Gene visits Finny’s house to inform Finny of the truth behind the accident, however he doesn’t take into consideration what this does to Finny. Gene arrives at Finny’s house on the way to Devon, and chats with him in his living room before proceeding to tell him the truth. Finny then declines what Gene had just told him, saying “of course you didn’t do it,” (70). Gene realizes “it struck me that I was injuring him again. It occurred to me that this could be an even deeper injury than what I had done before,” (70). Gene arrives at Finny’s house to do what he thinks is the morally right thing, and because he thinks it is what Finny would do if the tables were turned. However Gene doesn’t realize that in a way he is trying to convince himself that what he is doing is for Finny, when in reality he needs to get rid of his guilt. This negatively impacts Finny, as Gene is all he has left. Finny has lost so much, that he simply cannot fathom what Gene is saying; that their friendship was more of a rivalry, and a lie. As soon as Finny reacts, Gene immediatly knows that he shouldn’t have said anything because he leaves Finny with “an even deeper injury.” If I were Gene, in the first place I would not have tried to make my friend fall off a tree. Although if I were already at the point in the story Gene is at, I probably wouldn’t have told Finny so soon to spare his feelings. I would have told other people, and accepted any punishment. I also would’ve probably kept myself away from Finny (even though that may hurt him), but I wouldn’t be able to be around him knowing I had made him what he is, and that I was a truly fake friend.
Would you have reacted the same way as Finny if you were in his place when he found out?
Where do you think Gene and Finny’s relationship will go from here? How will this event alter it?
I think I would have reacted in a similar way to Finny. If my best friend had just told he intentionally injured me and ended my sports career I wouldn't believe it either. Finny and Gene are supposed to be there for each other rooting each other on however they are both caught up in this meaningless rivalry, this game to be better then each other. When Gene tells him he did it Finny shuts it down immediately, however, in his second response he says,"Of course you didn't do it. You damn fool. Sit down, you damn fool,"(Knowles 44). You can kind of tell by the way that he says this that he is starting to realize, oh wait maybe Gene did do this.
ReplyDeleteI think Gene and Finny's friendship will temporarily suffer after this incident. I think Finny was so heartbroken by what Gene confessed, he will likely consider stopping being friends with Gene. I don't think this will last the entire book, considering there is so much left. However I think Finny will have time to reflect and release his anger. To him, it seems like his life has fallen apart, his best friend betrayed him, and he has lost the absolute good in his life. Both sides of this friendship have suffered. Dr. Stanpole invites Gene to visit Finny in the infirmary where Gene says when asked is he knew Finny, "I didn't, I was pretty sure I didn't know him at all" (Knowles, 63). Both Gene and Finny are having identity crisis' but in different ways. I think this friendship will rekindle, but it will be a much different relationship then the summer of 1942.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Maclin, I would react most like Finny. It is almost unimaginable your best friend would purposely try to hurt you and your chances of a strong lifestyle all out envy. Especially as Gene never started out aiming to hurt Finny, in fact, his envy came on rather quickly. If someone confessed that to me, I simply wouldn't believe it, much like Finny, who thought that even just thinking about Gene purposely bouncing the limb, "was a crazy idea, {he} must have been delirious," (Knowles 66). Even a fleeting thought of his best friend hurting him was enough to make Finny think he was going crazy, because of course Gene wouldn't hurt him, it was ludicrous. Ludicrous, but true.
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