This book was amazing. It was so much better than Huck Finn. I found myself lost in the pages of this novel, and I felt like I could connect a lot to Gene. He overachieves, does very well academically, and is working toward being the top of his class. He is very smart and thoughtful. He has a competitive nature and follows the rules in school. Gene develops a love-hate relationship with Finny, his best friend. Yet, he both adores and envies him. This is how I feel I connect to Gene. I admit I'm an overachiever. I get great grades, try to do very well in school, and I used to have a love-hate relationship with this friend of mine. Gene has lots of insecurities and fears. Throughout the novel, he finds himself wishing he was just like Finny, yet he knows he can never be the olympic athlete Finny expects him to be. He's insecure with his own personality because he thinks Finny is so great at everything and that he can't possibly amount up to him. Gene's looking at all of his flaws and none of his good attributes. He's blinded by jealousy and guilt. In the very first few pages of the novel, when Gene is an adult, he realizes he is still insecure and fearful.
I know I'm still insecure about things at times, but most everyone has to be insecure about one thing at least. For example, and I can't believe I'm sharing this, but I'm insecure about my teeth. I still love to smile but sometimes it's a little awkward. I also used to be blinded by jealousy with the one person who used to be my best friend.
I would never intentionally hurt anyone, either. I just don't have the heart to do that. Gene is not my favorite character, either. He's actually my least favorite. I connected with him a little on the emotional side. Finny is my favorite character by far.
Which character can you connect most to? (This character doesn't need to be your favorite one.)
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I would say I connect with Gene the most. I ponder over a lot of moments in my life over and over like they were on a big screen in my head. But I try not to obsess over it but learn and mature and all that growing up nonsense. I also confess to getting jealous but I never would have a thought a simple jounce on a tree branch could fix that. I can also compare myself to Finny. I can be really stubborn and even though the evidence is right in front of me, I turn the other cheek to what I originally believe.
ReplyDeleteThe character I connected the most to is Leper. Leper has a kind soul he adores nature and he has a lot of cool hobbies well I think so he reminds me of myself. When I first came to Keystone I kind of felt a lot like Leper no one paid any attention to me and I won’t lie I was pretty jealous of people at school just because they all had people to hang out with except for me. I feel that I have a stronger connection with leper instead of Gene or Finny.
ReplyDeleteI think that everyone is more likely to compare themselves to Gene. Everyone has flaws, and in that way, could relate to a very flawed main character. If you say I think I'm alot like Finny, then you come off as vane. Finny was pretty much made out to be flawlessy good natured, honest, athletically brilliant, good looking, and popular. I believe that everyone has the potential to be like Finny or like Gene, or like any of the other characters by times.
ReplyDeleteI really think comparing yourself to characters in book is a good idea to better understand the intentions of the characters and the set up of the story. If you set yourself up as being like Gene, you realize that anyone’s insecurities can blind them into being cruel, whether if its as subtle as being snappy with someone, or being as extreme as knocking them out of a tree. You realize thinking things over are a good way to discover things about your life, whether you like them or not, whether it’s the truth or not. Then you could go on to seeing yourself being like Finny, trying to make everything light and fun, trying to cover up your frustrations with goodwill and fantasies. You could even go to say you are like Leper, trying to do something you aren’t fully prepared to do for blinded acceptance, curiosity and honor. The war drove him insane and sane, if you can see both those views. Some of us are like Brinker, straight laced rule enforcer, until something makes you change your powerful will the opposite way, becoming rebellious. In reality, we all are like every character in a story, but it’s up to you to make the connections. I don’t know which character I’m most like. Sorry. But I do know how each character could embody a part of me, and I hope that is as helpful. :D
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