Gene notices when Finny, who has always resembled the competent athlete who never showed any signs of physical weakness, starts to demonstrate the toll his injury has taken on his everyday life. Not only does Finny's injury greatly impact his athletic ability, but it also causes him to lose his previous air of strength and poise. Finny, always being in perfect shape, has "sweat running like oil from [his] face" (Knowles 112) after only walking to the gym. Gene notices this atypical struggle, especially after Finny "has involuntary tremors shake his hands and arms" (Knowles 112). As Gene comes to realize, with this terrible injury, Finny is no longer the capable one in their relationship. His previous self strength is now nothing more than an "illusion" (Knowles 112) that may have fooled his doctors, but doesn't fool Gene. With this new realization, Gene knows that he has to change to become more of a support system for Finny. He must sacrifice some of the goals he had prior to Finny getting hurt (like enlisting) in order to be there for Finny. As Finny changes to adapt to his newfound incompetence, Gene grows and takes Finny's former "strong" demeanor to become Finny's rock.
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