Tuesday, November 20, 2012

In The Outsiders, why does Ponyboy take responsibility for killing Bob Sheldon?

When Randy Adderson visits Ponyboy, Pony tells him that he killed Bob Sheldon. When Randy tries to correct Ponyboy by telling him that Johnny killed Bob, Pony doesn't listen to Randy and insists that he killed Bob. The reason Ponyboy takes responsibility for killing Bob Sheldon is because he is suffering from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Ponyboy had just witnessed the deaths of his two close friends. He is having a hard time accepting reality, and attempts to repress his memories. He refuses to believe Johnny is dead and takes responsibility for Bob's murder. Pony is subconsciously trying to deal with the deaths of his two friends and struggles to accept the reality of the situation. Since Ponyboy is mentally ill after witnessing such traumatic experiences, he is not asked any specific questions about the murder during the trial.

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