was crying when the socs beat him up because he was hurt so badly.
2. Dally was being blamed for scratching someones car with his blade at the drive-in. Dally lost/broke his blade so he kept a pipe in his pocket instead so it wasn't him. He was being blamed for it though becasue he was standing there when it happened and because he is the type of kid who would do that sort of thing.
3. Ponyboy likes his brother Sodapop better because he understands the desicions and choices he makes whereas Darry yells at him, so there relationship isn't as good.
4. Sodapop dropped out of school because he was failing all but two classes so he thought he was dumb. Also because he wanted to help support the family since there parents died in a car accident.
5. Darry didn't accept the athletic scholarship because he didn't have enough money to go, so now he works hard jobs to help support the family.