Table of Contents
Does ponyboy have PTSD?
Ponyboy seems to suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder because he becomes callous, unfocused, and violent. Ponyboy tries to imagine that Johnny is still alive and attempts to suppress his painful feelings.
What crime did ponyboy commit?
Throughout the entire novel, Ponyboy smokes cigarettes which are illegal to minors. Ponyboy is only 14 years old, and in Chapter 9, Jerry comments, “uh, you’re too young” (Hinton 97). When Ponyboy joins the Greasers in the rumble against the Socs, he illegally assaults the Soc gang members by physically fighting them.
What did Johnny say to Ponyboy before he died?
In The Outsiders, Johnny says “Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold.” just before he dies. These final words are a reference to the Robert Frost poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” which Ponyboy had quoted as the boys watched a sunrise.
What do Ponyboy and Johnny do in the Outsiders?
Ponyboy starts to panic, screaming, “What are we gonna do?” and Johnny tries to calm him down, deciding they’ll need money, a gun, and a plan. They decide to find Dally and ask him for help. They go to Buck Merril ‘s house to find Dally, because they remember there is a party there that Dally said he was going to.
Why did Ponyboy blame himself for Dally’s death?
Dally gets himself shot after the rumble and dies. Ponyboy is a witness to all these events, and it is understandable that the events are unbearable. He is to some extent blaming himself because Johnny is dead and it all started with him trying to defend his friend.
What does Frost’s poem about Ponyboy mean?
Frost’s poem implies that when people are young they are good and virtuous but over time those qualities can lessen. In the case of Ponyboy, he is a young, kind, and virtuous person but his environment is full of older people who are violent and making terrible decisions.