The most memorable scene in section three is at the beginning the section, located in chapter 8. After returning from shoveling the snow at the rail tracks, Gene was all pumped up to enlist into the war with Brinker. Gene had a sense of freedom as if he was discovering himself, not just Phineas’ friend. All that came crashing down as he walked into his room to see Phineas sitting there. Phineas went on and on about how his break was, while Gene was still shocked. Soon enough he realized just how dependant Phineas was on him especially after the accident. As Brinker walked into his room talking about how Gene and he were going to enlist into the war, an expression of horror flashed upon Phineas’ face. Although, Phineas was quick to hide it and carried on as if this news would not affect him. Gene could see that Phineas was hurt by hearing this, so he pretended as though Brinker had made up the whole story about Gene enlisting into the war. Immediately there was a bright smile on Phineas’ face.
This scene is so memorable because it shows just how much Gene is influenced by Phineas. With Phineas away, Gene was just beginning to become his own person with his own thoughts, perspective, ideas, etc; but as soon as Phineas returns Gene turns into the old self. The old Gene that was always lurking in the shadows of Phineas, one that followed Phineas into everything. This scene also shows that Gene holds a lot of guilt for what he did to Phineas, he feels forever in debt to Phineas for breaking his leg. Whenever he is around Phineas, he is very cautious and quiet and lets Phineas do everything; but when by himself he’s the life of the party. This shows that Phineas being there or not creates a huge contrast in the person that Gene is which makes it the most memorable moment in section three. It challenges the readers to see both sides of Gene and notice how there's a huge difference in the way he acts, with and without Phineas around.
Leizel's Blog Comment:
ReplyDeleteFor section three, I definitely agree that this is the most memorable scene. Finny’s re-entrance to Gene’s life was both surprising and dramatic. I also agree with the idea of Gene finally growing into himself without Finny’s influence. However, I feel that the passive, Finny-following Gene is at this moment more subdued to the point of non-existence since any need to please Finny is stemmed from the guilt of causing Finny to suffer at his own hands. This guilt takes a more prominent role as the story progresses as it slowly consumes him. I also feel that at this point, it was a definite turning point in their friendship since it is filled with tension and lies. Their friendship is disintegrating right before their eyes and it is captured in this moment therefore making it the most memorable moment of section three.
Miguel's Blog Comment:
ReplyDeleteI too believe that Gene had trouble finding his identity, and who he truly was. Reason being is because he was always contemplating about whether or not he is to be a big part of Phineas. He was always lurking in the shadows of Phineas’ presence, whether it be about his athletic excellence, or his unique character. Nobody really realized how intelligent Gene was, besides his teachers. I agree with the fact that Phineas was finding it hard to discover who he really was in life. Gene was always questioning the things he does because in his mind he would say, am I doing this for me or for Phineas? He also questioned if he was destined to be a part of Phineas or not. This also reveals the lack of confidence that Gene has in himself, whether or not he is his own man. I have to disagree with the statement that says, that when Phineas comes back, Gene returns to his normal self. The reason why I disagree with this is because Gene did not change that much when Phineas was away and when Phineas came back, he just got more cautious about the things he thought about or said. It is not as if he completely forgot about Phineas, he just was not on his mind as much. Although Phineas did not seem to cross his mind as much, he still remembered Phineas in the things that he did, especially when he would see or play sports. Yes he may have been starting to discover his true identity when Phineas was gone, but even when he was there, he was still unsure. Overall, this was a well done Most Memorable Moment.