Outsiders+M.R.

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November 10, 2009
===In a well written paragraph, tell me which character from the Outsiders you would like to be your friend. Use the BOOK with page numbers and paragraph numbers. Of all the characters that have been mentioned in //The Outsiders// so far, Soda is the one I would be friends with. On page two, paragraph two, it says that Soda understands almost everything. It most certainly is important to have "understanding" as one of your traits in a friendship. Also, on page 2, paragraph 2, it says that Soda is always happy-go-lucky, and he seems as if he will never grow up. Soda would make a great friend because you want a friend that is always joyful and not unhappy or glum a lot. He would make a good friend because when it says "it seems he will never grow up" that means that he will stay like a kid forever. Soda would be cheerful and not stressed out and always busy which happens more as you grow older. On page 3, paragraph 2, it states that Soda could not sit still long enough to enjoy a movie. This would make me want to be friends with Soda because it means he is very active and dynamic. That is a very good trait because you do not want a friend that is lazy and never wants to do anything. I wish I //could// be friends with Soda because I know that we would be great friends for a long time. ===  ~I agree Soda sounds fun, but I don't think he shares your values. I don't see it as a friendship that would last. What about your love of education and reading? Don't you think that would come between you two? ~Mrs. Best

Jonathan Bartlett week 1 response 1 I agree with being a friend to Soda because of him understanding everything, but I would not like a friend who can't sit long enough to watch a movie because I like movies and it's fun going to them with friends. Also sometimes a friend who acts like a child all the time would be nice because he wouldn't be very worrysom, but also you couldn't take a person like that very seriously.  ~ I agree with Jonathan ~Mrs. Best

November 12, 2009
We all know that the fifth commandment is: Thou shall not kill. With that in mind, tell me what you would be feeling AND what you would do now if you were Johnny at the end of Chapter 4.

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If I were Johnny I would be feeling a lot of things at the moment. I would be very worried because the police would be coming after me soon. I would feel awful on the inside for taken another person's life. It would be very hard for me to live with that guilt for the rest of my life. I would not want to kill someone in the first place, but I did it to save my friend. Either Ponyboy or Bob would die so I would choose my friend because Bob is the enemy. Bob was drowning Ponyboy so I had to do something or he would die. Now, I will have to run away to somewhere that no one will expect to find me. I will probably have to disguise myself, too. Since Greasers have such a distinct look I will have to do something to change my hair. It will be very hard for me now that I have killed someone. =====  ~I am very surprised that you think this sounds like a good solution. ~Mrs. Best Sarah Barr - I agree with you about having the guilt for the rest of my life. i also think having a disguise would be a good idea.

B. Explain what Ponyboy finds out about Randy and the other Socs at the end of Chapter 7.

Ponyboy learned a lot of things by talking to Randy. He realizes that Socs are just people. Ponyboy finds out that not all Socs like to fight. It might seem like they do, but some of them, like Randy, are getting sick and tired of having rumbles and fights with the Greasers. Some Socs do not think that rumbles do anything because in the end the Socs will still be the Socs and, the Greasers will still be the Greasers. I does not prove anything, so people get hurt for nothing. Ponyboy finds out that even though the Socs seem like they are happy with their lives, they really aren't. Some of them are sick of their lives being the way they are. Ponyboy also realizes that even though the Socs and the Greasers are very different in some ways, they also can be the same. On page 117, paragraph four, Ponyboy says, "You would have saved those kids of you had been there. You'd have saved them the same as we did." This means that on some matters, the Greasers and the Socs would have made the same choice.

 ~ Excellent response! That is exactly what he realizes! Mrs. Best Maddie Fricker

Michaela, I agree with you very much. The Greasers and the Socs really are not as different as they thought they were. They really had a lot in common. Like you said, in some cases they would have made the same choices, like with the fire. Another similarity is that they both has good friends. In the book, Ponybody compares Steve and Soda's relationship to Bob and Randy's. Both of these groups of friends trusted the other friend when it came to secrets, cared for them, saw them often, and had known each other for almost their entire lives. Overall, great job! Your response is very interesting and thought-provoking. ~Maddie :)

Hey Michaela!
===I totally agree with you. Its really all about the competition between each other. They DON'T like fighting, and it was about time that someone from one side said something! I think that would also make a good theme for this book: Competition. They really just want to prove to each other that one side is better than the other. That's all there is to it! I especially agree with you, when you said that in the end, it isn't going to matter who wins over the other, becuase the greasers are still going to be greasers, and the socs, will still be the socs! ===

~Jane Moede
B. Explain what Two-Bit means when he says: "The only thing that keeps Darry from being a Soc is us."

The quote by Two-Bit means that Darry could be a Soc if he wanted too. He could be like the other Socs, with the better clothes and homes and with more money. The gang is what keeps Darry being a Greaser. I think that Darry feels he must protect them, and help them in their time of need. If Darry would leave the gang to be a Soc, then the Greasers would feel abandoned and betrayed. Soda and Ponyboy especially keep Darry from becoming a Soc. Darry is the oldest in the family, since their mom and dad died. Darry really cares about them because he works to jobs to provide for them. He took on the role of "Dad" because he sets rules for Soda and Ponyboy. Without him, Soda and Ponyboy would be lost, and it would be hard for them to adapt without Darry. Darry has a big impact on the gang, and without him, it would be hard.  ~I think Two-Bit realizes that Darry's values are very different than most of the other greasers. I think he realizes that he has a kind, honest soul, and he believes in hard work and education. Those are not greaser values. ~Mrs. Best