Qoute: "But when I looked in the mirror it was no remote aristocrat I had become, no character out of daydreams. I was Phineas, Phineas to the Life. I even had his humorous expression in my face, his sharp, optimistic awareness. I had no idea why this gave me such instense relief, but it seemed, standing there in Finny's triumphant shirt, that I would never stumble through the confusions of my own character again." (62)

Significance: This is an example of Gene trying to be more like Finny. First, his jealousy caused him to purposely, opposed to accidentally, jounce the limb that he and Finny were standing on, as was revealed in this chapter. Now, in order to be more like Finny, he puts on his clothes. It's not simply just a shirt or some socks, it's the whole outfit, right down to the shoes. Maybe borrowing a shirt or two like Finny had done before is ok, but going so far as to dress in an entire outfit is rather odd. Yes, he is trying to be like Finny, but is this too far? It's almost obsessive. The last line, where he talks about stumbling through his own confusions, I think might be a solution to Gene's inner struggle of whether he is jealous or happy for Finny. Maybe some spark not mentioned occurred in Gene's head that told him the answer. By dressing like Finny, perhaps Gene saw that he could be like Finny, but still be himself. He was he, Gene, Finny's best pal, but he also had on his clothes, which could, to Gene, be interpreted as Finny's characteristics and qualities. Gene didn't need his 'There can only be one' mindset. I think, therefore, that this quote is an example of Gene trying to be like Finny, and in doing so, he found the answer to his inner struggle, and that's why he set off to get on Finny's good side again.

Question: Would Finny freak if he knew Gene was using his clothes, just like Finny used Gene's?