73 pages • 2 hours read
S. E. HintonThe Outsiders
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1967A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Chapters 11-12Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 11 Summary
Pony is prescribed bed rest for a week to continue his recovery, which tests his patience. Out of boredom, he flips through Soda's old yearbook, where he finds a picture of Bob. He spends some time imagining Bob’s personality and life, and “[begins] to see the person [they] had killed” (162). Randy visits Pony at home and reminds him about the court hearing tomorrow. Pony has difficulty sympathizing with Randy’s grief and regret, given how much Pony had lost since the night of the murder and knowing how privileged Randy’s family is. Randy admits he feels bad for disappointing his father, which is the first time Randy “[has] felt something in a long time” (163). Pony shares that he is scared he’ll be sent to a foster home, which genuinely worries Randy. He reassures Pony that he was in no way guilty for killing Bob because he witnessed Johnny do it, but Pony suddenly becomes adamant that he is in fact the guilty one, and Johnny is still alive. Explaining that Pony is “still pretty racked up mentally and emotionally,” Darry asks Randy to leave.
Pony’s conversation with Randy leaves him feeling bitter; he thinks to himself: “He was just like all the rest of the Socs. Cold-blooded mean. Johnny didn’t have anything to do with Bob’s getting killed” (168). Darry reprimands Pony for his messy room, but then he affectionately calls him “little buddy” for the first time.
Chapter 12 Summary
The hearing is sparsely attended by those directly involved, unlike the crime shows Ponyboy watches. The teenagers all testify honestly, and the judge only asks Pony about his home life. Later, Pony realizes that the doctor spoke to the judge about Pony’s fragile mental state, which is why the judge avoided asking him about the murder. Pony is acquitted, and the brothers are allowed to stay together.
Pony continues to suffer from the symptoms of his concussion—he lacks coordination, becomes forgetful, and struggles in school. Considering Pony’s recent traumatic experiences, his English teacher promises to give him a passing grade if he writes a good essay on the topic of his choosing.
Sitting outside of the store with Two-Bit and Steve one afternoon, a car of Socs pulls up, and they threaten the greasers. Pony notices he feels nothing (170), and for the first time, scares them off with a broken glass bottle. This unexpected reaction surprises Two-Bit, who tells Pony not to “get tough” because Pony is unlike “the rest of [them]” (171).
When Soda returns home that evening, Pony notices something off about his behavior, but he does not ask his brother about it. After dinner, Pony and Darry get into one of their frequent arguments, which upsets Soda enough that he runs off. Darry and Pony find that the letter he had written Sandy had been returned to him unopened. Pony realizes that he never has taken the time to consider Soda’s problems, despite Soda always being there for him (174). Darry and Pony chase Soda through the streets until Pony tackles him to the ground.
Soda explains that he always feels caught in the middle of their fights (175); both Darry and Pony are startled to hear this, not realizing what an impact their arguing had had on their brother. Soda explains that he sees both of their sides, begging them not to fight anymore: “We're all we’ve got left [...] If we don’t have each other, we don’t have anything” (175). The brothers agree, and they all race home together.
Pony reluctantly sits down to write his English essay and picks up the copy of Gone with the Wind that Johnny left him. While reflecting on the significance of their friendship, a letter from Johnny falls out of the book. In the letter, Johnny acknowledges that he will die soon, but he is no longer afraid; he believes his life was worth losing to save the children from the fire (178). Reflecting on the Frost poem Pony had recited to him in the church, Johnny concluded that Frost “meant you’re gold when you’re a kid, like green,” able to appreciate the newness of the world (178). Johnny believed the way Pony enjoys sunsets is “gold,” and he encourages him to stay that way. He reminds Pony that he still has time to invent himself, and that “There’s still lots of good in the world,” asking him to tell Dally (178).
Johnny’s last request leads Pony to consider all the other boys in similar situations to the greasers’—“hundreds of boys who maybe watched sunsets and looked at stars and ached for something better” (179). He realizes that this is “too vast a problem to be just a personal thing,” and that someone needs “to tell their side of the story” (179). Remembering Bob, Dally, and Johnny, Pony decides to write his essay about the circumstances that had claimed all three lives.
Chapters 11-12 Analysis
Finding Bob's yearbook photos prompts a moment of reflection for Ponyboy, in which he makes the effort to “see” who Bob was as a person—not just as Soc. Pony empathizes with Bob's parents' loss, and this effort to humanize the rival group is what has the potential to heal the divide. Randy's visit is symbolic of this, too: His genuine concern for Ponyboy's health and empathy for the Curtis brothers' tenuous situation reaffirms that bridging the gap is possible if members of both groups are willing to see the others as human.
The fragility of Ponyboy's mental state is clear after the concussion: to save himself from anymore grief, he temporarily denies Johnny's role in Bob's murder and even Johnny's death. Even after the hearing, which had the best possible outcome, Ponyboy continues to suffer from the effects of his concussion and his grief. By refusing to acknowledge or engage with the reality of his friends' deaths, Ponyboy begins to shut off his emotions and harden the way Dally did. His interaction with the Socs emphasizes this transition, since he feels numb and voluntarily reaches for a broken bottle to use—something he swore he would never do. But even while Dally's words echo in his head, he cleans up the broken glass, showing his underlying sensitive and considerate character.
As observant as Ponyboy is of those around him, he has overlooked Soda's struggles and has not reciprocated the support he always receives from his brother. This realization, though painful for Ponyboy, removes Soda from the pedestal Pony had placed him on and simultaneously forces Ponyboy to reflect on his own faults. The risk of losing Sodapop and tearing their family apart is finally enough for Darry and Pony to reconcile their differences and truly empathize with one another. Their commitment to healing their relationship highlights their love for one another, and how the Curtis's value their family more than anything else, even the greasers.
Throughout the novel, Ponyboy has struggled with the burden of his conflicting thoughts and feelings, and apart from admitting some to Johnny, has not been able to voice them to anyone. Mr. Syme's essay assignment finally presents Ponyboy with an opportunity to share his innermost thoughts with someone without the risk of feeling shamed by the rest of the greasers. At last, Ponyboy is ready to pick up Gone with the Wind and accept the reality of Johnny and Dally's deaths. Johnny's letter further pushes Ponyboy to verbalize his thoughts to save other outsiders, regardless of where they are in the world, from tragic fates like Dally's. By telling his own story, which he realizes must be universal, Ponyboy has the chance to prove that even “delinquents” stargaze and “[ache] for something better” (179), and they should be considered as unique individuals with potential and bright futures. Taking Johnny's advice to heart, Ponyboy can age and mature without turning hard—he can stay gold as he grows up by continuing to appreciate the beauty and good in the world.
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