Chapter 10 Summary

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Dallas leaves with his car, so Ponyboy is left to walk home from the hospital alone. He is grieving, sick, and dazed from the kick to his head in the fight. For several hours he stumbles confusedly through the streets, trying to convince himself that Johnny is not really dead. Eventually a man stops him, tells him he is hurt, and gives him a ride home.

When Ponyboy arrives, the whole gang is waiting for him and wondering where he has gone. At first Darry seems angry, but then he looks at Ponyboy’s face and realizes something is wrong. Ponyboy explains that Johnny is dead and Dallas is missing. Before this news has a chance to sink in, a phone rings, and Dallas is on the line. He says he held up a liquor store and the cops are after him. He needs the gang’s help.

The guys run out to meet Dallas in the vacant lot. They see him coming, with the cops right behind him. Under the streetlights, Dallas turns around and pulls his gun. The police shoot and kill him. Ponyboy realizes right away that Dallas wanted to die. Johnny was the only person Dallas loved, and Dallas could not stand to live with Johnny gone. Ponyboy reflects that Dallas’s death will not be recognized as heroic, as Johnny’s was, but that Dallas always acted gallantly toward his friends.

Ponyboy passes out, sick with a fever. He spends several days in bed, sleeping intermittently. When he finally wakes up, Darry is beside him. Ponyboy can hardly remember what has happened. It takes him some time to remember that Johnny and Dallas are dead. Darry says Johnny left Ponyboy his copy of Gone with the Wind, but Ponyboy knows he will never look at that book again. It would be too painful.

Now that Ponyboy is awake, he realizes that Soda and Darry look completely worn out. Ponyboy feels guilty and hopes he did not say anything to upset them while he was unconscious. Soda reassures him on this point and explains why he and Darry look so tired. During the days of Ponyboy’s illness, the two of them have been sitting by Ponyboy’s bed almost constantly. The doctors kept telling Darry and Soda that they would get sick too. Darry goes to make soup, and Soda crawls into Ponyboy’s bed. They are both asleep by the time Darry returns with the food.

Expert Q&A

Why did Ponyboy inquire about Darry during his illness in The Outsiders?

Ponyboy inquires about Darry during his illness because he realizes how much Darry cares for him, despite previously believing that Darry was too hard on him. After witnessing Darry's emotional reaction at the hospital, Ponyboy understands his brother's strictness as a form of care and love. This realization prompts Ponyboy to worry about hurting Darry's feelings, indicating a shift in their relationship and Ponyboy's growing understanding of Darry's true intentions.

In The Outsiders, did the police know Dally's gun was fake after shooting him?

The police did not know Dally's gun was unloaded when they shot him. In a tense situation after Dally robbed a store and was on the run, he pulled out the gun, prompting the police to shoot in self-defense. The fact that the gun was unloaded likely became known after the incident, possibly through reports or news, but it did not change the immediate circumstances leading to Dally's death, which was influenced by his grief over Johnny's death.

What does the man who drives Ponyboy home notice in The Outsiders?

In The Outsiders, the man who gives Ponyboy a ride home notices that his head is cut badly and that he is bleeding all over the seats. He draws Ponyboy's attention to his wounds, and Ponyboy becomes aware of his injuries for the first time.

What is Dallas charged with in The Outsiders?

In The Outsiders, Dallas is charged with robbing a grocery store. His criminal record is extensive, including getting drunk and "jumping" young kids. His actions ultimately lead to a confrontation with the police, where he raises an unloaded gun, resulting in his death by police gunfire.

Ponyboy's Fainting and Passing Out in The Outsiders

Ponyboy faints in Chapter 10 of The Outsiders due to severe physical and emotional trauma. He has endured a violent rumble, witnessed the deaths of his friends Johnny and Dally, and is mentally and physically exhausted. The combination of these overwhelming experiences causes him to lose consciousness after Dally's death.

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