Character Analysis III: Perception- Bob vs. Dallas
A/N: This will be formatted in an analysis of each character, then a comparison lastly.
Disclaimer: Bobâs analysis is based off facts, but I make inferences into his character. If you know that you donât agree with my perception of Bob, then you might not want to continue.
Bob Sheldonâs perception of himself is mixture of both low and high self-esteem, which sounds confusing but, in reality, is very simple.
When he hears the name âBob Sheldonâ, he thinks of a popular, cocky Soc boy with a cool reputation. Internally, Bob is riddled with conflict he has trouble facing.
Bob perceives others as below him, generally. A lot of that isnât mental, he is just wealthy and naturally takes on a negative view towards those of the lower class.
He subconsciously compares his achievements and social standings to others to not only make himself feel more important, but to know how to treat them or manipulate them in the future.
Bob doesnât do this maliciously. Itâs a single second, subconscious routine. He knows many people and in an effort to constantly associate with more, the quick ranking lets him know to do something as simple as joke around with the person in first period, or whether or not theyâll give him a pencil if heâs out of one for the third time in a week.
He hangs around people he perceives to be on the same level of him. This is natural, you probably try to hang out with people as popular as you. Bob might know something super shady about a boy, but heâll perceive him the same (itâs only his emotions towards them thatâs different. Despite being impulsive, he functions in this regard with his mind and keeps it separate from his feelings).
Perception of his own actions
You might think that with how narcissistic Bob comes off, that he finds his own actions justified. Though, most of the time, he thinks heâs a fucking idiot and regrets what heâs done.
This is because he acts in emotional outbursts, as I discussed in the first ever Character Analysis, and is extremely impulsive. He doesnât have much control of himself when he acts this way.
That is not to justify his attacking of greasers, however. Bob knows exactly what he is doing but the expression of his repressed emotions keeps him from stopping.
It is very hard for him to be always in his head yet so often unable to control himself. He uses drinking to cope (which helps him with this). It relaxes him, allows him to go with the flow and also takes away his responsibility when he wouldnât have had control, anyways. He has something to blame.
Bob has a black and white perception. Heâs strongly influenced by the things heâs seen. Rebellious because of a lack of fear in authority figures and a lack of structure given by parents. Bitter because of things he shouldnât have witnessed.
Bob is at the top of society. To others, itâs envious. It appears fun, playing such a role in the community with other important figures. But when that dream is crushed, thereâs nowhere you can escape. Youâre at the top of the food chain and the social ladder. The only thing you can do is jump PMFAOO Iâm kidding thatâs a lyric from my emo mixtape
Dallas has an interesting perception of himself. He is very similar to Bob in that he refuses to face his inner turmoil, and projects a cocky exterior. However, Dallas doesnât have indicators of self worth (heâs not rich, he doesnât even have a permanent home, etc.), so that explains why he boasts about his record and crimes.
They are the only labels he can put to his name. So, Dallas views himself as a hood. A loser, but the toughest juvenile delinquent in Tulsa.
Dallas isnât particularly intuitive or aware. He perceives others as others, unless he has a reason not to like them. Then, he can look around a room and say, âSnitchâ, âLazyâ, âAnnoyingâ, âToo goodâ, âCrybabyâ, etc.
He doesnât spend lots of time focused on others. Heâs rather self-absorbed, but he doesnât mean to be. I donât think Dallas quite realizes it.
Perception of his own actions
Generally, Dally knows if heâs fucked up. But heâs very stubborn and doesnât like to even admit that to himself. He doesnât have very much control so control in his own actions is something he values (despite not making the best choices).
He views everything heâs done as justified and well thought out. Itâs primarily a defense mechanism.
Being a JD and lower class, he does have a warped sense of right and wrong. His crimes are his only achievements, so heâll never accept that theyâre wrong.
If heâs jumped three younger boys for no reason (an emotional outburst, woah, my work is connecting yet again), and won, he wonât see that as wrong. In fact, heâs proud.
If heâs stolen money from a rich elderly man, thatâs awesome, though it depends on how much he stole (one time he got over 300 dollars, so if he managed to steal 50 itâs about mediocre).
Dallas is bitter, he also sees things in black and white. He has no trust in authority, hates those richer or better off than him, but at the same time knows just how ruthless hoods are. He can try his hardest to impress Sylvia, but sheâll cheat on him anyways. He can agree to split evenly, even though heâs stealing most of the car parts, but in the end his so-called buddy will take off with his money anyways.
Greasers are just trying to survive. So, really, Dallas doesnât trust anyone. He naturally has a dark view of the world due to everything heâs been through.
Dallas and Bob have a similar sense of self. They both try to hide their inner conflict (which isnât extremely significant, though, seeing as most characters do) and project a more confident self. They also both rank their achievements to create a sense of self worth (Dallyâs being his crimes, Bobâs focusing more on his social standing).
They both compare themselves to others (as a part of the sense of self worth aspect weâve already discussed). However, Dallas is definitely less intuitive. He is more focused on himself, he doesnât give thought to other people the way Bob does. This is probably due to Dally being slightly more bitter, thinking that even if he tries to manipulate people it will still backfire. He doesnât bother trying to gain the control he so desperately wants because he knows (thinks, anyway) that he will never truly have it.
Bob acts impulsively and deeply regrets it. He hates his lack of control where Dallas has grown used to it, and doesnât bother trying to blame his mistakes on other factors (like alcohol, for Bob). It helps that crimes are somewhat expected of Dallas, so he feels bitter happiness in âgiving the people what they wantâ. Bob somewhat faces repercussions for his outbursts where Dallas has already been to jail and nothing worse can happen to him that hasnât already.
They both have a very pessimistic black and white view of the world. However, they are both able to put it aside in functioning. They are both bitter and have no faith in anyone.
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