Friday, April 5, 2013
Abby Cozier: Chapter 4 (Pages 40-60), Question 3: On pages 52-54, how does Gene's view of their relationship change? What does he think of it? Why does he feel this way? Do you think it's accurate?
Gene's view of their relationship changed between those pages because he realized that the enmity of feeling of hatred was mutual. Gene has always felt that Finny was better than him in the athletic department but he soon realizes that they are even in one thing, enmity, "I felt better... We were even after all, even in enmity" (Knowles 54). Enmity describes a feeling of hatred towards another person, which is exactly was Gene and Finny share for each other. Gene describes how he felt a sense of relief because he realized that they didn't have to compete with Finny in hating him, because they both were so jealous of each other to the point of enmity. Gene slowly starts to realize after, that they are both on a cold lonely journey by bringing each other down with jealousy and enmity, "You are even in enmity. You are both coldly driving ahead for yourselves alone" (Knowles 53). This quote portrays how they are even in enmity because they are alone and jealous of the other person. Gene and Finny describe themselves as best friends, but they clearly hate each other. They are describing the saying, keep your friends close but your enemies closer, because they are both completely different people who have a strong hatred for each other but they want to keep each other close so they can bring the other person down. Finny and Gene are only doing what is good for them and not what is good for one another. Gene now thinks of his relationship to Finny as an equal one in the sense of enmity because he realized that Finny hates him for being smarter than he is and Gene hates Finny for being more athletic than he is. Personally, I don't believe this is accurate because if they were real friends, they wouldn't be jealous of one another to the point where they hate each other and are living a lie. All things considered, Gene and Finny are friends but they are so jealous of each other to the point of enmity.
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At the end of the third chapter Finny tells Gene that he is his, “Best pal,” but Gene doesn’t respond to the complement because he doesn’t feel the same way (Knowles 48). Finny sees Gene as his best friend while Gene thinks of Finny as a person he wants to beat. In the next chapter Finny convinces Gene to stop studying for a French exam and go to the river. Gene wanted to do well on the exam so that he can be even with Finny when they graduate, but then he decides to go with Finny. On the way to the river Finny talks in French to help Gene study, which is what a friend would do. Gene realizes that, “He had never been jealous of me for a second. Now I knew that there was and never could have been a rivalry between us. I was not of the same quality as he” (Knowles 59). Gene realizes that if he told Finny that he was his best friend back at the dune it would be a lie.
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