What does Gene mean when he says “I never killed anybody and I never developed an intense level of hatred for the enemy. Because my war ended before I ever put on a uniform; I was on active duty all my time at school; I killed my enemy there” (204). (Alex S)

Throughout the book Gene has this sort of competition with Finny and when Finny dies Gene has lost his competitor. Gene says, “I did not cry then or ever about Finny. I did not cry even when I stood watching him being lowered into his families strait-laced burial ground outside of Boston.

This funeral is thought out to be Genes funeral as well, Gene’s competitive side of him as been lost. When your enemy dies you don't have anything to do, Gene always wanted to match Finny but lost this fight factor in him, so when Finny dies this key part of Gene also dies. This competition is the war that he fights at devon, when Finny dies the war between them is over before he has the go to the real “war”