Finny and Gene's training helps them forget about the war and focus on what matters to them. Finny claims that the war isn't real, Gene doesn't believe him but he goes along with it. In chapter 8, Finny decides to train Gene for the 1944 Olympics, their training is a way to deal with the war, and bond as friends. Gene sees Finny's plan as a silly dream at first: "I went along, as I always did, with any new invention of Finny's. There was no harm in taking aim, even if the target was a dream." (Knowles 117) Throughout the book, Finny has given Gene direction and motivation, when Finny was gone Gene was without that, nut now that Finny is back he plans to give Gene a goal: the 1944 Olympics.
Finny is in denial about the war because he cannot enlist, he tells himself it's all a lie, and focuses his life elsewhere. Finny knows what he likes and doesn't waste his time on much else, he discovers that he likes coaching Finny in the locker-room when Gene is doing chin ups. " until he sang out 'thirty!' with a flare of pleasure." (Knowles 117) Finny then decides that that is what he will now focus on; before it was sports, now it is training Finny.
Gene went along with Finny's crazy idea at first, but he later realizes that the training is good for him, as well as his relationship with Finny. Gene discovers just how great he is when Finny describes his feelings accurately. "'You found your rhythm didn't you, that third time around'... 'Yes, I have been'... 'now you know'." (Knowles 120) Finny is talking about the feeling of being a good athlete when he says 'now you know'. He is showing Gene how it felt to be that good. Gene now has a better understanding of what exactly he took away from Finny. They become closer during there training, and by the end of the chapter, they have both disregarded the war.
Finny has now clearly shown that he needs Gene. Gene has hit on the reason for this; “…This must have been my purpose from the first: to become a part of Phineas,” (Knowles 85). It does seem a bit close-minded to say that this is his only purpose in life, but now that Finny has been injured and such an important part of him has been taken away, he is floundering without it. Gene feels that he owes it to Finny to fill in the gaping hole that he created in Finny’s life. So, when Finny tells Gene that he would like to train him, Gene does not simply follow it as another one of Phineas’ ill-thought out plans. He is going along with it because he cannot bear to see his friend in such a state as a result of something that he did.
ReplyDeleteFinny has now clearly shown that he needs Gene. Gene has hit on the reason for this; “…This must have been my purpose from the first: to become a part of Phineas,” (Knowles 85). It does seem a bit close-minded to say that this is his only purpose in life, but now that Finny has been injured and such an important part of him has been taken away, he is floundering without it. Gene feels that he owes it to Finny to fill in the gaping hole that he created in Finny’s life. So, when Finny tells Gene that he would like to train him, Gene does not simply follow it as another one of Phineas’ ill-thought out plans. He is going along with it because he cannot bear to see his friend in such a state as a result of something that he did.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both Rebecca and Xander. Gene does feel the need to compensate for Finny's injury, as he is mostly responsible for it. However, this kind of behavior shows how unhealthy their friendship is. Finny is able to make Gene do anything, even when Gene doesn't want to. "Why did I let Finny talk me into stupid things like [jumping out of the tree]? Was he getting some kind of hold over me?" (Knowles 17). Gene doesn't like the physical training that Finny makes him go through. "My lungs as usual were fed up with all this work...my knees were boneless again," (Knowles 120). Gene knows that there will be no 1944 Olympics, but he still does all this training. He does this for Finny, because Finny has complete control over him.
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