Author: S.E.Hinton
<span><u><em>- Chapter 9
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<span>As Ponyboy gets ready to take part in the rumble, he swallows five aspirins to ease off his sickness and takes a bath to make him look ‘tuff’. The boys head off to the rumble excitedly. Shortly afterwards, twenty two socs arrive and Darry steps forward to be the first fighter. As a challenge, Paul Holden steps forward as well. Darry is amazed to see his high school friend and football teammate challenge him. As they challenge each other, Dally joins the fight and this causes the fight to become stronger with other members joining. After such a struggle, the greasers finally win. </span>
<span>Ponyboy and Dally rush to the hospital to take a look at Johnny’s condition. Due to them speeding, a police officer stops their car. Ponyboy fakes an injury which in turn, causes the officer to escort them to the hospital. When they finally reach the hospital, they unfortunately find Johnny dying. He tells Ponyboy to ‘stay gold’ before he dies. </span>
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<span>Ponyboy wanders around the hospital for several hours. A man asks him whether he is okay and offers to give him a ride. When he reaches his home, he tells everyone that Johnny is dead and that Dally has run away. Shortly afterwards, they receive a call from Dally with a message that he has just robbed a grocery store and has police officers chasing him. The greasers go outside to assist him and Dally pulls out his unloaded gun which causes the police to shoot him. Dally dies and Ponyboy thinks that he had done this on purpose. Feeling confused and overwhelmed, he gets a concussion and passes out. After three days, Ponyboy finally wakes up with Darry sitting beside him.</span>
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<em><u>- Chapter 11</u></em>
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Ponyboy is on the bed for the rest of the week and finds a picture of Bob (dead soc) when looking through his yearbook. He wonders whether his parents hate him and his smile reminds him of Sodapop. He finally concludes that Bob was easily angered and frightened, however, was still a human.
After a while, Randy arrives and wishes to talk to Ponyboy. Incredibly, he reveals that he has been worried as they have to be present before the judge the next day. Ponyboy, being protective, says that he was the one who killed Bob instead of Johnny.
<em><u>- Chapter 12</u></em>
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During the hearing, Ponyboy doesn’t say much. The judge asks a few questions about his life and then allows him to return and stay with his brothers. However, Ponyboy is still depressed as his grades are dropping and he easily loses his focus and coordination. Mr. Syme, his English teacher, says the he can still improve if he can write an good theme.
That same night, Sodapop runs outside crying as he’s upset that Sandy returned his letter, unopened. He reveals that their arguments are causing this to happen.
They all go back home and
Ponyboy takes a close looks at <u>Gone with the Wind</u>. He finds a note from
Johnny which send him the same message: ‘Stay Gold’. Ponyboy finally knows what
he wants to write as his theme. He starts with the novel <u>The Outsiders</u><span>: “When
I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I
had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home.”</span>
Thank you!