Assignment 5, question 1, Chris Bornhorst

Explore the significance of the fight with Quackenbush. Why does it happen? What exactly sets Gene off? How is related to his narrative earlier in the chapter? Why might Quakenbush be so disdainful of Gene?

Gene and Cliff Quackenbush get in a fight with each other at a crew practice. This fight starts with Quackenbush ordering Gene to get towels, and makes fun of him. "... As many as you can carry. That won't be too many" (Knowles, 77). Gene gets mad at him but Quackenbush just comes back with another nasty comment. This is what starts the fight. Quackenbush is scared of Gene taking over his spot as the manager of the crew team, so he tries to keep it by bossing Gene around. Gene wasn't doing anything wrong to Quackenbush, but then he made the comment: "Go to hell Forrester" (Knowles, 78). This is what gets Gene heated and mad at Quackenbush. Gene's point of view is much different at the beginning of the chapter than it is at the end of the chapter. In the beginning, Gene peaceful and descriptive in his words. He makes it sound like everything is calm. "Fall had barely touched the full splendor of the trees, and during the height of the day the sun briefly regained its summertime power. In the air there was only an edge of coolness to imply the coming of winter" (Knowles, 72). However, at the end of the chapter he is mad and fired of at Quackenbush, so he is using language that has never been seen before in this novel. "You, Quackenbush, don't know anything about who I am. That launched me, and I had to go on and say, or anything else." Knowles, 79).