Dally’s Choices

The only thing Dally loved was Johnny. Now that Johnny is gone, Dally believes that there is nothing good left in his life.

Dally decided to rob a store and then pull out his unloaded gun towards the police. The police didn't know the gun was unloaded, and they shot Dally.

Read through the next few pages to learn about some possible options Dally could have done instead of robbing a store to deal with his situation.

1

Talking With Someone

Even though Dally might not think it is "tuff" he could have talked with someone about Johnny's death.

Preferably talking to a therapist or counselor would have been especially helpful for Dally. However, even talking to a friend about how he was feeling might have helped him.

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2

Sharing Stories or Hold a Memorial Service

Sharing the good moments with others can be comforting to some people.

Dally could have held a small memorial-style service with the greasers where they talked about the good times they had with Johnny to help remember him in a positive way.

3

Make a Memory Box

Like we did in the close read lesson after Johnny died, Dally could have gathered things to help him remember the good parts of his and Johnny's relationship and created a memory box to look back on anytime he felt sad about Johnny.

4

These are NOT the only things a person can do to help cope with their grief. These are just some commonly shared ideas.

Everyone processes grief differently, so what may work for one person, may not work for another person.

If you or someone you know is grieving the loss of a loved one, please do not feel responsible for helping them on your own. Refer them to someone who is trained to help them process their emotions.

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5

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What do you think Dally should have (or could have) done to cope with his emotions and problems?

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What can readers learn from Dally’s death?

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