Assignment #9 Explore the difference between what ‘escape’ means to Gene as opposed to what it means to Leper (see usage in context on the middle of page 143). (Tom)

Gene and Leper’s definitions of escape are two separate things. After Gene gets a telegram from Leper saying that he is in trouble and needs help. Gene comes to “the Chrismas location” (Knowles 137) and meets with Leper. After a little bit of talking, the point is brought up that in Leper’s telegram, he said he “escaped”. In Leper’s mind, escaping from the army is deserting, just put in different words. Gene, on the other hand, is not really sure what to make of how Leper describes his desertion of the Army. “The most logical thing a soldier escapes is from danger, death, the enemy. Since Leper hadn’t been overseas the enemy must have been in this country. And the only enemies in this country would be spies. Leper had escaped from spies” (Knowles 140). Here, it is clear that Gene is denying the fact that Leper deserted, maybe from the stories created in the butt room, maybe because Gene has too much faith in Leper.