Why did Baby help Penny? -- Part 1

In the Dirty Dancing story, Baby Houseman helps Penny Johnson in five steps:

1) When Baby sees Penny crying in the kitchen, Baby fetches Johnny Castle and Billy Kostecki to help Penny.

2) After Baby learns that Robbie Gould has made Penny pregnant and that Penny wants to get an abortion, Baby asks Robbie to help pay for the abortion.

3) Baby gets $250 from her father and gives it to Penny to pay for the abortion.

4) Baby learns to dance well enough to replace Penny in the performance at the Sheldrake Hotel on the day of the abortion.

5) Baby fetches her father to treat Penny after the abortion.

Each of Baby's steps to help Penny involved risks for Baby. I will discuss each step in turn.

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When Baby sees Penny crying in the kitchen, Baby fetches Johnny Castle and Billy Kostecki to help Penny.

Baby's first decision risked causing trouble with Max and Neil Kellerman. Her father enjoys a special friendship with Max Kellerman, and so the Houseman is receiving special treatment at the hotel. Baby herself is enjoying a special relationship with Neil Kellerman -- a starter-boyfriend relationship.

Max and Neil manage the hotel's employers -- in particular, Penny. Baby should not undermine that management.

When Baby sees Penny crying in the kitchen, Baby knows that Penny is supposed to be dancing with guests in the gazebo. Baby knows that Johnny Castle had told Neil that Penny was away from the gazebo only briefly because Penny was "taking a break". In the kitchen, though, Baby sees that Penny is away from her job for a long time because of an emotional crisis.

Rather than pointing Penny out to Neil so that he could manage Penny's absence from her job, however, Baby misdirects Neil out of the kitchen. Then Baby fetches Johnny and Billy Kostecki to help Penny.

Although Baby knows the Kellermans rather well and receives special treatment from them, she helps instead a few employees whom she knows only casually. Earlier, at the wig demonstration, Baby had tried to talk with Penny in a friendly manner, but Penny had responded brusquely.

When Baby saw Penny crying in the kitchen, Baby might have optionally:

* Done nothing and thus allowed the situation to develop without her own intervention.

* Pointed Penny out to Neil so that he could manage the situation.

* Suggested that she and Neil leave the kitchen, without pointing Penny out and without comforting her.

* Suggested that she and Neil leave the kitchen, but then come back alone to comfort Penny.

* Suggested that she and Neil leave the kitchen, but then come back with her mother or sister to comfort Penny.

* Suggested that she and Neil leave the kitchen, but then run alone to fetch Johnny and Billy to help Penny.

Baby chose the last option, listed above.

Baby's option was the least helpful to the Kellerman's because she involved two more employees in this situation, in which the Kellermans' management was being undermined.

On the other hand, Baby's option was the most helpful to Penny, because Johnny and Billy already knew more about Penny's situation than Baby knew.

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In this situation, Baby's reasons for helping Penny this way included the following:

* Penny was a young woman who obviously was suffering an emotional crisis. As a young woman herself, Baby assumed that Neil, a young man, would not treat Penny with the necessary understanding, sympathy and kindness.

* Baby was politically liberal and idealistic, and so she reflexively favored employees over employers.

* Baby figured that this option helped Penny best (as stated already above).

* Baby wanted to take advantage of an opportunity to become more acquainted with Penny.

* Baby wanted to take advantage of an opportunity to become more acquainted with Johnny.

Baby assumed that Penny might be crying about her relationship with Johnny, and Baby was curious about that relationship.

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After Baby learns that Robbie Gould has made Penny pregnant and that Penny want to get an abortion, Baby asks Robbie to help pay for the abortion.

Baby's second decision risked causing trouble with her sister Lisa and her parents.

Since Robbie had become Lisa's boyfriend and was spending time with her, Baby too had become rather friendly with him. Therefore Baby figured that she might persuade him to provide the necessary money for Penny's abortion. On the previous day, Baby had heard him tell Lisa that was making good money and soon would have enough money to buy a car.

Baby thought that asking Robbie to provide the abortion money would be an easy way for her to help Penny. Baby reasoned:

* Robbie will consider my request because his girlfriend is my sister.

* Robbie has the cash available.

* Paying for an abortion is the right thing for him to do, since he made Penny pregnant.

Baby considered her request to be simple, easy and just. She did not foresee the complications that Robbie would express immediately.

* He would not admit to his girlfriend's sister that he had made Penny pregnant.

* He had worked all summer to accumulate the cash he had available.

* Maybe some other man made Penny pregnant.

Although the dialogue does not include any discussion of the morality or legality of abortion, Robbie wonders aloud that Baby is lecturing him about doing the right thing when she is telling him to pay for an illegal abortion. Robbie says:

Just where do you get off you telling me what's right?

Good question!

Penny's pregnancy and Robbie's responsibility are not Baby's business, and Baby is quite ignorant about the situation. Furthermore, Baby's solution is that Robbie should hand over all his summer earnings immediately so that Penny can pay for an illegal abortion.

Baby's factual knowledge and moral position are dubious. Frustrated and angry, she resorts to threatening Robbie.

You make me sick. Stay away from me. Stay away from my sister or I'll have you fired.

When Baby began her conversation with Robbie, she expected that she would help Penny simply, discretely and privately. Baby intended to keep the whole matter secret from her sister and parents.

At the end of the short conversation, though, she found herself creating a big scandal that would upset many people. She publicly poured a pitcher of water onto Robbie and threatened to expose his misdeeds to his employer and to her family. The Houseman family's condemnation of Robbie would become the major reason for Max to fire Robbie.

In the scandal that Baby now was threatening to create, Max probably would fire also Johnny and Penny -- not just Robbie.

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In this situation, Baby's options included:

* Stay out of it.

* Collect more facts before proposing solutions. For example, Baby could have asked Lisa to ask Robbie about his relationship with Penny.

* Consult with her father or mother.

* Give Penny, Johnny, Billy and their friends more time to collect the money themselves.

* Consider that an illegal abortion might not be the "right" solution.

Baby felt certain, however, that an illegal abortion was right and urgent. Baby herself had to provide the necessary money to Penny immediately -- on that very day.

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Baby had another, ulterior, selfish motive. She was curious about Penny and Johnny and their relationship. Baby felt that if she got the money quickly from Robbie, she would include herself immediately into Penny's and Johnny's social circle.

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I will continue this article in Part 2.