Student Question
What are five events that led to Bob's stabbing in The Outsiders?
Quick answer:
Some events that led up to Bob's stabbing in The Outsiders are Dally annoying the Soc cheerleaders; the Soc cheerleaders befriending Pony and Johnny; Cherry and Marcia's Soc boyfriends pulling up to take them home; Pony and Johnny falling asleep outside and Pony waking up past his curfew; and Darry losing his temper and slapping Ponyboy in the face when he comes home late, which motivates Pony to run away.
There are several events that lead to Bob's stabbing, beginning with Pony and Johnny's introduction to Cherry and Marcia. In chapter 2, Pony, Johnny, and Dally go to the drive-in movies, where they sit behind two Soc cheerleaders. Dally rudely begins to bother the girls by cursing loudly and trying to distract them from the movie. Pony mentions,
Dally was getting impatient. He put his feet up on the back of the redhead's chair, winked at me, and beat his own record for saying something dirty. She turned around and gave him a cool stare (Hinton, 19).
After Dally gets the girls' attention, he heads to the concession stand, and the girls befriend Pony and Johnny, who were innocently sitting next to Dally. Cherry strikes up a conversation with Pony by saying,
What's a nice, smart kid like you running around with trash like that for? (Hinton, 21)
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
What's a nice, smart kid like you running around with trash like that for? (Hinton, 21)
When Dally returns, Cherry throws a Coke in his face and Johnny comes to her defense. Pony and Cherry then walk to the concession stand and have an enlightening conversation. After the movie, Two-Bit offers the girls a ride home, and the group walks towards his house. On their way to Two-Bit's house, a group of Socs pulls up in a blue Mustang. The Socs notice the Greasers hanging out with their girlfriends and end up taking Cherry and Marcia home. Pony describes when the Socs arrived by saying,
The Mustang came to a halt beside us, and the two boys in the front seat got out. They were Socs all right...The Socs didn't even seem to see us (Hinton, 38).
Following the tense situation, Pony and Johnny do not go straight home and discuss their difficult lives as they lay on their backs and look at the stars. Unfortunately, Pony falls asleep and wakes up past his curfew. When Pony wakes up, Johnny tells him,
I went to sleep, too, listening to you rattle on and on. You'd better get home. I think I'll stay all night out here (Hinton, 43).
Darry severely reprimands Pony for staying out past his curfew, and the two siblings get into a serious altercation. Darry loses control of his temper and ends up slapping Pony, which motivates him to run away. Pony mentions,
Darry wheeled around and slapped me so hard that it knocked me against the door (Hinton, 44).
Later that night, Pony and Johnny are hanging out at a local park when the same blue Mustang pulls up. The Socs recognize them as the Greasers who were hanging out with Cherry and Marcia. Bob Sheldon then grabs Pony and attempts to drown him in the park fountain, which influences Johnny to stab him. Tragically, Johnny ends up killing Bob Sheldon in self-defense.