"...my Devon life..."

John Knowles does an excellent job in portraying a coming of age story with two boys in a secluded high school. What crazy things can boys do during the summer? This book takes you trough an adventurous summer and senior year of two high school boys preparing to go to war. The connection that Finny and Gene have is...complicated. The silent competition between them takes Gene over which makes him become suspicious and turns him against his best friend. Until he and Finny are arguing in their dorm, Gene works as hard as he can to beat Finny. " 'I didn't know you needed to study... I thought it just came to you.' " I think Gene realizes here that there was no competition. Finny had thought that academics was like athletics, that people were just talented and that was what made them good. When in the tree, I think, Gene subconsciously jounced the branch. I think that part of Gene still wanted to "beat" Finny, and so part of Gene wanted Finny to fall.

After completing all six of these classics, you wonder why you read each. I think this was one of those books everyone can relate to. We are all in high school, not going to war of course, but metaphorically we are. We are going to war in the way of experiencing something new, something scary, risky, and dangerous. The world after high school when we go off to college, or maybe not, and start living on our own. High school prepares you for that. Devon prepared these boys for war and death, and life. Gene and Finny and all the other boys wanted to serve there country to be remembered, and to have old war stories. Finny lost that want when he would no longer be able to participate in the war. He denied that there ever was a war! Like a child who got in trouble, they don't want to take to blame so they say it never happened. Finny does something similar to this showing a maturity level. I see Finny as always getting what he wants. This one time he can not get what he wants, he becomes a different person, a child.

So is this a theme of the story? As The Rolling Stones say, "you can't always get what you want." Finny was so upset when he realized that Gene was the one who stopped him from going to war, he stormed out, fell and that was what killed him. humm. This book jumbled my thoughts and tore me between two character. It was a good book, but I hate to love it. Somethings are better left unsaid so I am finished. Thanks again Ms Jesik! See you in school.
-Cool Beans:)