Contemptuously: Without respect; in a disdainful matter Important quotations: “He was in critical condition. His back had been broken when that piece of timber fell on him. He was in severe shock and suffering from third-degree burns. They were doing everything they could to ease the pain, although since his back was broken he couldn’t even feel the burns below his waist. He kept calling for Dallas and Pony. If he lived… If? Please, no, I thought. Please not 1 OFF friend, Johnny, might die. Even if he did survive, Johnny would be crippled for the rest f his life.
Just a day ago, Johnny was a lively sixteen-year-old. But now, he’s barely hanging on and grasping for life that he now learnt to value. Pony is Just absolutely shocked how quick and drastically an event could change someone’s life. “l was trembling. A pain was growing in my throat and I wanted to cry, but greasers don’t cry in front of strangers. Some of us never cry at all. Like Dally and Two-Bit and Tim Sheppard-they forgot how at an early age… ” This explains how Greasers have to keep up a tough image in front of others.
Even at pressing and heart-breaking moments, they’re expected to put up a faded and not shed any tears as it represents that they’ve hardened living on the streets and that they’re so tough and strong that they can handle anything. They might let a tear drop in front of their closest friends, but never in front of strangers. It’s like an unwritten rule of the Greasers. “… Our front door is always unlocked in case one of the boys is hacked off at his parents and needs a place to lay over and cool off. We never could tell who we’d find stretched out on the sofa in the morning… ” And “…
He’d risk a robbery, he said, if it meant keeping one of the boys from blowing up and robbing a gas station or something. So the door was never locked. ” -> Darryl would rather handle a robbery in their house than have one of the boys make a stupid decision and get in trouble because they’re angry and hotheaded. This shows that Darryl truly cares for the gang and it also symbolizes that Greasers stick together and always have each other’s backs. Chapter Summary: Pony, Soda, and Darryl are in the hospital waiting room that is crowded with reporters and policemen interviewing the boys.
When the doctor finally arrives, he informs them of Dally and Johnny’s conditions. He says that Dally would be okay, but Johnny is critical condition. If he does survive, Johnny would be crippled below his waist for the rest of his life. Shocked, Pony has a silent moment of weakness as Darryl tries to soothe him and drive the boys back home. The next morning, Pony is the first one up and decides to fix breakfast. Two-Bit and Steve pays him a visit and shows him the latest newspaper. In the front page of the second section, the headlines are .
The article wrote about Johnny and Pony saving the kids heroically. It also mentioned the story of their of charging Johnny with manslaughter, and that Pony was to appear at Juvenile court for running away. A separate column included details of Pony, Soda, and Dairy’s lives. It also wrote about the possibility of putting Pony and Soda in a boys’ home. As Darryl and Soda are eating breakfast and preparing to go to work, Pony uselessly asks Soda about Sandy, but finds out that her parents sent her away to Florida. There’s a slight hint that it was because Sandy was pregnant.
Darryl and Soda reluctantly go to work (mostly Darryl) when Two-Bit volunteers to babysat Pony. The two head to the Tasty Freeze to get some Cokes as the Soc’ blue Mustang pulls in. Two-Bit reminds them that there’s no fighting before the rumble, and Randy, Marcia’s boyfriend and Bob’s friend, reassures him and says he lust wants to talk to Pony. Randy questions Pony about why he saved those kids commenting about how he didn’t expect a Greaser to do such a thing and that he would’ve Just let those kids burn. Pony tells him that being a Greaser doesn’t have anything to do with the individual.
Randy expresses his opinion of Bob and how his friend wouldn’t have turned out this way if his parents disciplined him more. Stating that he’ll be ditching the rumble, Randy also informs Pony about his plans to run away from town. Pony tells him that running away wouldn’t help and observes that he would’ve helped the children if he were there. Randy utters out “Thanks, grease… ” But corrects himself. It shows that Randy is finally realizing that Just by being part of a certain group, it doesn’t mean it’ll influence your individual identity.
