In the final part of chapter six Finny calls Gene and asks him how the new academic year is going so far and what sports teams he will try out for. To the disappointment of Finny, Gene says that he is going to be the assistant manager for the crew team. Gene says that since he cant play sports Finny will have to play for him. "Listen, pal, if I cant play sports, you're going to play them for me," (Knowles 85). Here, Finny essentially giving permission for Gene to play sports. He's saying that now its his turn to be the athletic one out of them. He is telling Gene to play sports because he knows that it is the only way that they will be able to connect, and it is the only way that Gene will get over his guilt. This passage really depicts the power of Gene and Finny's friendship. Here Finny is giving up his passion and handing it to Gene. This takes a lot of courage from Finny finally accepting that whats done is done and now letting Gene move on with his life. -Benjamin Thomas Blackburn
Monday, April 28, 2014
Assignment #5: Re-read the last sentence of chapter 6 (p84-85). Explain what is happening in the quote (establish context) and then explore and explain the last part “I lost part of myself to him then, and a soaring sense of freedom revealed that this must have been my purpose from the first: to become part of Phineas” (85).
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This quote is showing that their friendship is shared, that they're sharing each other's best qualities. Gene is gaining Finny's athletic ability through his permission, and Finny's almost giving up his gift. Finny also gives Gene his defiance. While he never says he will do so, after Gene wrestles the crew coach, he says, "I fought that battle, that first skirmish of a long campaign, for Finny." (Knowles 79) He doesn't want Finny to be forgotten, and this is the moment in the book in which their friendship seems to be resolved. One of my questions is: How do you think the plot will continue to evolve (as one of the protagonists isn't present anymore?)
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DeleteWhile I agree with what Trevor is saying, I am pretty sure that Finny will come back to school. For someone as major and as important as Finny, they probably will keep him in the story somehow. He will most likely come back to the school, considering Finny says that he'll, "be there by Thanksgiving" (Knowles 70). Even if, for some reason, he doesn't go back, he is too big of a part to just disappear from Gene's life. He could just write letters to Finny, or get more calls from him.
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Instead of Jealousy, Finny shows generosity. Finny is a very athletic person who loves sports and that all sports come easily to him. His outstanding ability in sports was shown by Finny breaking the 100m freestyle record without training. However, when Finny fell out of the tree, he lost all hopes of playing sports again. Now Finny sees his best friend, who, instead of feeling jealousy because he can play sports, he shows generosity, “listen pal if I can’t play sports, you’re going to have to play them for me.” (Knowles 85). This is the first sign of Finny’s generosity because, like in the post, Finny is giving up his passion and handing it to Gene. Finally, Finny is different that Gene because of the way they react to jealousy, guilt, and envy.
ReplyDeleteIn this section of the book it is trying to show how Gene realizes what he must do to get over the guilt to hurting Finny. That is that he must do what Finny has always wanted to do, such as playing sports and being an athletic person like Finny was. Gene also wants away to connect with Finny once more, with no inspiration to play sports any more with Finny gone, Gene can no longer have a strong relationship with Finny anymore, thus described by the short telephone call. "What do you want to manage crew for? What do you want to manage for? What's that got to do with sports?" (Knowles 84). This shows that disapproval and lack of similarities between Gene and Finny now.
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