support him, face transfigured, body a complex set of balances and
compensations.” His memories of Finny do not torture Gene the way
the sight of Finny himself, swathed in bandages, had done.
Why has Gene decided not to go out for a sport but to sign on as
an assistant manager? Is this his way of doing penance and not
violating Finny’s sacred position as the ultimate athlete?
Quackenbush (no one uses his first name, which is Cliff),crochet ugg boots, the senior
crew manager, has already formed a judgment of Gene based on Gene’s
taking the assistant manager job: clearly the boy’s self-image has
suffered a shock. But, Gene tells us, “I knew his flat black eyes
would never detect my trouble.”
What sort of trouble do you suppose this is that cannot be seen by
the naked eye?
And how sincerely do you think Gene wants to escape the atmosphere
of competition at Devon? Is it ever possible to avoid competition in
school? Gene would prefer to suffer his guilt in silence,ultra tall ugg boots, to perform
the menial tasks of fetching towels and water buckets, gathering oars,
helping to bring the lightweight shells onto the shore, without anyone
bothering him.
Quackenbush, however, will not tolerate such independence. He
goads and teases Gene, clearly picking a fight. We all know people who
can’t get through the day without conflict of some kind, and
Quackenbush is one of those types. He presents yet another test for
Gene, and it is in meeting rather than avoiding tests that one grows
and develops as an individual. John Knowles reminds us of this over
and over again in A Separate Peace.
The Quackenbushes of this world are at the opposite end of the
spectrum from the Finnys. In responding to Quackenbush’s taunts- “Go
to hell Forrester. Who the hell are you anyway” and “Listen, you
maimed son-of-a-bitch”- Gene makes a quick statement about where he
stands. He lashes out in anger and, he realizes soon after the
fight, in defense of Finny. Imagining Finny’s presence,mbt lami shoes, his
indomitable spirit and his faultlessly positive attitude, gives Gene
the courage to fight back. Gene’s action is the “first skirmish of a
long campaign,” the first step toward a rebuilt sense of
self-confidence. Can it be that Finny is an even truer friend when
he’s not around, when Gene can draw on an idea of him for
inspiration without becoming confused by Finny’s larger-than-life
example in the flesh?
Finny is very much on Gene’s mind as he straggles damply back to the
main campus and runs into Mr. Ludsbury, the teacher in charge of his
dormitory. Mr. Ludsbury reprimands Gene for his sloppy appearance
and lays down the law about gambling at night- which makes Gene feel
even more guilty. He accuses Gene, who as a senior should know better,
of “taking advantage” of the relaxed summertime rules. Gene just
相关的主题文章：
COMMENTS