Important Quotation
Please post a quote from the reading that is scheduled on your sheet, along with page number. Explain why the quote is important to the meaning of the text, IE, the insight into life it reveals through characters, conflicts and situations.
Paragraph must be posted and be typed and brought to class. Make sure your paragraph is free of personal pronouns and states the topic of them before you introduce the quote. For example, if your quote surrounds the theme of friendship you would begin your paragraph with an authentic definition, your own words not Webster's, of that word as it relates to the text. Follow the strutcute of broad-to-specific.
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This is your first day back finny, your no one to cut classes
I know, i know. I'm going to work. i really am going to work. Youre going to pull me through mostly, but i am goin to work.
"Well what happened was that they didn't like that, the preachers and the old ladies and all the stuffed shirts. So then they tried the Prohibition and everybody just got drunker, so then they really got desperate and arranged the Depression. That kept the people who were young in the thirties in their places. But they couldn't use that trick forever, so for us in the forties they've cooked up this war fake (115)."
Finny is showing his dislike for the governments so called war. he is saying in a very elaborate way that the federal government is trying to fake people out and put them into a sense of insecurity by saying that there is a war going on. Sometimes in life when one must divert oneself from the paths of others the must first experience pain.
"But one day after our chaplain, Mr. Carhart, had become very moved by his own sermon in chapel about God in the Foxholes, I came away thinking that if Finny's opinion of the war was unreal, Mr. Carhart's was at least as unreal. But of course I didn't believe him."
Gene as a person is advancing himself, better than others, while his reunited best friend Finny does not want to change his way of viewing the world and it's issues. This too shows that Finny is trying to find a way to get away from what he doesn't want to hear, a simple method to get away from the troubles of life. Gene, on the other hand, sees that there are current events in the world which are and how he is a character who sticks to what he believes in. Gene also denied to enlist because Finny wants him to stay so friendship also comes back as a huge theme in this novel. Sometimes in life to get away from what is true, making a joking matter of the subject is the only way out.
God was always unoccupied in Finny's universe, ready to lend an ear any time at all. Anyone who failed to get his message through in three minutes, as I sometimes failed to do when trying to impress him, Phineas, with my sanctity, wasn't trying.
Finny even has a different view of God. And Gene sometimes wants to impress him in that area. This is another example of Gene sort of admiring Phineas.
“I could hardly believe it, but it was so plainly printed in the close expression of his face to mistake, too discernible beneath the even tone of his voice: Phineas was shocked at the idea of my leaving.”
Finny is showing his sensitive side to Gene. Finny seems as though he is really beginning to value their friendship. Finny is depending on Gene more now because of his leg. Finny is going to the need the support of a good student because Finny needs to become a better student. As a reader you may wonder if Finny only cares about Gene especially now because he thinks he can depend on Gene to do his work for him?
"Despite this gibe he was rather impersonal toward me. He seemed older that morning, and leaning quietly against that great tree wrapped in his heavy coat, he seemed smaller too. Or perhaps it was only that I, inside the same body, had felt myself all at once grown bigger." Page 121 Chapter 8
At this point of the story, Gene is beginning to exercise with Finny for the "'44 Olympics". This is an important quote because the positions of the character somewhat switch. Gene begins to feel that he is winning the competition between him and his friend. By Gene starting to get better at sports, it tightens the bond between Gene and Finny. They are interesting themselves in the same subjects.
This is your first day back finny, your no one to cut classes
I know, i know. I'm going to work. I really am going to work. You’re going to pull me through mostly, but I am going to work. Pg.112
This quote vividly displays Finny’s lackadaisical attitude toward school. He could care less about his education and even though he tells Gene that this time will be different, that this time he will focus on his studies because he doesn’t have sports to fall back on, it will just be the same old story. Here we are shown Finny’s true colors, his care free attitude. This is evident in that on his first day back at Devon, he cuts class. Many would think that the experience in which Finny has experienced, would change his attitude to his education but he still does not care about his studies.
“There. You should have worn that all day, just that. That has real taste. The rest of your outfit was just gilding that lily of a sweat shirt.” P. 104 Ch.8
Gene is still not yet matured enough to confront to Finny that he doesn’t want to be controlled. It always seems that every time they talk, Finny is the boss. Gene is losing his innocence to Finny because Gene thinks he’s the big guy. But, Finny is just pushing around Gene in doing whatever he wants Gene to do. Gene is not Finny, Gene doesn’t have everything that Finny has. Gene can’t be Finny and he’ll never be exactly like him. Foil occurs because both Gene and Finny have a constant fight between what Finny wants.
"I could hardly believe it, but it was too plainly printed in the closed expression of his face to mistake, too discernible beneath the even tone of his voice: Phineas was shocked at the idea of my leaving. In some way he needed me. I was the least trustworthy person he had ever met. I knew that; he knew or should know that too. I had even told him. But there was no mistaking the shield of remoteness in his face and voice. He wanted me around." (108)
Gene feels that everything he was afraid of when he was to meet finny again is gone now. He feels that Finny needs him now more than ever no matter what Gene has done. This quote shows the theme friendship because it shows that no matter what Gene could do Finny needs him and trusts him no matter what. Gene now feels that he doesnt need to enlist now that Finny needs him. Finny shows that he still has no knowledge of evil and will be friends with Gene no matter what.
In some way he needed me. He needed me. I was the least trustworthy person he had ever met. I knew that; he knew or should know that too. I had even told him. I had told him. But there was no mistaking the shield of remoteness in his face and voice. He wanted me around.
Chapter 8, p.108
This quote from chapter 8 tells us a great deal about Finny, Gene and the relationship between the two characters. Firstly it shows that Gene’s self image is in a very poor state. He views himself as “the least trustworthy person he [Finny] had ever met. This is because he still feels very guilty about causing Finny not just to fall from the tree, but also to loose his once excellent athletic ability. The quote also shows that, at least from Gene’s point of view, Finny has become dependent upon Gene. In the beginning of the novel, it seemed that Finny was a very outgoing and independent character, and that Gene just sort of tagged along with him. Finny’s new dependence on Gene is a sharp contrast to his former way of life, and it also makes Gene feel even more guilt for screwing up Finny’s life not just in an athletic sense, but also from an emotional and personal standpoint. Finny is no longer the character he was prior to his tumble from the tree. Finny’s dependence also bonds him and Gene in a whole new way. Finny feels that with his handicap, he now needs Gene as a friend more than ever. Gene on the other hand feels that because of his involvement in Finny’s accident, he now has a responsibility to help Finny and make him feel better as he adjusts to his new physical limitations.
"He seemed older that morning, and leaning quietly against that great tree wrapped in his heavy coat, he seemed smaller too. Or perhaps it was only that I, inside the same body, had felt myself all at once grown bigger." Page 121, Chapter 8
I believe that this quote shows that Gene was strengthened into a Finny-type leader character in Finny's absence. He had grown into the competitive type of person that Finny was, so they were now on the same level.
Rudi Dunlap
“I was the least trustworthy person he had ever met. I knew that; he knew or should know that too. I had even told him. I had told him. But there was no mistaking the shield of remoteness on his face and in his voice. He wanted me around. The war then passed away from me, and dreams of enlistment and escape and a clean start lost there meaning for me.” (Pg. 108)
Friends need each other, whether they know it or not Gene and Finny are one and the same, when the two of them are not together it just doesn’t seem right. At least this is how Finny sees there relationship. Gene on the other hand has had the chance to experience a life with out Finny and he was deeply saddened when it came to an abrupt halt. For when Finny and Gene are together Gene has very little say in what they do, where they might go, or when they will do it. When Finny was gone Gene had freedom and he liked it, he was able to make decisions for himself, one of which was the possible enlistment into the army. Gene’s train of freedom was halted there for during this decision Finny returned and the train of thought and freedom returned to its normal owner. Finny new that if Gene went into the army then that would mean permanent separation from each other. It wasn’t as though Finny would force Gene to do anything it was more as if Gene felt so bad for Finny that he was compelled to do as he wishes. Sometimes in life the wishes of others overwhelms self choices and goals.
"So the war swept over like a wave at the seashore, gathering power and size as it bore on us, overwhelming in its rush, seemingly inescapable, and at the last moment eluded by a word from Phineas; I had simply ducked, that was all, and the wave's concentrated power had hurled harmlessly over head, no doubt throwing others roughly up on the beach, but leaving me peaceably treading water as before. I did not stop to think that one wave is inevitably followed by another even larger and more powerful, when the tide is coming in. (109-110)"
This quote is very important. The war is described as the tide coming in and Gene just dodged the first wave. This would be enlisting. Although the quote is foreshadowing a very important event to come because it says this wave, Genes first encounter with having to decided to enlist or not; will be followed by a much larger and more powerful one. This could imply that maybe Gene will indeed make up his mind and enlist in the military. The quote also says that the wave washed many roughly ashore. This could imply Brinker and others did in fact end up enlisting bring the war right to the front door of Devon School.
Brinker glanced swiftly at me. "You fixed it," he smiled widely. "You know all the time. I'll bet it was all youe doing." "Don't be nutty, Brinker," i turned back toward the desk and began moving books rapid pointlessness, strained even to my own blood-pounded ears. "Ah-h-h. The truth hurts, eh?" (page 88)
This quote is very important to Gene's overall feeling about the incident at the tree, with Finny. Brinker believes that Gene knew all along what was going to happen to Finny. He even thinks that Gene meant to do it. This quote is significant to the value of honesty and friendship. Most friendships are built around trust, and being honest with one another. Through this quote we can see that Gene's guilt has not fully disappeared, even after telling Finny the truth about what happened that day.
"Then for no reason I felt magnificent. It was as though my body up until that instant had simply been lazy, as though the aches and exhaustion were all imagined, created from nothing in order to keep me from truly exerting myself (pg 120."
Through out Life people change both emotionally and physically. Gene who started out as more intelligent then athletic is now changing himself into a person resembling Finny. The Previous quote shows how Gene is changing physically and can now run longer and faster like Finny. However, Gene also makes this change mentally in that he starts to see the same way about life that Finny does.
"After all, there's a war on. It's not much of a sacrifice, when you think of people starving and being bombed and all other things."
Gene's realization of the world around him and who he is. Gene sees that school life isn't as hard as the impending war that he will have to go into. He sees that the war won't be easy. He is getting ready for the war by thinking about it. The quote shows this.
"Well I just thought-last night after the railroad work-"
"You thought you might sign up?"...
The innocent Gene was lured into society to thinking about savage and war. Finny may not seem innocent since he plays contact sports but he really cannot stand how brutal and no perfect this world is even though Gene understands. This is ignorance because it is a situation where someone cannot face the facts and the truth so they tell them something else.
"'Sure you can manage the shower all right,' I said, 'but what difference does it make? Come on. Brinker's always...Brinker's always getting there first. Enlist! What a nutty idea. It's just Brinker wanting to get there first again. I wouldn't enlist with you if you were General MacArthur's eldest son.'"
page 108
In this paragraph Gene realizes that Finny needs him. Instead of inlisting in the war with Brinker, he chooses to stay with Finny. Even after all that has occured, and the earlier resentment that Gene had felt towards Finny, Gene is still strongly loyal to Finny in his times of need. It seems that the love/hate relashionship between Gene and Finny continues, but the hate and resentment is overshadowed by the love and loyalty that Gene feels towards Finny.
"So the war swept over like a wave at the seashore, gathering power and size as it bore on us, overwhelming in its rush, seemingly inescapable, and then at the last moment eluded by a word from Phineas; I had simply ducked, that was all, and the wave's concentrated power had hurtled harmlessly overhead." Chapter 8, pg. 109
Friendship is Friendliness; good will, and Envy is A feeling of resentment brought on with desire for the possessions or qualities of another. Although the war's presence had loomed so closely to Gene, it is again pushed away due to his reunion with Finny. Gene's Finny slowly become closer to one another, knowing the state of what Finny is in.
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