Saturday, November 27, 2010

Gene Forrester returns to visit the campus of Devon School, an all-boys preparatory school in rural New Hampshire, which he attended fifteen years prior. Two locations bear a mysterious significance to him, the first being a marble staircase inside a classroom building. The second is beneath a tree growing near Devon River. After standing outside, time moves back fifteen years to when Gene had still been a schoolboy standing near that same tree. His friend Phineas urges him to climb its branches and jump off to simulate abandoning a torpedoed ship--World War II is waging on in the outside world. Gene jumps out of its branches into the river with Finny, despite his fear.

During an accelerated class session in the summer of 1942, Gene becomes increasingly paranoid of Finny who is also his roommate. He is the best at every sort of sport while Gene excels in academics and is not very athletic at all. Finally he decides that Finny is just as jealous of him as he is of Finny. As this conflict unfolds within Devon's campus, the war wages on in the outside with a greater fury. Gene's obsession with Phineas becomes so overwhelming that, while jumping out of the tree again later in the summer he shakes the branch to intentionally knock Finny out of the tree. Finny's leg is broken and he is unable to play sports again. The Summer Session ends and the boys return to their homes.

Forrester feels guilty about what he has done and tries to confess to Finny but he refuses to believe that Gene, his best friend, would ever hurt him. Devon School becomes more regimented and orderly as the Winter Session begins and, with Finny's absence due to his injury, Gene decides that he will leave Devon early in order to enlist in the military and fight in the war. But he wants to fight not for patriotism but rather for the sake of committing violence. Finny returns to school unexpectedly, on crutches, and discourages him from doing this. Their friendship becomes stronger as the two open up to one another. They share one another's skills, for Gene tutors Finny in academics and Finny teaches him about sports. They both make great progress and forget about the war for a little while.

As the spring begins, militaristic Brinker Hadley suspects Gene of causing Finny's fall from the tree during that previous summer and holds a mock trial for the two. Finny realizes that his best friend really had knocked him off the branch purposely and is so upset that he falls down the same marble staircase that Forrester visits fifteen years later. His recovering leg is broken again. Gene speaks to him in the school's infirmary and apologizes for what he has done. Finny forgives him and regrets that he himself can't enlist to fight in the war because of his leg. Gene assures him that he'd be a terrible soldier anyway since he's so good-natured and innocent. Comforted, Finny then dies after marrow leaks from the broken leg, causing his heart to stop. Gene is shocked but remembers all that he has learned from Phineas and begins to treat the world with the same playfulness that his friend always had. He enlists in the Navy because of the draft but never makes it to actually fight in the war in Europe. He is happy for this and no longer wants to commit violence. Phineas has saved Gene from aggression and conceit, changing his understanding of the world forever.

What could Phineas' fall from the tree possibly symbolize? For Gene it brings about an end of carefree innocence and ushers in a period of shame and guilt. Think biblically.

Do you think the ending is a happy one even though Phineas died?

14 comments:

Kelsey M. 13-14 said...

2. I don't really think it's a happy ending because someone dies but it is good that Gene learned something from his mistakes and can continue to learn from the lessons his now dead friend has taught him.

Jacob B 11-12 said...

I do not believe it is a happy ending because phinneas dies. Even though gene learns from it his friend is dead.

LibbyS5/6 said...

I agree with Kelsey and Jacob. Even though Gene is taught an important lesson from the loss of his friend, the loss of Finny is still more important than the lesson that was learned.

Kaitlyn H 11-12 said...

1. I think that the fall from the tree possibly symbolizes the fall of mankind when Adam and Eve eat from the forbidden tree because it brought violence into the world.

Erika B 13-14 said...

In response to the second question, I actually disagree with what has been said above. Even though Phineas died, I believe there is actually a happy ending to the story. It would have been sad if Phineas had died still mad at Gene, but he wasn't. He died with the comfort of knowing that he had forgiven Gene and they had once again become friends. From Phineas' death, Gene is able to change who he is for the better, seeing the world in a new light. In my opinion, these events at the end of the book should be taken in a thoughtful manner and not seen as a sad ending.

Kyle P. 13-14 said...

In response to the second question i think all of you have good points and there is no right or wrong answer.

Kyle P. 13-14 said...

I think you're right Kaitlyn because it was Gene's sin that brought about the period of shame and guilt just like the sin of adam and eve eating from the tree of knowledge.

Steve S 13-14 said...

I wouldn't say it is a happy ending, but perhaps a satisfying end. Phineas finally understands and forgives Gene and they both became better people.

russell F 11-12 said...

The ending is happy because Gane learns a valiable lesson and Phineas's death really wasn't his fault. He didn't cause the secound break and he didn't cause marrow leakages to stop his heart.

russell F 11-12 said...

The ending is happy because Gane learns a valiable lesson and Phineas's death really wasn't his fault. He didn't cause the secound break and he didn't cause marrow leakages to stop his heart.

russell F 11-12 said...

The ending is happy because Gane learns a valiable lesson and Phineas's death really wasn't his fault. He didn't cause the secound break and he didn't cause marrow leakages to stop his heart.

russell F 11-12 said...

The ending is happy because Gane learns a valiable lesson and Phineas's death really wasn't his fault. He didn't cause the secound break and he didn't cause marrow leakages to stop his heart.

russell F 11-12 said...

The ending is happy because Gane learns a valiable lesson and Phineas's death really wasn't his fault. He didn't cause the secound break and he didn't cause marrow leakages to stop his heart.

Mrs. Sherwood said...

thread graded, closed