Coleridge paragraph

In A Separate Peace, the tone of the winter term is dramatically different then the summer term. In the summer term things are much more relaxed and school isn’t a top priority. The top priority of the summer term is to match Finny. In the winter term, with Finny not being there, there was never that constant threat. It was more about sticking up for Finny for example when he got into a fight with Quackenbush. He threw the punch because he was called “maimed.” He thought about Finny in this instant because of his leg and thought of it as an offense to Finny. Also in the winter term things were different because people, for example in the Butt Room, always thought about how Finny fell. They played out a whole “mock trial” trying to get the truth. Also with Finny gone in the winter term, Brinker took his place. Although Brinker was much different than Finny, he plays the same role.

“Here you are in your solitary splendor,” he went on genially. “I can see you have real influence around here. This big room all to yourself. I wish I knew how to manage things like you.” (87)

Brinker seems to me like a wise businessman. He admires that Gene managed to get the room all to himself. But I don’t think that he was really impressed. I think he was just trying to “work the room.” Meaning he was making small talk with everyone not just Gene, and Gene knew that. Finny had one group and only talked to that one group of people. The mood changed from relaxing with your “best friend” on the beach, to a race for power.