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The introduction about greasers and socs (POINT1 1)
There are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A socs have money, can get away with anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. Greasers always live on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for sake of his fellow greasers .Greasers,different place, different name - butwherever they are, they're outsiders; the rough, tough, long-hairedboys from the other side of town -
The introduction about greasers and socs (POINT1 2)
The background of the story is significant, it tells us where and why the story could happen. Both greasers and socs regard each others as their old enemy, the only thing could happen between them is conflict, without any reason. The cruel fact is that no one could change the situation, and, the more disapointing thing is, nobody is willing to change the situation. Because of this, more and more tragedies happen increasingly. The background makes the characters couldn't meet a happy ending. -
He met some socs,his gang saved him(POINT2 2)
The only fortune Ponyboy had was his gang, the members of his gang were all of his life. He grew up with his two elder brothers- Darrel and Sodapop, he loved Soda even more than his parents. Darrel worked every day. Then the two most important characters except Ponyboy appeared- Dally and Johnny, they changed the life of Ponyboy, and they are the leading roles of the story. So this part is not dispensable, it is essential for the whole story. -
Ponyboy got out from the cinema(POINT2 1)
The first conflict between socs and greasers happened, all things came suddenly but reasonable, Ponyboy got jumped from some socs. The case was more tragic than what we imagined, Ponyboy would die if his gang didn't come to save him in time. This is the reason why greasers are afraid of going outside alone, they should avoid the police, and at the same time, they have to be careful of socs. They are regarded as hoods by socs, police, etc. All of this make them alone. lonely. -
The appearance of Cherry(POINT3 1)
Ponyboy, Johnny and Dally went to a driving-movie theater, and they met two fun socs girls. Dally tried to chat up them, but he failed. Then Ponyboy talked to Cherry (one of two gilrs) happily. She asked Ponyboy something about Johnny, and he told her that Johnny had got severe hurt from socs and he had never been beaten up so miserable even though his parents didn't love hime and often maltreat him. Then Cherry said that not all socs were so evil, some of them were kind and virtuous. -
Ponyboy talked to Cherry about sunset(POINT3 2)
Ponyboy was surprised that he saw the same sunset with what Cherry had seen. Ponyboy began to change his mind about the world.Then Pony and Johnny had some conflicts with their boyfriends.Pony got home late and Darry quarreled with him. This part of the story is the prelude of the turning point of the novel, this is also the reason why the things after would happen. -
They visited Dally and asked for help(POINT4 2)
This is the turning point of the story, the life of Ponyboy and Johnny change a lot due to this event. They hadto live a more nusual life than before. They hadto run away to avoid the police and socs, they hadto change their habit. They got money and clothes, but they lost their normal life. -
Johnny killd Bob (POINT4 1)
When they were walking in the park, Bob, Randy and three socs came to bully them. When Ponyboy was about to die, Johnny saved him. Johnny killed one of the socs,Bob (Cherry's Boyfriend). Johnny was not on purpose, he did only self-defense. -
The went to Jay Mountain to find a church (POINT5)
The thing of what laid ahead of Ponyboy and Johnny was only a church, a abandoned church， they had to face an uncertain fate, the only thing they can expected was how to be safe. As Johnny killed Bob, they had to escape from the place they used to live. This part of the story is between the two climaxes of the novel, although it is not so significant for the development of the story, it shows the desperate and uncertain circumstances Ponyboy and Johnny were in, their life met a tremendous change -
They cut their hair (POINT6 1)
Johnny bought some food for a week and they cut off their hair to avoided the order for arrest. To cut off their hair seemed to be easy, but in fact, it was not. Greasers were proud of their long hair, to lost them actively needed a great deal of subjective endurance. Ponyboy refused to cut off his hair at first, but he finally surrendered to their safety. -
Johnny buy a book "Gone with the Wind"(POINT6 2)
The book was Johnny's favorate book, when Johnny was dying he still asked Ponyboy to read the book for him. It was the only thing Johnny left to Ponyboy as well (a very valuable letter was in it, wich included what Johnny wanted to inform Ponyboy) . To hide themselves, first of all, thet should cut off their dignsl long hair. That was a great psychological challenge for them, so this part of the story shows their mental change apparently, this is also the foreshadowing of the second climax. -
Nothing gold can stay (POINT7 1)
Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides leaf,
So Eden sank to grief.
So dawn goes down to day,
Nothing gold can stay. -
Nothing gold can stay (POINT7 2)
We have gold only for a short time. The golden moments in our lives may remain in our hearts forever but that is the only place. Once a flower has bloomed and wilted away we will never see that flower again. Just as in life, once our youth has faded, we cannot get it back. When someone we love dies, we don't get them back. When our hearts bloom with love, it will eventually break. Nothing stays perfect that is perfect. Ponyboy's view of life began to change since then. -
Dally came to visit them (POINT 8)
Five days later, when Ponyboy and Johnny alomost got bored with their life of the time, Dally came to visit them like a saviour. Dally brout a lot of valuable things for them including Sodapop's letter. Soda said that Darry regreted and missed Ponyboy very much. Another important thing was that socs would have a fight with their greasers on the next evening. As cherry thought that all fault was made by her, she became a spy of greasers. She would prove Johnny did only self defense in the court -
The churchill got on fire (POINT9 1)
This was the second climax of the novel. When Ponyboy and Johnny were about to leave with Dally, the church got on fire suddenly. Ponyboy and Johnny went to see what happened and went into the burning church to save several children in spite of Dally's dissuasion, Dally went to help them as well at last. This part is a significant part of the story, it results in the death of Johnny directly and Dally's death indirectly. The life of Ponyboy, Johnny and Dally changed tremendously truly. -
They all got hurt (PART9 2)
Ponyboy, Johnny and Dally all got hurt in the fire. Ponyboy's case was the lightest and Johnny's was the most dangerous. -
They were repotrted as heroes (POINT 10)
They were reported that juvenile delinquents turn heroes. However Ponyboy did not feel happy about it at all. Dally and Johnny were still in danger, and Johnny might die in several days. He was the best friend of Ponyboy and Ponyboy didn't want to lose him. Therefore almost nothing could cheer Ponyboy up, he would not feel happy until Johnny become better. This part of the story is a connecting link between the climax and the things goes after, and reflect on the feeling of Ponyboy. -
After fighting, Johnny died (POINT13)
Johnny didn't feel happy when Ponyboy told him the news. He just said that there was no reason to fight and it was meaningless to fight. The last thing he told Ponyboy was to stay gold (to keep virtuous), then he died. Ponyboy saw Johnny's death by his own eyes and almost got crazy. We all know that Johnny is the best friend and a very significant person for Ponyboy, so Johnny's death really made a great impact on Ponyboy. Johnny's death is a milestone of the novel, it makes Dally's death. -
Randy came to see Ponyboy(Morning) (POINT11)
In the morning of the fighting day, Randy ( a soc) came to visit Ponyboy and had a conversation with him. He had seen the futility of fighting, and from his help, Ponyboy realized that socs were quite susceptible to pain as anyone else. He didn't want to do harm to anybody, whoever, soc or greaser. Randy was not a evil soc, he was a person, a real person. He is the only character who is all virtuous without any evil mind, so he affected Ponyboy's view of socs that not all socs people were bad. -
Greasers and socs began to fight, greasers won (POINT12)
As Randy said, he didn't apper on the fight. However the fight still had to be operated. It was much more severe than Ponyboy had imagined. Ponyboy got dizzy in the fight and after his gang's effort, they won the fight. But the first thing they did was not to celebrate their victory, but to go to the hospital to tell Johnny the news. This part of the story symbolizes that all things seem to face an happy ending of Ponyboy's gang,but the story hasn't finished yet, there will be a great change. -
Dally died (POINT14)
Since Johnny was the person who Dally cherished best, so Dally cannot accept the fact that Johnny had died. He robbed a grocery and got arrested by the police. He ran to the lot and the policemen chased after him, then he was shot down by the policemen directly. He died,he always could get the things he want. This part of the story is another milestone of the novel except Johnny's death, as Dally is one of the most important person of the whole novel and Ponyboy, so his death is significant. -
They went to the court (POINT15 1)
Ponyboy was announced to be innocent in the court. He expected to recover his past life but it was too late. His mark at school had decreased a great deal and he even could not pass the English subject. He had to write a decent essay to get a C in his final mark. He saw the letter that was in Gone with the wind left by Johnny. He let Ponyboy discover and experience the beutiful things in the world and take Dally to do so. However it was to late to tell Dally all things. -
Ponyboy began to live in a new life (POINT15 2)
Ponyboy began to live in a new life. Whether his life would be bright or not was uncertain, but Ponyboy's view of life had changed a lot, he might live with Darry and Sodapop happily in the future.
This is the termination of the story, all things end. It leaves an uncertainty to us……