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Gene And Finny's Relationship

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Jim Morrison, the lead singer of the popular 1960s band The Doors once remarked, “A friend is someone who gives you the total freedom to be yourself.” Yet, there are those friends that get people into trouble all the time dragging them into things we know will have consequences but we do it anyway. These friends may have good intentions and may want you to lighten up and relax. Throughout the book, Finny was able to persuade Gene to do things that he would not do if he did not have any fears.Finny has become such a big part of Gene’s life that he does not remember what it was like without him. Therefore, Finny and Gene’s relationship is shaped by fear which both strengthens and threatens their relationship. First, Gene fears taking risks …show more content…

As humans we tend to make certain things a competition whether it’s sports or academics, Gene seems to take this competition a little too far when he thinks Finny is trying to sabotage his grades like in the situation when Gene explained going to the beach, “‘Going there risked expulsion, destroyed the studying I was going to do for an important test the next day’”(Knowles 20). Finny had talked Gene into going to the beach despite all the things he was risking which gave Gene the idea that Finny was purposely trying to keep him from his studies. When Gene had taken the next day, he had gotten his very first F on a test. This enraged Gene because after that he knew that Finny was up to no good. The Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session was also taking up most of Gene’s school time as he described, “‘ As we drafted on through the summer, with this one inflexible appointment every day - classes could be cut and chapel skipped”’ (Knowles 14). Since Gene is one of the leaders of the club he is expected to be at the meeting every day which is taking away homework and even class time which makes it a little obvious to Gene that Finny is really trying to sabotage his grades. School and grades mean a lot to Gene, they are what make him who he is just like sports are what make Finny who he is. When Gene felt like Finny was trying to take that away from him he got upset because that is all he really …show more content…

Being alone is something that nobody wants to experience just like Gene he does not want to know what life is like by himself because he only knows himself as being around Finny all the time. An example of Gene sticking with Finny is when he almost fell out of the tree he admits. “I went along; I never missed a meeting. At that time it would never have occurred to me to say, ‘ I don’t feel like it tonight’“ (Knowles 14). Even though Finny almost got Gene seriously hurt he was not able to be alone long enough to skip a club meeting. Throughout the entirety of when Finny had gotten back to Devon after his accident he was able to get Gene to do pretty much what he wanted him to do, like not enlist in the Army and instead do as Finny suggested, “‘ Listen to pal, if I can’t play sports, you’re going to play them for me.’” (Knowles 43). Since Finny’s accident is keeping him from enlisting it was easy for Gene when Finny asked him not to go to the Army because he did not want to go if Finny was not able to. So instead Gene was willing to play sports for Finny and even train for the Olympics for him. Gene seems to not want to be alone because he was willing to take up the sport if that meant not being without

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