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How does Dally die?
The policemen kill Dally. After Johnny dies in the hospital, Dally is so upset, he runs away from Ponyboy and robs a grocery store. The police chase him to the empty lot where the greasers hang out. There, Dally takes out his unloaded gun and threatens the police, who shoot him in self-defense. Dally dies with a “look of grim triumph on his face,” and Ponyboy realizes that Dally “wanted to be dead and he always got what he wanted.”
What do Johnny’s last words mean?
Right before he dies in the hospital, Johnny says “Stay gold, Ponyboy.” Ponyboy cannot figure out what Johnny means until he reads the note Johnny left. Johnny writes that “stay gold” is a reference to the Robert Frost poem Ponyboy shared when they were hiding at the church. Johnny claims that Frost meant “you’re gold when you’re a kid...When you’re a kid, everything’s new, dawn.” Johnny writes that Ponyboy’s love of sunsets is “gold.” He wants Ponyboy to protect his childhood innocence, and nurture his ability to experience wonder.
Why is Sodapop upset about Sandy?
Sandy, Sodapop’s girlfriend, gets pregnant and moves to Florida with her grandmother. Sodapop writes to her, but his letters return unopened. Darry tells Ponyboy that the baby isn’t Sodapop’s, and that Sandy “didn’t love him like he thought she did.” This conversation triggers Ponyboy’s realization that his fun-loving brother has problems of his own, and that when Sodapop tries to share about his life, he finds Ponyboy inattentive and “daydreaming or stuck in a book.”
What is the court’s decision on Bob’s murder?
The judge acquits Ponyboy of the charges against him for his involvement in Bob’s murder, and closes the entire case. Despite their fears, the judge does not send Ponyboy and Sodapop to a “boy’s home,” and allows them to continue living under Darry’s guardianship. Despite this positive outcome, Ponyboy struggles to return to his normal routine, becoming absent-minded and failing his classes.
Why do Cherry and Ponyboy talk about sunsets?
When they first meet, Ponyboy tells Cherry that even though they aren’t members of the same social class, she should not forget that “some of us watch the sunset too.” Ponyboy is embarrassed when Cherry admits she doesn’t want to be seen with greasers, so he seeks to prove that he too has an appreciation for beauty, despite his social status. Later in the novel, Ponyboy and Cherry discuss sunsets again, agreeing that their beauty can be seen from both the West Side, where the Socs live, and the East Side, where greasers live.
