Oakes
(152-177)Discuss the irony of the dialogue between Finny and Gene on the second half of page 155.
The dialogue between Finny and Gene on page 155 is ironic because later in the same chapter, Finny injures himself again due to his over confidence. Finny gets into an intense snowball fight with some other boys and ends up getting pummeled by everyone else. Later, Gene becomes concerned about his health and asks “Do you think you ought to get in fights like that?” to which Finny replies “Something about not falling again, but I’m very careful” (Knowles 155). Finny is confident that he can prevent himself from falling and getting hurt again, but his confidence gets him in trouble. He is so optimistic that he will be fine since he is so used to perfect strength and health, and he says “Isn’t the bone supposed to be stronger when it grows together over a place where it’s been broken once?” (Knowles 155). Finny thinks that he is invincible and nothing can go any worse than it already has, so he gets over confident and ends up falling down the stairs after Brinker’s “trial” and injuring himself even more.
I agree with you that Finny is too confident, but, I do not think his over confidence is what caused his second injury. I think that even though Leper did not want to incriminate himself, he says that someone shook the tree, Finny realizing that he might finally have to accept the truth about Gene, not Leper, pushing him off, he gets scared and tries to run away. Finny was so distraught and sad that either one of his friends would to that, that he falls down the stairs and hurts himself.
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