Sunday, May 6, 2018
Assignment #8: Why does Finny organize the Winter Carnival? Why is this significant? What is the impact and symbolism of the Winter Carnival? (Julia)
Finny organizes the Winter Carnival to feel like he can be in charge of something, and take everyone’s minds off the war. After Finny returns to Devon, his physical ability, and sports capability has been taken away. This means that he can do less things that he loves, and also has less physical presence: his ‘flowing’ walk is taken away, and it is much harder for him to move around. However, he is determined to make the best of his situation, and bring some fun for everyone else, so he decides to organize the Devon Winter Carnival. While planning it, Finny has very high aspirations for the park: “‘naturally featuring,’” he says “‘I expect a ski jump -- …. --and some slalom races and I think a little track. But we’ve got to have some snow statues too, and a little music and something to eat,’” (Knowles, 129). While Finny cannot play sports anymore, his imagination is boundless, and he wants to feel like he can still stay the old Finny: with new, crazy ideas that everyone takes part in. Ski statues and a ski jump are very lofty ambitions for a school, but Finny expects that he is able to accomplish the extravagance of the carnival, and in a sense, he does. The actual carnival is a huge success, mostly because Finny has done something so original. While everything is put together with materials that the boys have, they still execute the ski jump, food, and the statues. Near the end of the carnival, Finny starts to dance. “Under the influence of… his own inner joy at life for a moment as it should be… Phineas recaptured that magic gift for existing primarily in space… it was his choreography of peace,” (Knowles, 136). Finny’s wild plans are back, because he feels like he can be himself, and can get swept up in joy. He feels like this because he feels a sense of the utmost peace, and gives that out to everyone there at the carnival. Even before this, since everyone is so focused on Finny and the fun, they are also not focused on the war, which means that everyone is happier, and can forget the tension going on outside. Finny creates the Devon Winter Carnival so that he can be in charge and have fun for himself again, and to take everyone’s minds off the war.
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I agree with Julia in that Finny hosts the new Devon Winter Carnival in order to take people’s mind off the war, effectively creating his own little bubble of peace. Within this bubble, it almost feels like the Devon school has returned to the way it was, especially when Finny is dancing “as it was meant to be in his nature, Phineas recaptured that magic gift for existing primarily in space, one foot conceding briefly to gravity its rights before spinning him off again into the air,” (Knowles 136). Finny, before his broken leg, was described as if he walked on thin air. However, when Finny gets back and his leg is broken, Gene realizes that perhaps Finny’s walk will never be the same loping grace as it used to be. Alas here, in this separate bubble of peace, away from the war and the enlistment, Finny regains his finesse. In creating the Winter Carnival, Finny created a distraction from the war where the boys can just be boys and not soldiers readying themselves for the oncoming battle.
ReplyDeleteThe creation of the carnival is used to not only distract from the war, but to distract from how Leper's leaving amplifies the relevancy of it and how the weather reflects the dreary feeling cast over Devon because of this. Gene uses the weather to show how the war is constantly casting over Devon when he narrates, "now there is no longer ant resistance movement left in nature; all the juices are dead, every sprig of vitality snapped" (Knowles 128). Finny uses the carnival to make dreary weather be used towards something fun and uplifting. This distracts the boys from Lepers' leaving and the war, which continues to try to infiltrate their peace at Devon.
ReplyDeleteFinny also organizes the carnival to try to preserve his earlier image. After Gene describes how boring Saturdays are at Devon, he begins to have a conversation with Finny. Gene says "only Phineas failed to see what was so depressing," (128). Phineas tries to be positive to cover any feelings of sadness or anger. Like Julia said, Finny is trying to be his old self. The old Finny would always come up with fun ideas for everyone. Finny doesn't want people to feel pity for him, or think that he's not the same person he always was. This is also why Finny tries to coach Gene for the olympics, and have Gene play sports for him. Overall Finny wants to be remembered like he was before the accident.
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