Chapter 8: What does the conversation about enlisting reveal about Finny and Gene’s relationship (p107-108)? Provide at least two specific examples. - Ollie McNamara

2) Discuss the irony of the dialogue between Finny and Gene on the second half of page 155. - Lucy Greenup

On the bottom of page 155,  Gene and Finny banter about protecting Finny’s broken leg.  Finny is

now beginning to be accepted back into the fabric of society, and the incident was far enough in the

past that the two boys can talk about it lightly.  The two boys have, to some extent, forgotten about

what happened at Finny’s house in the previous section of the novel.  The other students have fallen

back into listening and revering Finny, as seen in the multiple times he manipulates people into

things, such as the snowball fight and winter carnival.  This is the last true moment of normality John

Knowles shows us in the pair’s friendship before the trial.  Gene has reverted to being something of

a mother hen, no longer trying to take on Finny’s daredevil attitude but remembering to use caution. 

They talk openly about Finny’s injury.  He is still thoughtful of his feelings, as seen when he tells

Brinker that they should not confront Finny, even if he might have been motivated by actually saving

his own skin.  But the insecurity of their friendship still sits beneath the surface.  It is actually the trial

and by default Gene’s action, that will cause Finny to fall down the stairs.  But it is extremely relevant

to their friendship when Finny proclaims that “Isn’t the bone supposed to be stronger when it grows

together over a place it has been broken once?” (155).  This moment represents a calm in between

two storms and high points in the novel, Leper’s extravagant outburst and the trial held by Brinker

the other seniors. Had everything been handled properly, and both Gene and Finny been able to

make amends, their friendship could have gone one of two ways.  Either, they could no longer be

friends but leave on peaceful terms, or their friendship would have come out stronger than ever. 

Like the bone, if Gene had immediately told Finny the entire truth to the best of his knowledge, they

might have actually been able to come out the other side better.  Finny would have been hurt, like

the actually breaking of a bone, but the blunt honesty would have made it possible to make true

amends.  At this point, they are convinced everything is fine, but they are only living with a fake

reality and certainty.  If Finny had embraced his injury, he would have known better then to run and

never have fallen down the stairs.  Because of this lost opportunity, their friendship will never be able

to return to normal.  Instead, he tried to avoid hurting him more, which ended up stabbing him in the

back in the long run.  It is also ironic when Gene momentarily incriminates himself by saying “Thank

god” as if he has a personal stake in it, which he secretly does, and is an action he repeatedly shows

in the trial.  

What caused Gene to revert back to his normal attitude?

Will Finny continue to ignore the true situation?

Is Brinker going to accuse Gene before the novel ends?