When Finny learns that Gene is considering enlisting in the war, Finny immediately thinks that Gene is deserting him. He becomes upset and tries to divert the conversation by changing the topic. Finny changes the focus of the discussion from war to showers in an attempt to hide his astonishment, but Gene sees through it. While Finny is certainly surprised by the fact that he may be losing his friend to the war, Gene is also just as surprised at realizing what he means to Finny. On page 108 Gene comes to the conclusion that " Phineas was shocked at the idea of me leaving. In some way he needed me... He wanted me around," and that is when Gene understood that he would not be enlisting, and that he was going to stick with Finny.
The reaction that Finny has to the whole situation shows Gene that Finny needs him there. Their relationship used to make Gene feel as though he was blessed to have Finny as a friend. Now, it seems like the tables have turned and that Finny, not Gene, is depending on this friendship.
Do you think that Finny secretly always needed Gene, or that this is a recent development?
Is Gene going to regret his decision about now enlisting in the army?
I like how Genna said that the tables are turning. There friendship is beginning to balance out now. Finny cannot navigate this school on his own any more, but he is popular and could easily find new friends. Finny did always need Gene to somewhat keep him on track for academics. We know now that Finny does trust Gene a lot, he trusts him too much to believe that he would push him off the tree. He now feels that his trust was broken when Finny was about to abandon him at Devon. Gene seemed proud when he realized Finny needed him. Just like earlier in the book when he said how great it was that Finny chose him for a friend. Do you think that they will get along better or worse now that Gene knows Finny actually needs him?
ReplyDeleteGreat job Genna,
ReplyDeleteI agree with Allie about the fact that there friendship is now becoming more balanced. This seems like a recent development because Finny used to be very popular and Gene was dependent on him, but we have seen that Gene is capable of being on his own. I believe that they are gradually switching places in their friendship. Finny is becoming more studious and is relying more on Gene, and Gene is learning how to become a better athlete and is taking the superior role in their friendship. Do you believe that these roles will be permanent?
I fully agree with Genna, Finny needs gene now more than ever. Finny is in a state of pure vulnerability now. His leg is broken and his dreams of being an athlete are finished. Finny and Gene are gradually switching places, Gene is finding a power within him that he didn't know he wielded. The same power existed in Finny before he "shattered" his leg, now its as if Finny is passing it on. At the same time Finny is becoming smart and a little bit more of an under dog while he's giving Gene his time to shine. Gene is Finny's puppet and Finny is Genes puppet. This is probably the first time that they feel equal the whole book.
ReplyDeleteThe way Genna says that the tables are turning is true because as Daniel said its now Gene's time to shine it means Finny's time is over due to his injury and now Gene can shine and show his potential through his intelligence in academics. Answering Genna's question of did Finny ever secretly relied on Gene or is it just a recent development I think that it is a recent development because Finny was a very popular before his injury and Gene was not a contributing factor to his popularity so that proves it is just a recent development. My last thought is I think Gene all along has just been thinking too much and he should have stopped himself from becoming too paranoid about Finny.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the point that the tables have turned, but one also has to consider that as the tables turn, the two roommates, Gene and Finny, gain a better understanding of each other. In chapter 5, on page 62, Gene trys on Finny's clothes and remarks that not only he captured Finny's looks, but also he became Phineas. "I was Phineas, Phineas to the life". He felt like a reincarnation of Finny, he had his grins, his mindset, and his feelings. Gene is no longer purely jealous, he had the ability to feel what Finny's going through. Whatever the reason is, Gene still does what Finny wants him too, and even though the tables have turned, they haven't turned enough that Finny has lost the upper hand on Gene.
ReplyDelete