Ponyboy's run away was prompted by which incident?

• A. Johnny's persuasion
• B. Darry's anger toward him after he came home late
• C. Soda's advice
• D. Dally's challenge

Answer: (B)

Ponyboy’s decision to run away comes from a heated clash at home. After Ponyboy arrives late, Darry—trying to hold the family together and push Ponyboy to be responsible—lashes out in anger. That confrontation makes Ponyboy feel unloved and misunderstood, pushing him to leave and seek refuge with Johnny and the others. The other options don’t fit because none of those people initiates the runaway at that moment; they influence events later, but the immediate trigger is Darry’s anger after he came home late.