Finny feels that World War II is a lie told by “old fat men” to keep young people in their place. Finny has returned to Devon, and seems changed. He has lied to himself about the war. His ideas around it have evolved from before and after his fall. Now the war is virtually non-existent to him. Finny tries to convince Gene of this telling him that “this whole war story is… A medicinal drug” (Knowles, 115). Gene is skeptical of this, wondering why Finny would be in on such a secret, prompting Finny to bitterally admit “because I’ve suffered” (Knowles, 116). This is a new part of Finny’s character that surprises both Finny and Gene. Like Finny’s momentary bitterness, his view of the war is not consistent with his easygoing, energetic character. Finny has suffered, and that suffering has made him more vulnerable. Both Finny and Gene have lied to themselves. And in Finny’s case it was to help him heal mentally and putting the war behind him was part of his healing.
I agree with Cordelia's idea that Finny is lying to himself about the war. He doesn’t want to believe that it is really happening. I think that this is because there is nothing he can do about it. Finny is worried when Brinker says that Gene is thinking about in-listing, and Gene realizes that this is because Finny needs him around. At the beginning of chapter 8, Gene says “Phineas was shocked at the idea of my leaving. In some ways, he needed me.” (Knowles 108) Finny is still stuck in the idea of summer innocence and a separate peace from the war, like Leper. Leper and Finny are different from the boys like Brinker and Gene, who focus on the war.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both Grace and Cordelia, but I also think there is more to Finny's opinion. Finny used to always be a star-athlete and was always happy, which made others reflect on Finny the same way. Ever since Finny's injury, however, although he tries to stay positive, he doesn't get the same happiness from others that he used to get. I think this was the cause for Finny saying the war is fake. He tried his best to show his happiness but when anyone sees him, all they see is sadness. Because of this, he tries to cling on to Gene, even if Gene doesn't understand why. "I didn't know why he had chosen me, why it was only to me he could show the most humbling sides of his handicap. I didn't care,"(Knowles 109). Finny is depressed, and is trying everything in his power to stop that, and the easiest way to do that would be to lie to himself and take away the war, so he puts it in his mind that it isn't real. Gene, however, doesn't understand this at all and just assumes Finny is crazy and follows along. This shows a different side of Finny that we didn't see early on in the book, because now he is looking for reassurance that everything's okay, unlike his past self who didn’t need any reassurance at all.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both Cordelia and Grace that Finny doesn’t want to admit to himself that the war is going on. I think that the main reason why Finny is lying to himself is because Finny doesn’t want Gene to leave him. Before Finny was injured he wore the pants in their relationship but now since he can’t really move Gene is now wearing the pants. I think the passing of the “pants” is depicted well in this quote that Finny says: “You’re going to be the big star now” (Knowles 114). My prediction is that as we continue reading Finny will get more clingy towards Gene especially if he starts to excel more at Devon.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said, but I also think that Finny’s perspective on the war is going a little against Finny’s normal personality. Usually, Finny is simply doesn’t care and has a very easygoing outlook on life. But when it comes to the war, Finny goes further from not caring but taking it to a different level, completely denying the war. “They’ve cooked up this war fake” (Knowles 115) Here, Finny is not only completely ignoring the war, he is also completely ignoring that the war even exists.
ReplyDeleteI think that Gene is still so overwhelmed in the rivalry between Finny and Gene that Gene doesn't care what others think as long as he is against Finny concerning the war. In the later stages of the chapter Finny brings up some ridiculous ideas about the way. Finny says, “this whole war story is… A medicinal drug” (Knowles 115) and, “They’ve cooked up this war fake” (Knowles 115). What Finny is saying here is totally outrageous, but I also think there is some truth to what he is saying. At Devon students and teachers seem to act particularly different, even starting with Finny when he first jumps out of the tree because it is a war exercise. Teachers are changing some of their strict rules with students and students continue to search for more independence, like when Finny denies what Mr. Ludsbury says on page 121. In a way it seems like everyone is on a high, just like they are all on “a medicinal drug”.
I agree with Cordelia Finny doesn't want to believe that outside of his little world there is a war going on. He refuses to believe that war is a real thing. He say that some of the people are "fat old men". If you are out of shape for the army than you can't really participate. Finny's injury has sort of changed him fro the worst.
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