Chapter 7 and 8

1. Baptized in a river of darkness because he feels dark and dirty - evil (war) Earlier Finny fell in the Devon – purely good (peace)

2. Brinker implies that Gene did away with Finny somehow – “You fixed it” – in order to have a room to himself. Brinker calls Gene a “prisoner” and that he will “call the authorities.” Others ask “What’s the charge?” Gene answers back that “the truth will out” Foreshadowing???

3. In the butt room the students look like criminals People appear to be a different person for different situations Adapt your personality for whatever purpose Gene has many faces and he knows it now

4. An unforeseeable event that disrupts the course of things The incident in the tree and the mock court room scene

5. Snowfalls – first snow comes slowly and gently and quickly melts away – almost teasing everyone with its presence. Later it comes in huge amounts and covers everything At first war seemed far away and like a play thing; now it is more real and closer

6. Leper – taken by surprise by the war. Ironic that he is looking for the beaver’s dam - beavers adapt to winter – since he doesn’t adapt to the war. “I’m not going anywhere!” Just like the skis – he clings to the old use for them – doesn’t adapt.

6. Finny doesn’t believe the war is real – old, fat men are making up the war to keep young men in line Brinker wants to join the war to prove his manhood – he didn’t like being a kid scooping out the real soldiers’ train. “Children playing among heroic men.”

6. Quakenbush is pragmatic. Wants to finish school and college first so after the war he is prepared for real life. Gene wants to enlist and go to war

7. War is dangerous and dark and he “says” he is attracted to dangerous and dark stuff. War is evil and he is evil Also wants to sever ties with the past/Devon/Finny/his own sin- to be made over as someone new Self inflicted punishment

8. Warm yellow light coming from under Gene’s door Cold points of light represent Gene and war and winter – he is ready to enlist when Finny is gone Warm light represents Finny and peace and summer – won’t enlist now that peace is back

Ch. 8

1. Gene need to pray for forgiveness? Pray to keep his secret? Pray to be good?

2. Finny is optimistic. New day = new life and new opportunities. Gene used to be optimistic but is now pessimistic. Sleep suspended but changed nothing.

3. Finny is back – no enlistment

4. Outside – sober, stately, always on guard for mishaps Inside – full of energy, life, vitality Shows the dual nature of mankind again

5. Gene has had plenty of practice at deceiving others If Finny was good at deceiving others, he’d know when someone was deceiving him

6. Both can test a man – find out what you are made of Sports – the outcome is unimportant - has no real consequences War – real enemy and real life and death consequences

7. A way to control people’s actions

8. Finny doesn’t know Gene! Still thinks they are best friends