In chapter 10, Gene visits Leper in Vermont after getting a letter that he ‘escaped’. When Gene arrives, Leper starts insulting him and saying he was always a savage underneath. This comment is very ironic because in this chapter, Leper’s dark side is shown. He accuses Gene, insults him, and starts spilling out his feelings. Before the war, Leper represented the innocence at Devon. He didn’t care about much, and went with the flow. After the war, he had become a monster. The war changed him in a negative way, “’A section eight discharge is for the nuts in the service, the psychos, the Funny Farm candidates.” In this case, the war turned him into a nut case. Leper is now starting to realize what the war did to him.
Leper was the one with a savage underneath. He was hiding his anger behind his innocence. The war broke the wall. Going to war brought out his evil side. Leper even admits that the war changed him, “‘you’re thinking I’m not normal, aren’t you? I can see what you’re thinking—I see a lot I never saw before’ –his voice fell to a querulous whisper—‘you’re thinking I’m going psycho’” (Page 143).
Do you think Leper will ever go back to the war? Why?
Will Leper return to Devon? Why or why not?
Will Gene and Leper’s friendship be repaired, even though Gene left him standing in the snow alone?
I agree with everything you said about the war turning Leper into a savage. I think that Gene and Lepers friendship will never get repaired. I feel that Gene thinks he is a complete psycho, and that he kind of scares Gene. Also, I feel that he is not in a good enough state to return to Devon, so Gene and him will no longer have contact. But I feel this is better for both of them, knowing how Gene ran away from him. Would it be a positive or negative thing if they continued to have contact?
ReplyDeleteI agree with most everything you said, Rachel. However, I believe that the war brought out the insanity, not anger, in Leper. Throughout the novel, Leper has always been...different. It hasn't been to such a severe point though. The war brought out the insanity, not anger in Leper. I don't think that Gene and Leper's friendship will ever be repaired. It seems to me that Leper is beginning to scare Gene, hence why he left him there in the snow. Due to the fact that Leper seems to be very emotionally damaged, Leper most likely will never forgive Gene.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that Leper is an example of how the war is starting to affect Gene and Devon. In the beginning of the book Leper and Devon were all peaceful, happy, and innocent, but now in the cold winter time it is showing how Leper innocence has been broken by this War. From the start War did not seem like a reality, but now there actual experiences of people that Gene knows. I think it is ironic that Leper accused Gene of being savage, not because Gene is super nice or something like that, it is more because that Leper accused Gene of pushing Finny off the branch and that Leper was exactly right that Gene pushed Leper off. Leper is not ready to go back to Devon yet, but I think after a while Leper will calm down and return to Devon.
ReplyDeleteI do not think Leper will go back to the war because the war wasn't what Leper expected it to be, and it tore him apart. I believe that Leper escaped because he didn't want to receive a section 8 discharge, so my question is: Would the military even allow Leper to re-enlist? I am guessing that Leper will return to Devon, but not for a while. I think that he is mentally shaken and isn't ready to return to the real world. Also, I wonder what the kids at Devon would think of Leper. I think that Gene and Leper will communicate with each other, but won't become as close as they used to be. I don't think either of them can trust the other.
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