Re-read the last sentence of chapter 6 (p84-85). Explain what is happening in the quote (establish context) and then explore and explain the last part “I lost part of myself to him then, and a soaring sense of freedom revealed that this must have been my purpose from the first: to become part of Phineas” (85).
At the end of chapter 6 Finny calls Gene to see how his first day of classes went. After Gene tells Finny that he is the equipment manager, Finny makes this remark, "Listen, pal if I can't play sports, you're going to play them for me (Knowles 85). When Finny tells Gene that he needs to play sports for him Gene finally feels that this could be the way for him to make up for Finny's injury. Ever since Finny fell off the tree and broke his leg, Gene has felt nothing but remorse and guilt and now he can repay Finny. Back at Finny's house Gene tried to apologize about Finny falling so he could feel better about himself and now Gene has another shot to make up for Finny's injury. At first Gene wanted to take no part in sports, " For I wanted no more of sports. They were barred from me, as though when Dr. Stanpole said, Sports are finished, he had been speaking to me (Knowles 84). But as soon as Finny said Gene had to play sports Gene wasn't (as always) in any position to say no to his best friend.
Do you think Gene will ever stand up to Finny and say no?
Will there ever being a moment where Gene becomes outraged by all of Finny's requests?
Finny calls Gene and asks him what sport he is doing for the fall. Gene replies that he is going to be the crew manager. Finny is horrified by the answer and tells him, “If I can’t play sports, you’re going to play them for me”(Knowles 84). Gene then thinks that, “I lost part of myself to him then, and a soaring sense of freedom revealed that this must have been my purpose from the first: become a part of Phineas” (Knowles 84). Gene is thinking that this is Finny’s way of telling him what Gene could do for Finny because he was the one who caused the accident. Gene's mission is to do things the way he would if Finny was there. Finny was an elite athlete and the hardest thing about his tragic fall from the tree is that he can never play sports again. Finny thinks of Gene as his best friend so if he can’t play sports he wants Gene to. When Gene first told Finny that he was the one who caused his fall, Finny wants Gene to still act as if he was still at school. When Gene was leaving his house, Finny said, “You aren’t going to start living by the rules”(Knowles 71). Finny never followed the rules at Devon and would push Gene not to also. Since he wasn’t going to be there till late fall he didn’t want Gene to start obeying the rules only because he was gone. Even if Finny isn’t at school for the beginning of the fall session he still wants Gene to act as if he was there.
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