Why does Quackenbush use the word “maimed”? Explore the significance and connotation.- Pauly C

3)Why does Quackenbush use the word “maimed”? Explore the significance and connotation.


In the novel A Separate Place, the author John Knowles perfectly incorporated the setting of the book into the dialog between the characters. After Gene walks into the crew house late for the assistance manager position the manager of the crew team, Quackenbush, sparks an argument with Gene which ends in a brawl after Quackenbush calls Gene maimed for not playing any sports." 'Listen you maimed son-of-a-bitch...' I hit him hard across the face."(79) In this moment Quackenbush struck a flame in Gene by making him think of how Gene basically maimed finny, "It was almost as though I were maimed. Then the realization that there was someone who was flashed over me."(79) Quackenbush using the word maimed could also be John Knowles reminding the reader of the book's setting in World War II. With all the violence that a war contains, death and injuries are known outcomes of it. This could be a foreshadowing of the plot being more involved with the war as the boys grow closer to graduating high school and being legible for the draft. With Finny having an injuring bad enough to where he can't even play sports, it would interesting to see what would happen to their friendship and Gene's growth if Gene does end up getting drafted. 

 1) Do you think Gene is actually going to pick a sport for the winter session?

 2) How do you think Finny is going to be affected by the war?

 3) How do you think Finny is going to change due to his inability to play sports?

Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 16, 2020 at 4:11 PM

    I think Finny will be negatively affected by the war. During the summer time, Finny was very cheerful and didn’t let the war affect his attitude. This showed with the creation of the Super Suicide Society of the Summer Seccion and the creation of blitzball. These are very fun and exciting things to do while there is a war going on and yet Finny still did it. Now with Finny not being able to play sports which is the best thing that he was good at already changes who he is. Now that the summertime is over and weather is a symbol, that makes the fall and winter a symbol for bad things as good things happened during the summer. This is why I think Finny will be negatively affected by the war because I think it will be during the fall and winter that the war makes it to Devon.

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  2. AnonymousApril 16, 2020 at 4:16 PM

    I think that because Finny cannot play sports anymore, he will become less cheerful, and won’t be as ‘perfect’ in Gene's mind. This will impact their friendship because the only reason that the two are still friends is because Finny is so forgiving of Gene, and always reassures Gene that he’s not out to get him. Without this forgiveness Gene will be given even more of an impression that Finny is out to get him, and there will be no one to reassure Gene that he’s just in his own head. Overall, without sports Finny and Gene's friendship will change drastically, probably for the worse.

    Do you think that Finny will get frustrated without having sports?

    Do you think that Finny will get jealous of Gene because he’s smart, and can play sports?

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  3. AnonymousApril 16, 2020 at 4:31 PM

    I think Gene will pick a sport for the winter session solely because he feels as thought his purpose is to be a part of Finny that Finny himself can't be. He will not be able to stand up for himself because he thinks he owes Finny something and is still torn up with guilt, thereby allowing Finny to control him and/or live through him. This will most likely either lead to Gene loosing himself in this task and internally building up resentment while Finny puts more pressure on him to be like him (athletic, a leader, etc).

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  4. AnonymousApril 16, 2020 at 6:02 PM

    How do you think Finny is going to change due to his inability to play sports?


    I believe that because of Finny’s inability to play sports, he’s going to change by being more helping, yet have his own problems with himself. What I mean by this is that Finny will act normal around Gene but not as forceful, while dealing with sadder thoughts going on in his head. Finny now has lost one of the things he’s best at and love’s the most. Because of this, Gene now has to take Finny’s place and play a sport for him. If Gene decides to not do this, I feel like Finny will be understanding, yet still be sad about this. Ever since the tree accident, Gene and Finny’s relationship will not ever be the same. They still might be friends but there will still be an awkward space between them. Also, Finny is becoming an adult so as the story progresses maybe sports starts to mean less and less to him.

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  5. AnonymousApril 16, 2020 at 6:13 PM

    I think that the ongoing war will negatively affect Gene and Finny. With the season already moving towards winter which symbolises the tuff time in their friendship, the war will just add to this. Finny has just lost one of the most important things in his life, his ability to play sports, now there is the overlying danger of the war which I think will make him feel powerless. Even though the war was going on in the Summer it seemed distant and far away cause of the fun Gene and Finny were having at Devon. Now that Finny has lost sports and Gene in his life the war will seem like a much bigger deal and danger. To answer Ollie's question if Finny is frustrated without sports, I think that because for so many years Finny has excelled at sports not being able to play them will crush him. Finny has never been as good at Gene at school so he may start to become jealous of Gene and his ability to play sports, and be great at school. After learning about Finny I am sure that he will act like he is okay with everything even though he may not be.

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  6. AnonymousApril 16, 2020 at 7:45 PM

    I think that Gene will choose to play a sport during the winter session because he feels as if he owes it to Finny. With Finny's inability to play sports, Gene feels like he needs to make it up for it by playing for him. At the end of chapter six, Gene explains that his purpose now is to become a part of Finny and he could feel obligated to do so by playing sports for him. In addition, Finny tells Gene that if he cannot play sports then Gene must play them for him. By Finny saying this to Gene, it gives Gene a sense of obligation to play sports. Gene already feels guilty for what happened to Finny, and by him not playing sports for Finny, he could drag himself deeper into a hole of guilt.

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  7. AnonymousApril 16, 2020 at 7:54 PM

    I believe that Gene will pick a sport to play in the winter. He has a complete obsession with Finny, and now because of Finny’s inability to play sports, he will try to play in the memory of him. This is what he thinks before the end of Chapter 6, and I think he actually will play. He believes that it's necessary, and his duty to become a part of Finny this way. Before the chapter ends, we the readers can see that he is joyful that he has this opportunity to become a part of Finny. Because of this obsession that continues to grow, I believe that Gene will try to salvage his friendship with Finny later on in the novel.

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  8. AnonymousApril 16, 2020 at 10:16 PM

    I believe that Gene will end up playing a sport in the winter for more than just the reason that Finny told him to. Gene is going to feel like he owes it to Finny, he took away Finny’s opportunity to play sports so he is going to feel as if he owes at least that to him. Gene will be filled with guilt if he does not play a sport in the winter, for that reason I believe that he will end up playing a sport even if he seriously does not want to. Gene took away one of Finny’s most important things in his life, sports. I believe that Gene will play sports so that Finny won’t feel so down about not being able to play sports. Gene wants to feel as if he’s a part of Finny.

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  9. AnonymousApril 20, 2020 at 9:52 AM

    I believe that Gene will play a sport in the winter. Just as we say in the pink shirt moment Gene has such a strong obsession with Finny that Gene will do anything to become/embody Finny. To Gene Finny telling him to play a sport for him is practically instructing him to take his place. Gene takes anything Finny says to heart, therefore if Finny tells Gene to take his place in sports, which was such a prominent part of who Finny is, Gene will likely immediately obey Finny.

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