The Outsiders Synopsis 

Chapter 1 Summary 

The Outsiders is narrated by the main character, Ponyboy Curtis. In the first chapter, Ponyboy introduces himself and brief story about his family and each persons identity. He also mentions the relationship between his gang members and his family. His parents were killed in an automobile accident, leaving him and his brother on their own. Ponyboy is the youngest sibling, he is 14 years old while Darry is 20 and Sodapop is 16. All of the members of this family come from dysfunctional homes and need the gang as a substitute for what they are missing in their own families.

Chapter 2 Summary 

This chapter speaks about the idea that life is not fair. Cherry Valance is a good looking cheerleader but, it appears that her life is perfect to an Outsider that is looking in. Johnny met up with Dally and went to a drive-in theater. They sneak into the theater as Dally does not like doing things the right way. The admission is only 25 cents but, they refuse to pay since they have a car. Dally was very close in becoming a perpetrator in this chapter. They guys meet up with a good looking cheerleader and try to get her and her friend to consume alcohol but since they refuse to take any he buys them soda to cool them down. Cherry throws her drink in Dally's face while Johnny is the healer and steps in. Cherry who is the good looking cheerleader, questions Ponyboy about Johhny as she is impressed by his courage. Cherry assumes that he had been hurt a few times and maybe this is why he acts the way he does. Johnny was beaten half to death by the Soc's at a football game. The chapter ends off with the line "I know better" 

Chapter 3 Summary 

After the movie was over it came to the guys that Cherry and friend Marcia didn't have a ride home. They were offered  ride home but refused to take the offer and instead call their parents to come and get them.Cherry shares her philosophy of what separated the two gangs. The Soc's lack strong emotions,they say it's not only money but passion aswell while Ponyboy states, not only money either but it's a feeling. Ponyboy and Cherry find that they have some similarities like, watching the sunset and form a new day.

Chapter 4 Summary

Ponyboy and Johnny walk two blocks to the park where there is a fountain and a kiddie pool. The fountain is running but the pool does not have any water because it is fall now. While they are sitting around Bob comes up to them and says not to hang out with the Soc's girls anymore. The Soc's guys attempt to give Ponyboy a "bath" in the pool meaning they wanted to drown him. They hold his head under the water for a matter of time but while Ponyboy is wondering if Johnny is okay, he kills Bob. When Ponyboy wakes up he see's a pool of blood laying around Bob.

Chapter 5 Summary 

Ponyboy wakes up late in the afternoon not knowing where exactly he was. He tries to convince himself that everything that happened the night before was just a dream, which it wasn't. They greasers now want to change their identity by bleaching their hair with peroxide and cutting their hair low. Johnny sat Ponyboy down and said 'We're gonna cut your hair, and you're gonna bleach yours. During this time, they were all terrified of their new look and how they would go undercover. Not being identified as greasers anymore. Ponyboy mentions a very important and meaningful quote that speaks about bad decisions making bad stories and leading them in the wrong way. 

Chapter 6 Summary 

Johnny and Pony are both amazed and ask Dallas if he's talking about Cherry. Cherry comes into their territory Two-Bit is jumped. Cherry wants to tell the greasers some of the plans that the Soc's have to kill and hurt them. She also wants to explain the night when the boys were drunk. She wants to testify that Bob was killed in self-defense. Johnny changes him wimp look and becomes the hero. They realize that the church is erupting in flames and after they all escape with a few bruises they are sent to the hospital, confused. At the end of the chapter Dally shows how much he really cares for Ponyboy and Ponyboy feels at home. 

Chapter 7 Summary  

Ponyboy had been happy that everybody was okay. The others sat in the waiting room of the hospital waiting to hear how Johnny and Dally had been. The reporters came too fast and asked too many questions way too quickly. Pony already doesn't feel too good so being asked so many questions by the reports didn't help.They find out that Johnny might not live and is in critical condition while Dally needs to spend a few days in hospital so they can tend to his burn. Ponyboy wanted to cry so badly and could feel it growing in his throat. He said that greasers don't cry in front of strangers and some never cry at all. Sodapop was asleep on the way home but halfway through the ride he woke up. They discover that things were rough at this point but, it was better that way. That way they were able to tell the other guy was human too. 

Chapter 8 Summary 

The nurses wouldn't let them see Johnny. He was in critical condition. No visitors were aloud. They pleaded and after sometime were able to see Johnny. His eyes opened wide and he had a little grin on his face. Two-bit mentioned the rumble they were having that night and said it's a shame he couldn't be there. Johnny didn't speak very much all he said at this point was "hey ya'll". Ponyboy was still holding back the tears. Johnny turned pale and passes out after saying that his mom shouldn't come in and visit him. He didn't like her at all. As much as Cherry wants to see Johnny and how he is doing she refuses to because she loved Bob and that was his killer. Pony sees the tears in Cherry's eyes and brightens up. He asks her how to sunset is from the West side and she replies with "it's nice". Ponyboy walks home and Cherry leaves crying. 

Chapter 9 Summary 

Ponyboy gets home at six-thirty. He can hardly eat so he takes five aspirins so he can sleep. Darry thinks that it's usually one but, its four. Dally doesn't think that Ponyboy should fight in the rumble tonight because he has been through alot in the pass week. He decides to let him fight because he is a strong fighter. Dally is proud of Ponyboy and his dying friend Johnny tells him to stay gold. 

Chapter 10 Summary 

 After Johnny's death, Ponyboy wanders alone for hours until a man offers him a ride. The man asks Ponyboy if he was okay and tells him that his head is bleeding. When Ponyboy gets home he finds the greasers gathered in the living room and tells them that Johnny is dead and Dally has broken down. Dally robs a grocery store and is running from the police. Dally is caught by the police, they shoot him and Dally collapses to the ground, dead. Ponyboy thinks that Dally wanted to die. Ponyboy passes out from feeling dizzy and overwhelmed. When Ponyboy wakes up Darry is at his side. He learns that he got a concussion when a Soc kicked him in the head at the rumble and is in bed for three more days.

Chapter 11 Summary 

Ponyboy is in bed to rest for a week after he wakes up from his concussion, he finds a picture of Bob the Soc in Sodapop's high school yearbook. Bob's grin reminds him of Sodapop's. Ponyboy wonders if Bob's parents hate him. He remembers conversations with Cherry and Randy. He concludes that Bob was cocky and hot-tempered. Randy arrives to Ponyboy's house to talk and he is beyond shocked and there is confusion with the plan for the following day. 

Chapter 12 

The hearing with the judge wasn't what Ponyboy had expected. Eveyone except Pony was able to tell the judge what happened that night. Pony is only questioned about his home life. Ponyboy is suffering with remembering things and nothing really matters to him any more, and getting through each day is a struggle for him. The next day Ponyboy is fed up with the Soc's and tells them that he has taken all he can take. He pulls out a glass bottle as the threatened him. Pony's English teacher assigns a semester theme for him to write and if he does well he can get a C. He found it hard to do the task because he was overwhelmed. Darry's constant nagging only results in arguments and Darry tries to being Sodapop into the argument but he runs out of the house. Sodapop is found at the park by his brothers and tells them he can't take it anymore. They all agree that they should be sticking together and not pulling each other apart. Pony picks up 'Gone with the wind' and a note from Johnny falls out. He states what the poem 'Nothing Gold Can Stay' really meant. The meaning is that one should not take things for granted, that everyone needs to continue to look at the world as if it is brand new in order to appreciate all the small things. Ponyboy decides that this is his theme topic. He ends the book with how it started in chapter 1.