During
the “summer session” of 1942, the Devon School did not uphold its long-lasting
traditions and rules as much as it typically did during the standard school
year. The school’s new, but short-lived, outlook on student’s discipline was
very conducive to Phineas’ lifestyle. As a very “free spirited” boy, he loved
to show the extent to which his flouting of authority could reach before he was
reprimanded. To the boys around him, the summer of 1942 felt like “his moment”.
Because of this, they felt that Phineas was their leader. He directed the
summer’s goings on for the few boys that were there. Later on, Gene remembered
this and said, “Still it had come to an end, in the last long rays of daylight
at the tree when, Phineas fell,” (Knowles 74). While idolizing Phineas, Gene hated
him too for the same reasons. Life in its entirety was simply a competition to
him. He could not live with someone being better than he was, even if that
person was his best friend. Throughout the summer, their friendship flourished.
However, the session started coming to an end, so did the friendship. Gene let
his competitive feelings get the best of him and ended the summer by sending
Phineas home, and effectively terminating their relationship.
The summer session is a symbol of the time Finny and Gene spent together. After Finny is injured, Gene could see the end of the Summer Session as the end of his friendship with Finny. The Summer Session could also represent the rivalry between Finny and Gene, so Gene is relieved to see that end. Gene feels that the rules were less enforced over the Summer Session, but that could be just because he was always with Finny who could get away with anything. Finny represented the life and the fun of Devon during the Summer Session, now that he is gone, Gene feels that Devon has changed. Gene notices all the things that are different from the Summer Session when he gets back to school, but he is really noticing the changes of his Devon without Finny.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the summer session is a symbol of their friendship, however, instead of their friendship coming to an end, I think that the school year represents the beginning of a new era in their relationship. Now that the summer session is over, the fun living is over and Gene and Finny must come to terms with this. Finny, now injured, begins his school year with a different lifestyle. No longer can he do sports and the fun things he did before. He barely has enough force to do common things like walking from building to building (Knowles 112). Meanwhile, Gene must accept Finny as his coach instead of his adventure-seeking friend which is an interesting transition for him. The school year brings them new challenges to overcome and a more intense situation between their friendship, the war, and work.
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