Question #5: How would you characterize Gene at this point (the end of the reading)?
Provide two specific examples from the story to support your answer.
It becomes clear to the reader at this point in the story that Gene is a giant follower, and not at all a leader. He does what Phineas tells him to do, because he doesn't want Phineas to stop being friends or "lose face" with him. If something doesn't feel right he ignores it, and does what Finny is saying he should do anyways. Gene is insecure, and he doesn't know how to speak up for himself. He almost fatally hurts himself on top of the tree and yet he goes back up and jumps off of it again and again and again, every time Phineas tells him to. He second guesses his situation when he is up in the tree, saying, "Every time I got myself into position to jump, I felt a flash of disbelief that I was doing anything so periolous. But I always jumped" (Knowles, 34). He knows that Phineas isn't healthy for him saying, "Yes, he had practically saved my life. He had also practically lost it for me" (Knowles 33).
Gene is an intelligent boy, but he is characterized as the weaker two of the relationship. Phineas is dominating his life, and because Gene is too nervous about losing him, he never speaks up. Gene seems to idolize Phineas, and loves being his best friend. Gene is characterized as scared, weak, and not a confident young man compared to his best friend.
Gene is insecure and does whatever Phineas says, I agree with you. Even if he doesn't want to do it he still does because he doesn't want to lose Phinney. Even in Blitzball he never wanted to play and he never will, but he still just goes along with it. Phineas is taking control of Gene's life, which Gene has to change. I agree that Gene is weak and insecure, and just does whatever Phinney wants him to do.
ReplyDeleteI only agree with part of these arguments. Although I do agree that Gene is insecure and a bit weak, I think the main reason he does what Finny says is not out of fear of losing face but of a blind admiration. He does talk about some of the trouble Finny has got him into, he spends most of his time thinking about all the ways Finny is better than him. He says thing like "Phineas always had a steady and formidable flow of usable energy" (Knowles 40). He follows Phineas because, deep inside, he knows that Phineas will go all out in every aspect of life and Gene wishes he could be like that.
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