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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. The first group to ______ will lose the rumble.

2. Why does Ponyboy call Cherry a traitor?

3. What does Ponyboy say doesn't happen when you're tough?

4. When is Ponyboy supposed to go to court?

5. What is one of the things Ponyboy reads while confined to his bed?

Short Essay Questions

1. What makes Ponyboy realize that Johnny is dying?

2. Why doesn't Darry want Ponyboy to fight in the rumble?

3. What do Ponyboy and Randy talk about when Randy comes to visit him?

4. Why does Ponyboy have to write a semester theme?

5. What do the newspaper articles say about Ponyboy?

6. How does Dally get to the rumble?

7. Why won't Cherry go see Johnny in the hospital?

8. What does Randy tell Ponyboy when he asks to talk to him alone?

9. How does Ponyboy get home from the hospital after Johnny's death?

10. Explain how Dally dies.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What message is implied at the end of the novel? Is the story intended to inspire hope? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Explain the reasons why The Outsiders may or may not belong to the realistic fiction genre? What other genres could it belong to?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast Ponyboy's sensitivity with the attitudes of those around him. What characters are completely opposite in that they are tough and/or desensitized to their situations? How does Ponyboy's sensitivity help or hurt him throughout the story? How does it make him easier/more difficult for readers to relate to?

(see the answer keys)

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