4.) Since Leper is “section 8” (“for nuts in the service”), explore the irony of Leper’s statement “always were a savage underneath.” Take into consideration that Leper contacted Gene. Why is this important?
In this reading, Leper says, “ ...always were a savage underneath.” (Knowles 145) several times to Gene when Gene is at his house. This is ironic because while Leper is supposed to be psycho, he's right, Gene is savage. Gene destroyed Finny's best quality, his athletics, because of his own jealousy. What's also ironic about Leper's statement is it's an outburst of tremendous emotion that the reader has never seen with Leper. Usually, Leper was calm and kept strong feelings to himself, but now he's furious, laughing, and crying all at the same time while telling Gene he's a savage. Leper has been bottling his true thoughts and emotions inside for the entirety of the story. Leper contacted Gene at the end of the last chapter. Leper needed Gene to come to his house to let all of his emotions and the truth of what happened at the army out. Maybe Leper will finally return to normal because of this interaction. Everyone at Devon was making jokes that Leper was leading army's attack, but in reality, the army is hurting Leper.
Henry Bamford
Bamford,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statements about how Leper is bottling up his emotions and letting them out at the wrong time to the wrong person. I also agree with your idea that the army is actually hurting Leper. I believe that this incident of keeping emotions to yourself and hurting your likelihood in the process is similar to the events of Finny's crippling. Gene holds his thoughts in, and in turn, makes himself emotionally unstable and uncontrollable.
I agree with both of you. However i would also say that Leper has probably been bottling his emotions all his life. When he joined the army it broke him and he became crazy. Also, in the telegram, Leper made it sound like he had escaped from some evil, some enemy that was out to kill him. However the army was doing the opposite. They were saving his life and everyone else's by making sure that people weren't effected by his crazyness. Also once he joined the army he could mistake his allies for his enemies and vica versa. His thoughts about Gene although they seem ridiculous, are actually true. This is what sets Gene off and is unable to control his "Savage".
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