The Outsiders Important Quotes

Important Outsiders Quotes From Chapters 3 and 4 "I'll bet you think Socs hve it made. The rich kids, the West-side Socs. I'll tell you something, Ponyboy, and it may come as a suprise. We have troubles you're never even heard of. You want to know something?" She looked me straight in the eye. "Things are rough all over." Do you believe Cherry? Do you think the Socs have it just as rough as the Greasers? I really couldn't see what Socs would have to sweat about--good grades, good cars, good girls, madras and Mustangs and Corvairs--Man, I thought, if I had worries like that I'd consider myself lucky. I know better now. What does this suggest that Ponyboy knows know that he didn't know at the time? They (The Soc girls) liked the Beatles and thought Elvis Presley was out, and we thought the Beatles were rank and that Elvis was tuff, but that seemed the only difference to me. Cherry: You greasers have a different set of values. You're more emotional. We're sophisticated--cool to the point of not feeling anything. Nothing is real with us. You know sometimes I'll catch myself talking to a girl-friend, and realize I don't mean half of what I'm saying" (38). Do you think Cherry is a victim of societal divisions, or do you think she chooses to behave in the manner she behaves? "It seemed funny to me that the sunset she saw from her patio and the one I saw from the back steps was the same one. Maybe the two different worlds we lived in weren't so different. We saw the same sunset" (40-41). What point is the author trying to make here I pulled her to one side. "I couldn't use this," I said, dropping the pop bottle. "I couldn't ever cut anyone..." I had to tell her that, because I'd seen her eyes when Two-Bit flicked ou his switch. "I know," she said quietly, "but we'd better go with them. Ponyboy...I mean... if I see you in the hall at school or someplace and don't say hi, well, it's not personal or anything, but..." We were as good as they were; it wasn't our fault we were greasers. I couldn't just take it or leave it, like Two-Bit, or ignore it and love life anyway, like Sodapop, or harden myself beyond caring, like Dally, or actually enjoy it, like Tim Shepard. I felt the tension growing inside of me and I knew something had to happen or I would explode" (47). What internal conflict is Ponyboy struggling with here? "I think I like it better when the old man's hittin' me." Johnny sighed. "At least then I know he knows who I am. I walk in that house, and nobody says anything. I walk out, and nobody says anything. I stay away all night, and nobody notices" (51).