Although it is ironic for Leper (who is mentally unstable), to be calling Gene a “savage”, he is not far from the truth. Gene knows this as well. When Gene and Leper are eating lunch, Gene can feel Leper’s mother warming up to him a bit, even after Gene knocked Leper out of his chair. He knows this is because she thinks that he is actually a good kid on the inside, but he admits to himself that Leper was correct in believing that Gene is not a good person at heart. “Leper was closer to the truth.” (Knowles 146).
Leper chooses to contact Gene out of all the people at Devon because he believes that Gene will understand him the most. When Leper is telling Gene about his hallucinations in the army, Gene snaps. “This has nothing to do with me! Nothing at all! I don’t care!” (Knowles 151). Gene loses his temper because he doesn’t want to face the fact that perhaps Leper is right, and that Gene is just as crazy as him. Gene keeps repeating to himself on page 151 that he has no idea why Leper would be telling his story to him. Of course, this is untrue. Gene knows that Leper is telling him this because he thinks they are alike. Gene hastily runs away; he is horrified that Leper might be right.
I agree with Anya that it is ironic for Leper to be calling him a savage, after almost getting a Section Eight discharge for insanity from the army. I also agree with Anya that Leper chose to contact Gene out of everyone at Devon because he is the person Leper is closet to at the school. Gene and Leper, in a way, connected when Gene was on his way to shovel out the rail road, and Leper was skiing. Leper also states how he doesn't like anyone at Devon, saying, "I don't really hate Brinker, I don't really hate him, not any more than anybody else." (Knowles 149). At the end of the chapter, Gene cannot admit the truth to himself and once again runs away from his problems.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Anya that Gene is acting like he doesn't care. This is because he is afraid of the truth. Also he is afraid of the war. When he starts hearing about Leper's stories, he understands that the war is real. Also, when Leper calls Gene a savage, Gene's memories come back of when he pushed Finny out of the tree. "Like that time you knocked Finny out of the tree." (Knowles 145) Leper keeps brining Finny up to prove to Gene that Leper and Gene are more alike than Gene thinks. Also Leper knows why Gene pushed Finny out of the tree, but wants Gene to know it as well. However, Gene still cannot face the truth, that he is jealous of Finny.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with Anya, Rei, and Alexandra that it is ironic that Leeper calls Gene a savage, but it is a true statement. It is obvious that Leeper is struggling with PTSD, and a lot of things are dramatized for him. This leads him to call Gene a savage, which is ironic because Leeper is the one who is restless between the two. However this statement is true to some extent. Gene definitely feels like a monster for jousting the branch and making Finny break his leg, but these feelings have been contained by Gene untill he realizes that someone knows what happened. This sets Gene into overdrive and leads to the violent altercation between Gene and Leeper. Leeper's statement about Gene is ironic, but partially true.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Anya that Gene may not be considered a good person, but I would not go as far as calling the highschooler a savage. Gene feels remorse for his actions, which is an emotion that a savage would not feel. This is seen when Gene does not enlist in the army because Finny returned to Devon after jumping off the tree. When Gene tells Finny about his plans to enlist, Finny changes the subject almost immediately. Gene thought to himself “He needed me” (Knowles 108). A savage would disregard the feelings of others in their decisions, which is something that Gene did not do. Is Gene a true savage, or does he just make bad decisions?
ReplyDeleteThere is certainly irony in the fact that Leper has accused Gene of being a “savage” underneath while he himself has become caustic almost to a point of savagery. However, it also exists in the juxtaposition of this line in comparison with the telegram that he sent Gene. On the last two lines of the message, he says, “(signed) YOUR BEST FRIEND, ELWIN LEPER LEPELLIER,” (Knowles 137). Leper has just shown a great amount of animosity and pent up anger towards Gene, when he referred to Gene as his best friend just one day prior.
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