ASP-Quote Significance 11/19

"Holding firmly to the trunk, I took a step toward him, and then my knees bent and I jounced the limb. Finny, his balance gone, swung his head around to look at me for an instant with extreme interest, and then he tumbled sideways, broke through the little branches below and hit the bank with a sickening, unnatural thud. It was the first clumsy physical action I had ever seen him make. With unthinking sureness I moved out on the limb and jumped into the river, every trace of my fear of this forgotten." (59-60)

What. The. Hell. You don't stand by and watch your friend fall out of a tree! I can't stand Gene right now! %$^@#! Expletive! Censored, Censored, Censored! Anywho, this quote is the turning point, the point which we all saw coming. Worse, however, it was Gene's fault. He shook the limb(jounced=shook), and that's what made Finny lose his balance. I would understand if Gene said he jumped as Finny moved, so he didn't see him fall or thud, and only heard one splash so when he looked to the bank he could see Finny lying there. Then maybe it wouldn't be his fault. The truth is, however, the Gene just stood there, watched his friend fall, and then a second or two later, Ok, NOW I'll jump. And, what, now he's not afraid? After seeing someone fall out of a tree with a thud trying to do something you're trying to do, you DON'T go running back the way you came? Really? Gene is a complete A-hole. First, he expected Finny of trying to sabotage his studying efforts to become Valedictorian when Finny was just having fun, and now this. Finny just wanted to have some fun. They're at an all boys boarding school for the summer. SOMEONE had to do something make it exciting. And, to throw some of Gene's bang-up wisdom on himself, if he had stayed at home and studied, he wouldn't have gone to the meeting and Finny wouldn't have fallen out of the tree and gotten hurt. Take that, Gene. Take that.

Question: Do you think Gene was responsible in any way for Finny falling out of the tree?

Sidenote: Caps lock does NOT fully express the extent of my dislike!