Assignment 12, Question 4: Gene reflects on Phineas’ impact on his life at the bottom of page 202 and top of page 203. In this passage, what do you think Gene means when he says “Phineas alone had escaped this” (202)? What did he escape? And did he do so by dying or by the way he lived his life? (see also page 204) (Maclin)

The war has caused all of the boys at the Devon school to have a sad view on life, Phineas however was able to “escape” this and provide a positive outlook on life. In the beginning of the year, war didn’t seem as big of a deal and the boys didn’t look at it the same as they do now. After seeing Leper come back and witnessing first hand what it did to him it showed them how sad and terrible the war is and how it can change the most innocent of boys. Phineas has gone through his entire life with constant happiness and joy. This is what has made him such a great friend to Gene and also helped him to become a talented athlete. Finny is looked at by the other boys as perfect and they can’t see how he could be any better as a person or athlete. Phineas is a very talented boy and also confident in his abilities. However, both of these traits are ruined when Gene jounced the branches and he came tumbling down breaking his leg ruining his sports career and damaging their friendship. The second incident is when he saw Leper return and heard about Leper and what the war had done to him. The final straw was when he thought Gene, his best friend, a person he believes to be “part if him”, had broken his leg on purpose. Gene realizes this when he says, “Phineas alone had escaped this…Nothing as he was growing up at home, nothing at Devon, nothing even about the war had broken his harmonious and natural unity. So at last I had,” (Knowles 203). Since Phineas is so focused on living life so perfectly and happily he tries to deny all of these problems to benefit himself. Gene knows Finny lies to himself and his tendency to block things out, you can see this when he says,”...and be accepted only a little at a time, only as much as he could assimilate without a sense of chaos and loss,” (Knowles 202). Phineas ability to “escape” these type of situations and the ability to only see the good in things is what led him to forgive Gene despite everything that happened.