Answer at least one of the following questions in a thoughtful, focused paragraph. Try to use a quote for support. Also, make sure to ask your own questions to push the discussion.
1. Is this a story about Gene or Finny? Why?
2. What lessons can be learned from reading this novel? How can you relate to this novel on a personal level?
3. How is the reader meant to feel about Gene? Do we judge him for his actions? Condemn him for them? Or is he a sympathetic character?
4. Some have said that Finny's death feels unwarranted, others say it's necessary for the novel's logical conclusion. What do you think?
6. What would O.G (Old Gene) say to Y.G.(Young Gene) in a letter 15 years after he graduated from Devon?
7.If you could sit down and talk to John Knowles about his novel, what would you ask?
8. Create an "elevator pitch" for the novel and then explain your thinking.
Question 1:
ReplyDeleteAnswering the first question, events throughout the book were about both Gene and Finny but the message, the story and the reason why the novel was made, was about Finny.
First of all one obvious reason why i think think the Story is about Finny is because the book never really talk about Gene. all though he was the main character and it is told through his point of view, all of his thoughts are about Finny. Everything that he was thinking, even when he was visiting Leper and on a vacation during the summer, his thoughts revolved around his best friend, Finny. An example of the obsessive thoughts is on the top of p. 80, after the fight with Quackenbush, where Finny wasn't even present. "I had pictured myself in the role of Finny's defender, and i didn't suppose that he would have thanked me for it now. He was too loyal to anything connected with himself- room mate, his dormitory, his class, his school, outward in the vastly expanded circles of loyalty until i couldn't imagine who would be excluded."
Now, getting to my second point, of the message of the book being about Finny. First of all, as described above Gene didn't have any main messages to be important to the book, since they are all were about Finny. The real meaning to the book, as we talked about in class was that Finny is too "pure." Although, it is a harsh message, John Knowles is trying to get it into peoples minds that you cant live life this way. You cant pretend people aren't there, or things are happening, because they are. If you do this bad things will happen to you, like Finny, who died, because he didn't know what was going on in the real world around him and instead he got mixed up in his own little fantasy world where everything was perfect, and nobody did anything wrong.
Questions to Think About:
1) why do you think that John Knowles decided to have this be the message (was it really to help people in the world or was it just to make the book interesting?)
2) Do you think that Gene ever realized that Finny was this way and thats why he was forgiven and treated so well or do you think he was to engaged in Finny's "amazing ways"
3)Do you think that Genes thoughts about Finny helped the novel along? (a lot, a little, or it didn't matter /think of what the story would be like without his thoughts -did John Knowles put them in there for a specific reason.?)
Question 3:
ReplyDeleteGene is a very complicated character to judge based on his love (but rare internal hate) of Finny. Through an analytical summary and the symbolization of certain characters, Gene's characterization and overall internal motivations will become more evident.
Even though no one is perfect, Gene "jounced" the limb on a tree where he and Finny stood. A physical subconscious accident would normally be excused except for that Gene was previously resentful of Finny. At the same time, it was still in question that Gene purposely jounced the limb. After all, Finny and Gene were supposedly best friends who encountered a bump in their relationship (Gene's anger of Finny's success). Gene could have just been excited to perform a "double-jump" off of a tree. Gene was internally destroyed subsequent to the news that Finny's leg was shattered until he actually went back to living with Finny in a dormitory at Devon. Gene began to listen and admire Finny to a greater extent than before. As Finny could feel his leg getting stronger (p.155), their friendship became stronger. After Finny fell down the stairs, the friendship faltered.
In the story, it was evident that Finny symbolized innocence and purity. The shattered leg represented the negative part of their friendship. Gene symbolized the normal human being. All humans make mistakes both subconsciously and consciously. Gene showed tremendous care for Finny after he was hurt, as a normal human being would do. As Leper claimed, "[All humans are] savage underneath (p. 145)." There are always going to be negative motivations and thoughts running through a human's head.
Overall, Gene is a sympathetic, caring character. In an adverse environment where everyone is trying to realize who they are, Gene was trying to do the same. He should not be condemned for a freak accident when his worst internal thought was expressed externally. What do you think makes a "normal" human being?
Question 7:If you could sit down and talk to John Knowles about his novel, what would you ask?
ReplyDeleteI choose this question because there are few ideas in the book that could be asked or questioned about.
John Knowles, did you intend this book to relate or be read by kids or adults? Was this book inspired from your experience at Philips Academy? Did Gene represent yourself as a kid? Did you intend to have many hidden meanings in this novel? What was the main theme in this novel, Friendship, Guilt, or something else? Did you ever think about a different ending instead of having Finny die? Would you say this novel teaches important lessons? Did you have any experience in War? Did you create Gene to seem as a good or bad friend/person? Does this book have any emotional value to yourself? Did you have a close friend like Finny? Throughout the whole book was Gene trying to find himself? What would you say the climax of the Separate peace would be? Did you ever think that this book would become a classic?
Questions for you, What would you say is the climax of the story? Do you think Gene is a bad or good character? Did you enjoy this novel?
Answering Mr. Rossiter's third question,
ReplyDeleteI believe that the reader is supposed to be sympathetic to Gene throughout the novel, because we know exactly what his thought process is. We see the guilt that he undergoes as well as the regret he experiences. Although, since we see what is going on inside his head, we view all of Gene's actions and perspectives. This can steer our opinion on him in the wrong direction for example on page 59-60: "Holding firmly to the trunk, I took a step toward him, and then my knees bent and I jounced the limb. Finny, his balance gone, swung his head around to look at me for an instant with extreme interest, and then he tumbled sideways, broke through the little branches below and hit the bank with a sickening, unnatural thud."This quote makes the reader have a terrible opinion on Gene because we see the crimes he has committed against his friend even though he has just made a mistake like any human.
1.) Is this story about Gene or Finny? Why?
ReplyDeleteI think that this story is primarily about Gene for several reasons, one being that throughout the book it is written from his perspective. By the end of the novel, the reader is able to get a clear sense of whom Gene is, as well as how his internal processing works. Although it is evident that Finny plays a large role in A Separate Peace, I think that Knowles has written this to show the impact Finny had on Gene throughout the novel. Once he finds out about the bad news from Dr. Stanpole, his life is forever changed. This idea supports the statement made on page 202: “I never talked about Phineas and neither did anymore else; he was, however, present in every moment of every day since Dr. Stanepole had told me. Finny had a vitality which could not be quenched so suddenly, even by the marrow of his bone. That was why I couldn’t say anything or listen to anything about him, because he endured so forcefully that what I had to say would have seemed crazy to anyone else-I could not use past tense, for instance-and what they had to say would be incomprehensible to me.” Finny is not only a symbol of purity that all of a sudden collapses under the pressure, but he is also a friend that played an important part in Gene’s life. Not only did Gene think of him as a person to look up to and admire, but he was also a person Gene could count on at the end of the day. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why or why not? Also, what do you think Finny symbolizes throughout the novel? How does this change?
This is in response to the fourth question.
ReplyDeleteThe condition of Finny throughout the book represents the condition of the friendship that he and Gene share. When Finny first falls and breaks his leg Gene was having suspicions that Finny was trying to bring his grades down. Because of Gene’s suspicions there friendship was hurt just like Finny’s leg. Then as Gene starts to loose the thought that Finny was trying to bring him down Finny’s leg heals again. The same thing happens again later in the book when Brinker brings back the idea to Finny that Gene purposely tried to hurt him, Finny once again breaks his leg. But, this time there friendship cannot be fixed. This is because for the first time Finny’s innocence is shattered and he realizes that people will try to hurt others on purpose sometimes mot for a good reasoned. Because there friendship cannot be fixed, neither can Finny, so he dies.
What made Finny so angry when Gene tried to get into his room?
Why was Brinker so fixed on “Getting all the facts?”
1.) Is this a story about Gene or Finny?
ReplyDeleteI think that this story is about Finny. Gene is the narrator of the story, but everything he talks about is Finny. This novel is based on Finny through the eyes of Gene. It is almost like a play, where you watch the person it is about, from your own eyes. All of the major events are about Finny and not Gene, such as Finny's two falls. The plot of the story is Finny and Gene's friendship, and how Gene perceives it. The climax is when Finny falls down the stairs. The major points on the way are FINNY falling off the tree, FINNY coming back to Devon. FINNY running the winter carnival. Gene could be as much as a little bird that watches the whole thing run through. Of course Gene is important throughout the novel, but he is not the most important. The novel resolves with the death of Finny, not with an event that happens to Gene. In all, Gene is the narrator and the over looker of the novel, but no, the novel is not about him.
Why do you think Brinker was so interested in finding out the truth about Finny's injury?
Is there anyone to blame for Finny's death?
3. How is the reader meant to feel about Gene? Do we judge him for his actions? Condemn him for them? Or is he a sympathetic character?
ReplyDeleteI think that reader can feel to ways about Gene. They could think that Gene is an awful, annoying, selfish character or a character that helped his friend out because he shattered his leg. I thought in this book that Gene was the awful, annoying, and selfish character because Gene purposely "jounced" that limb to make Finny fall of. Yes we do judge him for these actions for many different reasons. He "shattered" his best friends leg on purpose. He practically ruined Finny's life. Finny's life was sports and he could not play them because of Gene. We should also judge him on how selfish he was, by not telling Finny earlier about what happened. He could of told Finny when he was at the infirmary when Finny "shattered" he leg. When Finny says "I must of just lost my balance." (page 65) Gene could of been like: No you did not I "jounced" the limb on purpose so you would of fallen off. I would have to condemn him for one event and that was when Finny had asked Gene to do the olympics for him. I condemn him for doing this because it was Finny's life long dream and Gene had to give him it because the dream was ruined because of Gene. This was on event when Gene showed sympathetic for Finny. Do you think that Gene was awful, or good? Would you condemn him for any other events when he helped Finny, if so tell what are they?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete1.Is this a story about Gene or Finny? Why?
ReplyDeleteNaturally this story is about Gene. Not only is he the narrator but theoretically he is the only main character in the book. In my opinion throughout the whole book Finny acts as an innocent almost childish symbol for Genes childhood. As this a coming of age book, it makes perfect sense. Gene only went to war once Finny was dead. Once he had grown and forgotten the purity of being a child he had to accept the war. Throughout the book Gene mentions how he was a part of Finny but I think it was the other way around. Gene narrates the book, and the story is essentially about how these turn of events change Gene and help grow into a man.
Rachel Beir said...
ReplyDelete4. Some have said that Finny's death feels unwarranted, others say it's necessary for the novel's logical conclusion. What do you think?
The death of Finny definitely made life at Devon more depressing for Gene, and boring for others. Could you imagine your best friend dying? How would you feel? In this book, It showed the progress of Gene and Finny maturing, especially Gene. I believe the whole book was about Gene overcoming regrets in his life and becoming a man. Throughout the whole novel, all of his stress was caused by his friendship with Finny.
I believe Finny's death was a very logical conclusion to the book. It was time for Gene to move on. He needed to become a man, and become independent. Finny was holding him back. He wanted Gene to take his place. He expected Gene to stay with him and not enlist. The only reason Gene stayed was because he wanted to be a good friend. He knew how good Finny was to him, and he wanted to do the same in return. He felt bad for causing his fall, and essentially causing his death.
Even though it was very unfortunate that he died, Finny's death was essential for Gene to move on in his life. If Finny was still alive, Gene may still not have enlisted yet.
Did Gene's friendship with Finny make Gene a stronger or weaker person?
If Finny was still alive, in what direction would his and Gene's friendship turn, after they graduate?
If Gene didn't enlist, what would his plans be for the future?
Question #1:
ReplyDeleteThroughout the novel it is clear that the story of about Gene and Finny, but it is mainly about Gene. Since the first chapter the entire book is the thoughts of Gene, and how Gene feels toward Finny. Never once in the book does the reader get inside Finny's head and see his thoughts. Also, there are many parts in the book where Gene is the only character and his momentary problem has nothing to do with Finny. Also, after Finny dies, the novel goes on about Gene's future, and the flow of the novel is completely undisturbed (though the content is changed). If it were a story about Finny then there would be no sections where it was only Gene, and the Novel would not go on about Gene after Finny died.
THroughout the novel, there is never any struggle shown about how Finny feels toward Gene until the end, whereas one of the main conflicts in the novel is Genes struggle towards his friendship with Finny and how he really feels. It is not until the last few pages when we see Finny struggle with the though of Gene being his friends, or we see Finny break out at Gene. It is always my best friend Gene, or Finny and Gene forever to him (until the end). But the entire book for Gene is Finny is sabotaging me, or i need to impress Finny and hide the truth from him. If it were a story about Finny then this would be reversed and Finny would be the one sorting out his friendship.
All of this shows that it is a story about Gene, and not a story about Finny. Though it is about how Gene deals with Finny, or their relationship, or Finny's impact on Gene, it is never about Finny, just the effect and meaning of him on the real main character of the story, Gene.
In response to question 4.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Graham that Finny's leg has something to do with the state of the friendship between Gene and Finny. The fault seems to fall on Gene for all the problems of Finny's leg. Wasn't it Finny's idea to be up in the tree in the first place? Finny is extremely carefree and fun-loving, and his leg almost seemed to be a punishment for that. The message of this book says that those lacking small amounts of evil and doubt will not survive. Without Finny dying in this book, the message would not be nearly as strong. Though I think that Finny's death was slightly odd in how it happened, there is something extremely powerful and symbolic in it. Finny could endure a big fall and huge shatter of both his leg and his dreams, but when he realized the sad truth of his best friend that he trusted, it was the final crack that killed him. "'You want to break something else in me (p. 184)!'" It wasn't just his leg that Finny was talking about when he yelled this inside the infirmary after breaking his leg again. I thought the death of Finny was a powerful way to bring the novel to an end. It shows how much Gene meant to Finny, and after the death, it showed how much Finny still means to Gene.
Do you think that Knowles could have gotten his message through without Finny's death?
Do you think Finny's odd accident of a death was as powerful as a death in war?
Question 1: Is this a story about Gene or Finny? Why?
ReplyDeleteThis story is about Finny. Although Gene is the narrator and the book is written through his eyes, all of the major events are about Finny. The climax, when Finny falls down the marble stairs and breaks his leg for the second time, is about him, not Gene. It is though Gene is watching Finny do all of the actions. Finny is the most popular and athletic boy in the school. He is a leader and a true optimist. Finny organizes many events throughout the book. In a military school, he does not feel the threat of war and "...never hated anyone (Pg 204)." In this way, he is an important main character, as all of the other boys fear war. As a main character, Finny is Gene's true enemy. All of Gene' actions are based on his jealousy of Finny. Throughout the novel, Gene follows Finny's orders, he does what Finny tells him to do. All of Gene's thoughts are about Finny. Who do you think the main character is? Do you think it was necessary for Finny to die?
3. How is the reader meant to feel about Gene? Do we judge him for his actions? Condemn him for them? Or is he a sympathetic character?
ReplyDeleteAs a reader I feel sympathetic for his actions. Throughout the novel Gene does not seem like a bad person, and I can forgive him for most of his bad decisions. A high point of action in the novel, when Finny falls out of the tree is the first moment we fully see how Gene feels about Finny. I don't fully blame Gene, as jouncing the limb was an impulsive motion, an unconscious movement motivated by years of living in Finny's shadow. I understand why Gene jounced the limb. I also forgive Gene because he tried to tell Finny about it, showing that he is honest. I also feel empathetic towards Gene. One impulsive action has damaged him emotionally for the rest of his life, as we can tell when he is visiting Devon fifteen years later. I think that most people experience a moment like this on a far lesser scale. Can you relate to Gene in any way?
Answering question #1...
ReplyDeleteI agree with Michael and Louis. I think that the main character in "A Separate Peace" is Finny. Just because the story was told based off of Gene's thoughts and feelings, that doesn't mean that the book was about him. If the book were told from Finny's perspective the moral and message of the story would not have been as easily conveyed. By making Gene the story teller John Knowles was able to show us Finny from a different perspective. We were able to take a step back and see some of Finny's feelings from how he reacted to things and what Gene saw, but we were also to see and learn things about Finny that we may not have found out if we were in his head. Like Louis and Michael mentioned, pretty much all of the important things and conflicts in the story were directly about Finny or were somehow connected to him. He was involved in the most important parts of the story that created a huge conflict throughout the book and Devon itself. While the story certainly wouldn't have been the same without the aid of Gene, it still may have worked. On the other hand, without Finny there would be no story. I think that the main theme in the book was innocence and facing difficult issues for the first time. Finny's innocence and lack of understanding about the world surrounding him is what truly made the book what it was. Finny, not Gene, is the main character because he taught us what it's like to have a completely good outlook on things, while Gene was just a bystander.
Do you think that there are really people out there who just can't seem to find the bad in things?
2. What lessons can be learned from reading this novel? How can you relate to this novel on a personal level?
ReplyDeleteIn A Separate Peace there are some good lessons that should not be taken for granted. Finny is a person who will block out all the bad things, live in his own world. Devon School in the beginning of the book is a world of peace, but by the end of the novel the war has slowly worked its way in and is fully present at the school. I think a lesson that could be taken from this book is that at some point you will have to except what is surrounding you. It is not bad to block out things that are wrong or bad as Finny did, but only to an extent. He tries to block out the war by saying it is fake and so on. It is possible to do such a thing, but at some point you will have to except it, and the more you ignore it the harder it will be to make a difference and maybe change something. I have had experiences like this. When my grandmother died I tried to push that fact away, I wished I talked to her more, but when accepted it I realized I could do something and a started talking to my other grandparents more. You must accept it at some point.
Despite the fact that Gene and Finny are both major characters in the story, I believe that the book is more about Gene than it is Finny. Throughout the entire book, the readers are able to understand who Gene is because everything is from his viewpoint; they get to really know him. Finny, on the other hand, is more vague. The story only gives the reader a taste of who he really is, and therefore establishes the fact the Finny has more of a supporting role in providing the overall message that Knowles is trying to convey. Gene provides the story and underlying message in the book because the tragedy revolves almost completely around him. Finny was the most physically affected by the events in the story, but Gene was the one who had to deal with everything internally. He was always followed by the guilt of what he had done and was never able to escape the question of whether he truly meant to do what he did to Finny. This all just goes to show that the story is about Gene and how he is influenced by Finny. Gene was affected by Finny even when he was absent from Devon. He was continuously thinking of Finny; the mere sight of an entity brought upon a memory of him, such as when Gene sees the Devon river and immediately thinks of how, in the past, Finny was "balancing on one foot on the prow of a conoe like a river god" (75). So through this, it can be found that the story is in fact about Gene and that Finny is more of a supporting character to Gene in the story.
ReplyDeleteWhat action/event most affected Gene? What action/event most affected Finny? What do each represent? Is Finny's role in the book only to influence Gene and therefore thicken the plot?
If I could sit down and have a chat with John Knowles, I would want to know what he was really trying to convey through his book and the individual passages in it. The reason for this is because I would want to compare my analysis of his writing to the actual meaning of his writing. Also, I would ask him where he found the inspiration to write this book (i.e. if a childhood memory similar to the book's story caused him to write it).
To answer Question #3: "How is the reader meant to feel about Gene? Do we judge him for his actions? Condemn him for them? Or is he a sympathetic character?"
ReplyDeleteI think that this book is written in a way where you are supposed to dislike Gene. The reader writes everything from inside his head and once you are inside someones head there is no way that you cannot dislike someone. As a reader you judge Gene for everything he thinks, says or does. Now Gene thought and did a lot of crazy things and some of his actions were mistakes. On the other hand, because we know what he is thinking all of the time it makes us dislike him due to his thought process about his actions. Gene is constantly jumping to conclusions about Finny and other people and that makes him a dislikable person too. Towards the end of the novel though, I think most readers start to pity Gene instead of disliking him. He is starting to make amends with his best friend and things were working out and then suddenly he just dies. Before Finny died we start to pity Gene because he is confused and he is put under a lot of pressure by Brinker before and during his "Investigation".
After Finny dies everything changes and then I started to dislike Gene again. Gene suddenly is happy in a way that Finny is dead. He is happy, because now he isn't pressured to talk about what happened in the tree and he doesn't have to deal with the truth. Not only these things, but he no longer has to deal with the stressful relationship that Finny and him had. So because of this I started to dislike Gene.
Do you think all of Gene's problems have been solved by Finny's death? Do you think that Finny deserved to die? How did you judge Gene? How did your opinion change about Gene's character after Finny died?
#1
ReplyDeleteThis story is not about Gene nor Finny, it is about their friendship. The novel would be nothing without either of the characters, there wouldn't be a story.
However if I had to choose one of the characters, I would say that this book is about Gene. Finny is absent for large chunks of the book and most of the novel is about what is going on inside Gene's head. The book is about what Gene has done to his best friend. Gene knocked Finny out of high tree, and the book is about how he has to struggle with his guilt about doing that. The book isn't inside Finny's head. Finny's feelings and thoughts are only expressed through what he says to Gene. How can a book be about someone when you don't know what they are thinking or feeling? For example, in the last chapter of the book Finny says, "Why do you think I kept saying there wasn't any war all winter? I was going to keep saying it until two seconds after I got a letter from Ottawa or Chungking or some place saying, 'Yes you can enlist with us.' Then there would've been a war." Through out the entire novel the reader has no idea that Finny is interested in going to war with his broken leg until just before he dies. This is because the book isn't about him, it is about his best friend Gene.
Question 1: Is this a story about Gene or Finny? Why?
ReplyDeleteI think 'A Separate Peace' is a story about Gene, who is really just an exaggerated portrayal of almost anybody during secondary school, and how someone like him would interact with all of the Finnys, Brinkers, Lepers and Quackenbushes in the world. John Knowles demonstrates some powerful insights throughout the novel when he uses the student's interactions with each other to demonstrate which kind of relationships work, and which are flawed from the start.
Part of what made this novel stand out so much was that even though Gene was narrating the story, the author was still able to show how other characters interacted with each other, and how they felt about each other. One example of this is when Brinker is talking about Leper and his choice of exploring tributaries instead of working for the cause, "That's the kind of a place I'm in with a world war going on. A school for photographers of beaver dams," (P. 99). In this instance, Gene is trying to act as a middle man between Brinker's and Leper's argument, showing that these two opposite extremes are dangerous around each other without a moderator of sorts.
Obviously the biggest character conflict in this book is that between Finny and Gene. I think that, regardless of any explanations that Gene or Finny have, the ultimate reason behind Gene jouncing Finny off the tree is that an ordinary guy like Gene can't handle the total innocence and purity of a guy like Finny. He misinterpreted even the most innocent acts of friendship as malicious attempts of sabotage, and that fear eventually evolved into full-on paranoia. I think that after Finny's leg originally breaks, the story becomes less about Gene, and more about Finny. After that point, we start seeing different sides of Finny, sides which try to use Gene and make him do things that he can no longer do. Finny also lies about his intentions regarding enlisting to keep Gene from enlisting, even though he would be the first one to enlist if anybody wanted him. Ironically, after the original incident, Gene tends to stay on the straight and narrow, and is plagued by guilt and remorse.
All in all, I think that this novel starts out about Gene, then focuses on Finny and his new course in life that ultimately resulted from Gene's actions. Do you think Finny is consciously trying to manipulate and live through Gene, or do you think that's just how he acts? Do you think Finny is aware of all the guilt that Gene is feeling throughout the second half of the novel? If so, does he take any steps to alleviate the guilt?
As a reader I felt that Gene was paranoid, jealous of Finny, and viewed their relationship as a competition. Gene always wanted to be better than Finny and as a reader I felt sympathy for Gene because I knew that he would never be as popular, charming, and athletic as Finny. I believe that John Knowles wanted us to feel that way about him. By letting us inside Gene’s head, he showed us how complicated his character was and that he wasn’t pure good or pure evil. However, I believe that John Knowles also wanted us to feel that Gene had evil intent inside of him. Even though Gene was jealous of Finny, he doesn’t have any right to hurt him or try to injure him. I think we do condemn Gene because he allowed his evil thoughts to guide his actions. For example, on page 59 and 60, the book says, talking about Gene's actions, "I took a step toward him, and then my knees bent and I jounced the limb." As readers, we understand why Gene might have been tempted to jounce the limb, but we would never do that ourselves.
ReplyDelete1.If you were in Gene's shoes, how would you deal with the jealousy in Finny and Gene's relationship?
2.How has Gene changed throughout the novel?
I answered question # 3
ReplyDelete1) I agree with Michael about how this book is about Finny. Though the story is told by Gene, the book revolves around Finny. Every though Gene makes and every step he takes, Finny is in his mind. It might not be clear all the time. For instance, when he is in the fight with Quackenbush, that fight is based on the fact that Quackenbush does not know what happened in that summer, and Gene defends Finny. Other times it is easier to see. When Gene gets back from his venture at Leper's, he opens chapter 11 with "I want to see Phineas, and Phineas only." This is why Gene is always thinking about Finny. To tell his story.
ReplyDelete2) There are many lessons that can be learned from this novel. The first and foremost is friendship, and the trust and commitment that coincides with it. You can't keep secrets that matter away from your best friends, you tell them, especially if they affect them tremendously. Secondly, this book showed how you should really pick and chose who you are friendly with. At the beginning of the book it was Finny who owned Gene. By the end of the book the roles of each swapped. In a healthy relationship, you and all of your friends are equal. The last lesson, which is smaller, is peer pressure. There was a lot of this when the boys wanted to go to the war, yet some didn't want to, yet felt they had to because of this. Also, Finny pressured Gene to doing almost all of what Gene did, since Finny owned him. You should make your own decisions in life, and walk your path.
4) I feel that Finny's death was very much needed. All this tension of the fall floating over us could not be resolved unless Finny died. A whole other book could have been written about how there friendship faired out could have been written. Instead, Finny's death made Gene realize quite a lot of things, not just about him, but about life. It would have been odd if they were still friends, yet it would be a bad ending if they just left one another, with both of them alive.
4. "Some have said that Finny's death feels unwarranted, others say it's necessary for the novel's logical conclusion. What do you think?"
ReplyDeleteI believe that Finny had to die for this story to conclude. Without the death of Finny, the point of this novel may not have been conveyed in the way that it did. As we discussed in class, Finny is too pure. No one can possibly be that pure. No one can have hatred for no one, be that well like, have such a huge impact on a community, be that flawless. Finny's character has hall of that though. In real life, in reality, that can't exist. Finny represents pure innocence, and goodness. This entire book is about reality going and stomping on that. While Finny symbolizes innocence, all the other boys and every other character symbolizes some form of reality (some to a larger extend than others). Why else would Finny fall so many times? Why else would he break something every time he fell? Didn't it seem strange that this was all due to the fault of Gene? Due the fact that this novel is about reality shunning innocence, Finny had to die, in order for the innocence to be eliminated.
An answer to question #4:
ReplyDeleteI do feel that the death of Finny is needed to truly end the novel. My reason is this. If Finny hadn't died, then all of the rising action, the two falls, and the drama would go to waste. Finny had to die so that we could, in a sense, feel the full impact of the story. No other novel that I have read has left a reader hanging unless there is a sequel. Knowles made the ending the way that it was because it needed some sort of dramatic ending so that we weren't left dangling from the limb of a tree. I know that no one like a book where one of our favorite characters dies, but that's the way it has to be for it to become a classic
1. I feel as though the story was about finny and not gene. It was seen through Gene's eyes, but the whole story revolved around Finny. I noticed that the whole story was only interesting because of the fiery relationship between the two good friends, Finny and Gene, and i also saw that in the few chapters that did not involve Finny, i was more discouraged and less willing to read them. Knowles told his story through Gene, because not only was he involved deeply in the story itself, he had an sort of outer view from the whole situation. So basically, if the story was told by finny, the reader would miss a lot of the story, the sybolism wouldnt be as dark, and also the story would lose the aspect of time, because unfortunately, Finny does not get the chance to look back at the events. As interesting as this choice may be, choosing Gene to protagonist the story, it was, in my view, the right choice: Gene essentially told Finny's story in a way that no other character could.
ReplyDelete3. Gene is definitely not your average high schooler, so i beleive that one should not feel a specific emotion, or have a set thought on him. Through out the novel, we, as a class, definately judged him. But we also have to keep in mind, that throughout the story, we are theoretically in his head. of course he had some wierd moments, whether its describing his good friend, brinker's butt, or whether it was him shaking the limb on the tree that broke Finny's leg, but you have to consider that if someone was in your mind they'd probably feel the same. If someone was in my mind they wouldnt even think twice before assuming im a "pyscho" or a "creep", like we did to Gene, so really our reasoning was understandable. Gene is just an average kid with a couple problems and dulled social skills overall.
Q'ds for you to think about:
1. What do you think a story like this would be like if you were to apply it to a Friend? Would you think differently of them?
2. Do you think Gene diserved the amount of dissing that he was given? Was it a reasonable amount?
3. If the story could have been told through a different character, who would it be? Would it have the same effect? what would be different?
4. Place yourself in a coulple of the situations finny was in, would you react differently than he did? what would you do differently?