Monday, March 15, 2010

Nathaniel Hawthorne

On the last page of the third chapter, Phineas says something bold and unexpected. He says to Gene that he is his best friend. This, at an all boys’ boarding school, is considered suicide. However, Gene wants to say the same thing in return, but the truth held him back. The truth was that Finny was not his best friend. Gene envies Finny. Every time the thought of envy pops into his mind. Gene convinces himself that it’s completely normal to envy your best friend. However, if the thought of your friend having something you don’t makes one genuinely upset, then the person you envy cannot possibly be that good of a friend.



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