Why Does Cherry Say She Never Wants to See Dally Again

The side by side night, Johnny and Ponyboy meet Dally and head to the bulldoze-in. On the manner, they make a little bit of trouble at a drugstore, where Dally shoplifts cigarettes. The boys so sneak in to one of the drive-ins that greasers oft visit.

Like many things in town, the bulldoze-ins are unremarkably segregated between Socs and greasers. Hinton illustrates typical greaser behavior in the drugstore shoplifting scene.

There are some Socs at the drive-in, and the boys sit downwards behind 2 Soc girls. Coquet harasses the girls with dirty talk. Ponyboy feels uncomfortable and declines to join in, while Johnny leaves to go a Coke. Ane of the girls, a redhead named Carmine Valance, calmly tells Dally to close up. He doesn't listen. The girls refer to the boys as "greasers" and "hoods."

Ponyboy shows his independence through his disapproval of some of the more unpleasant greaser beliefs. That he is bothered by the Soc girls' labeling of him and his friends shows that he can see by those labels.

Before long Dally walks off to the concession booth, and Crimson and Ponyboy start talking. Cherry compliments Ponyboy'due south name, and as they talk most school Ponyboy reveals that he's skipped a grade. They as well talk about Sodapop, whom Cherry calls a "doll." She wonders where Sodapop has been recently. Ashamed, Ponyboy admits that Soda has dropped out of schoolhouse to work at a gas station.

Cherry demonstrates open-mindedness in her chat with Ponyboy. She seems genuinely interested in him as a person and does not care for him as just another greaser. Ponyboy'southward sensitivity and academic success do actually set up him apart from well-nigh greasers.

Active Themes

When Johnny returns, Cherry-red smiles at him. But when Dally soon returns and offers Cherry a Coke, she throws it in Dally's face and calls him a "greaser." Dally continues to pester her until Johnny tells Dally to leave Cherry alone. Dally, shocked, storms off. Ponyboy thinks about the relationship between Johnny and Dally, commenting that Johnny is Coquet'south "pet," while Coquet is Johnny's hero. Cherry expresses gratitude to Johnny, and the girls invite Johnny and Ponyboy to sit with them.

When Dally is abroad, the Soc girls, Ponyboy, and Johnny seem similar they could be friends. Only as presently equally Dally starts acting like a greaser, that's all the girls see in him. Dally'due south not-fierce reaction to Johnny's command shows the bail the ii share. Dally respects Johnny's kindness, fifty-fifty if he can't show such kindness himself.

The Soc girls continue talking with Ponyboy and Johnny. Johnny eventually asks Cherry why she isn't afraid of them the mode she is of Coquet. She explains that they don't act, speak, or expect in the mean or frightening manner that Dally does. The girls and so reveal that they abandoned their boyfriends considering their boyfriends brought alcohol to the drive-in.

Cherry is willing to go to know people rather than relying on stereotypes. She sees Johnny and Ponyboy for what they say and practise, not just how they look. The boyfriends' beliefs indicates that Socs aren't better people than greasers.

Agile Themes

Of a sudden, Two-Flake comes up behind the boys and shouts, "Okay, greasers, yous've had it." Johnny and Ponyboy spring, thinking that they're being confronted by a Soc. Johnny is particularly shaken. Two-Chip sits down and banters with Ruddy and Marcia. He'southward looking for Dally, who's slashed the tires of a car owned past another local tough, Tim Shepard, and is about to fight him. They discuss the rules of off-white fighting, which the boys say are commonly understood among greasers simply not ever respected by Socs. Blood-red and Ponyboy get up to buy popcorn. Waiting in line, Ruby-red asks Ponyboy virtually Johnny'due south past.

Ponyboy and Johnny are aware that they're taking a run a risk past socializing in public with Soc girls. Two-Scrap's joke foreshadows the fight between Socs and greasers that occurs in Chapter four. More than details of the greasers' code of conduct are revealed when Two-Bit talks about what makes for a fair fight. Johnny's reaction to the scare illustrates how deeply the Socs' recent attack on him has scarred him.

Ponyboy tells Reddish that the Socs attacked Johnny four months earlier: the greasers found Johnny lying motionless in the park. The severity of his wounds shocked them all, but Coquet was especially affected. Johnny revealed that a group of Socs in a blue Mustang threatened and crush him for no apparent reason. Johnny now carries a switchblade that he plans to use if he ever gets jumped again.

The attack on Johnny highlights the destructive and senseless nature of the Soc-greaser conflict. Dally'south reaction to Johnny'southward injuries again shows his item desire to protect the younger boy. Johnny'due south switchblade will evidence important in later capacity.

Active Themes

Related Quotes with Explanations

Ponyboy's story shocks Carmine. She assures Ponyboy that all Socs are not similar the ones who jumped Johnny. Ponyboy is doubtful. Ruby persists past reasoning, for case, that not all greasers are not like Dally. Ponyboy concedes the betoken. Blood-red tells Ponyboy that Socs have problems, also, and says, "Things are rough all over." Ponyboy doesn't understand what she ways.

Cherry begins to assistance Ponyboy see people as individuals, and to understand that those individuals have similarities, regardless of their appearance or their grouping.

Related Quotes with Explanations

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