Is Finny's fall, and ultimately his death, something you can blame on Gene? Why or why not? If he is not to blame, then who is?
You can blame Finny's fall and Death on Gene. Gene is the one who made gene fall from the tree in the first place "I was thinking about it…about you because-I was thinking about you and the accident because I caused it" (Knowles 69). If Gene hadn't jounced the limb of the tree to make Finny fall then the trial in chapter 12 never would have happened. At this trial Finny then fell down the marble staircase which caused him to break his leg for a second time. This time "It was such a simple, clean break" (Knowles 193). and Dr. Stanpole had to then set it which then caused Finny to go into surgery and then later die. Gene therefore caused Finny's death because he caused all the events leading up to his death.
Jordan, I agree with you that Gene caused Finny's death, even if he wasn't the one who actually, physically killed him. Finny wouldn't have died in surgery if Gene hadn't pushed him out of the tree. However, Brinker calling the trial also contributed to Finny's death. If Brinker had not made Finny come he wouldn't have fallen down the stairs. Gene can't really take all the blame even if he started it, because Brinker really took it too far by calling Finny over to find out what happened. It could be argued, then, that Finny had a right to know the truth, but if he hadn't found out then and there he might not have stormed off, fallen down the stairs, and died.
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